TURKPULSE
No:54 TURKEY
– STILL IN THE BALANCE With
Recent Promising Signs on All Fronts TURKPULSE
No:54 TURKEY
– STILL IN THE BALANCE With
Recent Promising Signs on All Fronts
In the last few days important developments have taken place in both Turkey’s domestic affairs and in world events of direct concern to its immediate and long-term stability. Far from being plain sailing for Turkey, significant signs are in sight for a better future in the following months on all fronts.
TURKPULSE No:55
NEW
PAGE IN TURKEY’S COOPERATION WITH THE ALLIES
Turkey has decided to send its special commando forces to Northern Afghanistan as a result of the developments that followed the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw’s sudden visit to Turkey on October 17-18th. He had unprecedented satisfaction out of the visit, but this satisfaction was probably more because of the openhearted interlocutors he found in Ankara than full agreement in most topics. The developments concern not only Afghanistan, but also much more comprehensive topics such as the security and defence policy of the regions of the world with particular attention to ESDI/P (European Security and Defence Identity/Policy). Gen Kivrikoglu, Chief, TGS, was most outspoken on this topic at the ESDP talks in Ankara following the British Foreign Secretary’s visit. In a nutshell, it is the rejection to make the same mistake Turkey made over the Rogers Plan about Greece’s return to NATO’s military side.