Turkey and Syria<\/p>\n
Viewpoint: Christian Science Monitor (excerpt)<\/p>\n
The increasingly violent crackdown on democracy protesters in Syria has become a test for neighbouring Turkey and its ties to the West.<\/p>\n
As a member of NATO and the only democracy in the Muslim Middle East, Turkey has boasted about \u201czero problems\u201d on its borders. It actively sought to better ties with its neighbours, no matter their political persuasion. This approach has collected a string of successes, most notable Syria, with which Turkey almost went to war in 1998.<\/p>\n
Since then, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has developed a warm friendship with Syria\u2019s autocratic leader, President Bashar al-Asad. The two governments held joint cabinet meetings and military exercises. Trade surged.<\/p>\n
But the limits of Turkey\u2019s influence as a regional peace broker are now becoming clear. Despite Erdogan\u2019s personal pressuring of Assad to reform, Syria\u2019s forcible put-down and mass killing of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators has escalated to an alarming degree.<\/p>\n
Similarly, after the democratic revolt began in Libya, Erdogan talked with Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, offering him a plan to quit power and call elections. Qaddafi ignored him, though Turkey was instrumental in negotiations to free four New York Times journalists who had been detained by Libyan authorities.<\/p>\n
The reasons for Turkey\u2019s limited success are multiple. Cornered dictators are not so easy to remove. Turkey also has tremendous stakes in preserving the status quo. Turkey is also keenly aware of the threat of refugees pouring over its border if Syria collapses.<\/p>\n
Erdogan was ahead of the curve in calling for Egypt\u2019s Hosni Mubarak to step down. But he has been slow to do the same for Qaddafi, and slow in his public condemnations of the Assad government.<\/p>\n
Turkey has an opportunity in Syria to stand more firmly on the side of democratic protesters. There is only so much it can do, but it\u2019s also not doing as much as it could.<\/p>\n
What it really needs is to reassess its \u201czero problems\u201d policy. That worked at a time of one-on-one crises with countries, and when the aim was to avoid conflict and improve business ties.<\/p>\n
There is an ideological sea change under way in the Middle East. That requires a democracy like Turkey to choose sides and stand squarely behind freedom advocates.<\/p>\n
Zero problems can no longer mean zero principles.<\/p>\n
Turkey has a historic chance to swing solidly behind the democratic movement in the Middle East and North Africa. Hesitancy works to its detriment. It besmirches its credibility among protesters (Libyan rebels burned the Turkish flag because Ankara did not back the no-fly zone). Worse, its lack of definitive support makes it harder for democracy advocates to succeed.<\/p>\n
As Turkey\u2019s own president, Abdullah Gul, has written, \u201csooner or later the Middle East will become democratic.\u201d Turkey, and its allies, must now make a strategic decision to back this movement \u2014 even when it\u2019s inconvenient for them. And even at the risk of creating other problems.<\/p>\n
via TheSpec – Turkey and Syria.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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