22 May 2010

PARIS- I have been in the capital of France, Paris, for the last four days. We have not come here for a touristy trip. Prof. Dr. Cagri Erhan and I are here together as invitees of the French State for the ’Leaders Program’. Over the past four days, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. we have a heavy schedule of visits to the French Foreign Affairs Ministry, think-tanks, the French Presidency and newspapers. We examined almost all the institutions of French diplomacy.
On the first day, we talked about French-Turkish relations; we questioned why President Nicholas Sarkozy is so opposed to Turkey. While we were looking for the answers to our classic questions, news of Turkey and Brazil’s persuasion of Iran on the nuclear agreement was received. French diplomats watched the news with astonishment. It was apparent that they were not expecting such a maneuver. We understood that Turkey had not informed France well about it.

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I asked what they thought about the agreement, and if they consider the agreement a solution to the crisis. A diplomat said, "I have mixed feelings right now”.

On the second day, on the desks of almost all diplomats in the French Foreign and European Affairs Ministry we saw the news reports and photos displaying Erdogan and Ahmedinejad sitting side by side. With the news, everyone’s main agenda has become the agreement in Iran.

It is obvious that Turkey (with Brazil) spoiled some games by its unexpected maneuvers, and surprised the West. This could be easily understood from the faces and responses in Paris, Washington and London. As a matter of fact, immediately after Turkey’s move, the U.S. took a counter-step. It was announced that the permanent members of the Security Council had reached a compromise on new sanctions on Iran. Apparently, the Turkey’s maneuver has bothered the U.S.

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The French diplomats indicate that the Turks are not only a rising diplomatic power in the issue of Iran, but in nearly all significant areas. In every department of the Ministry we visited, they said that the Turkish diplomats were not the same Turks of the past. In fact we know that most of the Turkish diplomats are the same people. However, obviously, the Turkish diplomats have gained serious self-confidence and they are not afraid of showing this clearly in international meetings. Thus the old Turkish diplomats have become new and self-confident ’super diplomats’. For example, diplomats in the departments for NATO and disarmament of the French Ministry were caught unprepared and were surprised when Turkey pressed about the Bosnia-Herzegovina’s NATO membership issue. The French diplomats say, "We miscalculated Turkey’s attitude and the Turkish diplomats’ insistence”.
It is apparent that the Bosnia-Herzegovina issue was not the only miscalculated attitude:

A French diplomat said,

"Turkey has started to take the NATO meetings hostage, and does not leave the meeting before getting what they want. They are so strict; to be honest we were not expecting this much Regarding the Bosnia issue, the Turkish Ambassador said "If this issue is not solved in this meeting and a road map for Bosnian membership to NATO is not drawn, I will take the issue to every meeting, and you cannot escape from me”.

It is clear that everyone in the NATO summit was surprised by this uncompromising attitude of Turkey, which had been seen as a ’well-behaved-child’ in the past.

Evidently, all of Turkish ambassadors have started to act like Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu. We understand that the French diplomats first realized the change in Turkish diplomats during Rasmussen’s candidacy for NATO Secretary General. "Turkey reacted unexpectedly and shocked everyone, including the French” they say.

Now the French are better prepared about Turkey. They say, "We expect everything from Turkey”.

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I will continue writing about my impressions of France.

To be truthful, I have mixed feelings like the French. It makes me feel excited and proud to see the news of Davutoglu and Erdogan on every table or to see "Turkey’s maneuver” as the top news on the TV channels in the heart of the French State. Yet, I can see that there is a situation, like stirring up a hornet’s nest. Turkey is at a knife-edge balance with its allies. It is necessary to establish the balance well. We know Davutoglu. We like the French, also expect everything from him; we hope that he will not have difficulty establishing this balance. Yet, we know the West as well as we know Davutoglu. I hope that we do not miscalculate their maneuvers as they miscalculated ours.

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Translated from Turkish by Gamze COSKUN (USAK)