A Unique Relationship
By Dr Shireen M. Mazari
As a Pakistani visiting
Turkey, it is easy to forget that in inter-state
relations there are no permanent friends or enemies.
There continues to be an inexplicable outpouring
of affection from ordinary Turks when they hear
you are from Pakistan – and this seems to
have filtered to the younger generation also. Even
more astonishing, any number of people who can comfortably
break out into the chorus of “Jeevay Pakistan”
– a song they have become familiar with through
Turkish television.
Clearly, the Turkish nation continues to have a
tremendous sense of history, which we seem to be
increasingly devoid of, but there really is something
beyond Realpolitik and history that sustains the
goodwill for Pakistan in Turkey that exists within
the Turkish government and nation.
At the same time, in an exchange of views, it is
evident that Pakistan has done little to sustain
and develop this continuing goodwill – much
to India’s continuing chagrin as they seek
desperately to increase, not very successfully so
far, economic cooperation in sensitive areas such
as avionics. Our trade and overall economic relationship
with Turkey remains poor despite the odd effort
to bolster it – a pattern similar to our relationship
with China in the economic field.
Of course, both Turkey and Pakistan have some interesting
features in common which can be a source of strength
for them as well as weakness, depending on how they
utilize these factors. For instance, both countries
straddle two major geopolitical regions –
Turkey in terms of Europe and Asia, Pakistan in
terms of South Asia and West-Central Asia and the
Gulf region. Both have yet to realize the potential
of active involvement in all these neighborhoods.
Turkey has tended to focus so exclusively on Europe
and the membership of the EU, that it has failed
to play a substantive role in its Asian neighborhood
despite its historical importance within the Muslim
World. Also, as a longstanding ally of the US, it
has limited its own options in Asia. Incidentally,
the Turks paid for their NATO membership with their
blood, literally, because they had to fight in the
Korean War before they were granted this membership.
Pakistan was compelled by history to focus primarily
on South Asia, although its commitment to the Ummah
did move it in other directions within its region
also. But the full regional potential has yet to
be realized by Pakistan.
Both Pakistan and Turkey have some important common
issues including Afghanistan where Turkey is part
of the ISAF/NATO force. Only recently, the Turkish
leadership once again gave support to Pakistan’s
position on Kashmir and the principle of self-determination.
Turkey has also been a pillar of support in other
sensitive areas, especially when we were the most
sanctioned-against state. Pakistan has been equally
supportive of Turkey, although we did blunder on
the OIC secretary general’s election where
we chose to go our own way and embarrassed two important
allies in the process. Let us hope we do not commit
the same mistake in the case of the UN Secretary
General’s forthcoming elections, which focus
on an Asian candidate.
A particularly critical issue for Turkey presently
is the issue of breaking the isolation of the Turkish
Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC). With the Greek
Cypriots rejection, of unification it is high time
the TRNC was brought into the international mainstream
since they went the extra mile towards compromise.
Had the EU not shown such a bias as to admit Greek
Cyprus into the EU while the Cyprus conflict was
on, perhaps the Greek Cypriots would have been more
amenable to compromise and conflict resolution.
As it is, the EU once again showed its underlying
Christian ethos in the way it dealt with the Cyprus
issue and many in Turkey now concede that their
chances of getting EU membership are nil, but they
are not ready to give in on this count.
Turkey’s EU membership rejection will define
for the rest of the Muslim World the Christian identity
of Europe – no matter what may be put out
as the official explanation. After all, if Turkey
is seen as a Muslim state despite its constitutionally
guaranteed secular character, then we should have
no doubts about the mindset of the EU – which
seems to have no objections to the Christian character
of some of its major member states.
Coming back to the issue of the TRNC, it is high
time countries like Pakistan took the lead in breaking
its isolation. Even if we do not give formal diplomatic
recognition, we can make a beginning by establishing
direct trade ties and flights into the TRNC. At
the moment we seem to be overcome by an inexplicable
sense of timidity. At a time when American delegations
have flown directly into the TRNC, we are not prepared
to have our ambassador in Turkey visit the TRNC
officially – at the request of the many Pakistani
students studying there. After all, if the Greek
Cypriots are not prepared to adopt the Kofi Annan
plan for reunification, should the rest of the international
community pretend that the TRNC does not exist?
Given the EU’s biased role on this issue,
they also have a moral obligation now to accept
the TRNC. As for the OIC, it did move a little on
this count at its last foreign ministers moot, but
not enough. We are prepared to have Russia as an
observer within the OIC but not the TRNC in our
OIC fold! But then this also shows the need for
non-Arab members of the OIC to play a more active
role in giving life to this organization. The TRNC
has survived over the years despite being ignored
by the international community. It is time for us
to make amends and Pakistan should stand up and
be counted as one of Turkey’s major allies.
For too long we have relied on history to continue
our special relationships – be it with Turkey
or China. But history is not enough. It is through
Turkish intent that India still has not made inroads
into that country but there are major student exchanges
and India’s economic lures are on offer. The
TRNC issue is one that will revitalize historic
links between Pakistan and the Turkish nation. On
both moral and political grounds the case for Pakistan
taking a lead in breaking the TRNC’s isolation
is strong – especially in the aftermath of
the Cypriot referendum results.
Beyond that, Pakistan should also play a more active
role in a reconciliation of the Turkish and Arab
nations. Turkey has always been a bulwark in the
defense of the Muslim World and it can continue
to add strength to it, but the wounds of history
need to be healed. Pakistan can also play a critical
role here, if the will is there. It is time for
Pakistan to come out of its psychological reticence
and recognize its regional power potential.
(The writer is Director General of the Institute
of Strategic Studies, Islamabad. Courtesy The News)
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