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CIAO DATE: 06/07
Fall 2006 (Volume 5, Number 3)
Do Bridges Unite?
Artis Pabriks
The author, as the foreign minister of a new EU and NATO member state, outlines his country's vision for the transatlantic partnership. As argued in this article, both pillars of the Euro-Atlantic community are indispensable under current circumstances. Latvia's membership in the EU and NATO strengthens transatlantic ties; if these ties are weakened, Latvia's security is also likely to be weakened. Following the accession to the EU and NATO of Latvia and the other new members, a greater vitality is noticeable in these organizations both in a political and an economic sense.
The Role of the EU in the Resolution of Conflicts in the South Caucasus
Peter Semneby
The conflicts of the South Caucasus remain frozen and the region itself is thus “broken”. Based on the confidence all involved parties have in the EU and the increased interest of the EU in the region, there is certainly a role for the EU in the resolution of these conflicts. Though it has limitations, the European Neighborhood Policy is one means for EU influence. Ultimately, the conflicts need to be addressed in a larger framework, which includes a new paradigm of how identities are articulated in the region, based on values. Though the EU can play a role, it is up to the parties to resolve these conflicts.
Time To Revitalize The NATO Alliance and Deal With ESDP
Geoffrey Van Orden
European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) adds nothing to military capabilities.It should be seen for what it is –part of the process of European political integration, intruding into the most sensitive areas of national sovereignty, undermining NATO and widening the gap between the U.S. and Europe. But fresh thought needs to be given to NATO itself which seems to have lost its way.
Reflections on NATO’S Political And Military Transformation Since 9/11
Jamie Shea
The author stresses the requirement for the Alliance as the organizer of a coherent response by North America and Europe to 21st century challenges. While highlighting NATO's adaptation over the past decade to take on new missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Darfur, the author argues that this process of transformation is still far from complete, and will need to be pursued beyond the Riga Summit if NATO is to be fit for purpose. In particular, he urges NATO to take more responsibility in shaping the defence planning and capability programmes of its Member States so as to make NATO's military forces more deployable and usable for long distance stabilization missions, such as Afghanistan. In addition, Dr Shea calls for more burden sharing within the Alliance and more coordinated civil-military planning so as to better align the security and reconstruction aspects of nation building. Finally, the author urges a more thorough reform of the NATO organization to put product over process and a new quality of cooperation between the Alliance and other international organizations, especially the European Union.
Directionless Turkey: Quo Vadis?
Burak Bekdil
Various opinion surveys this year have illustrated a visible swing from the West and, sometimes, towards the East. Empirical evidence supports the findings of these surveys. The apparent confusion in the Turkish thinking is the result of a combination of historical, recent and present-day factors. But a popular slide from the West should not necessarily mean a popular (or governmental) slide towards the East. There are deep-rooted historical, religious, ethnic and practical reasons why Turkey cannot easily ally with Russia and/or Iran. Therefore, Turks’ pro-Eastern sentiments are a reality, but they are not necessarily pro-Eastern in ethos. Directionless Turkey will probably resume its two-centuries-old journey to the West, be it the Old Continent, or the New.
Erosion of an Alliance
Yola H. Johnston
Since the ascension of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to power, officials of the Turkish government are using Islam and “our Muslim brothers in the Middle East” as reference points for governing and for conducting foreign policy. With AKP’s continuous harsh criticism of the U.S. and the West in general, one finds a Turkish public opinion that is increasingly anti-American and increasingly identifies with Islamic causes. Washington is now concerned not only because of the ramifications of a new AKP government for American interests in the Middle East, but also because of its devastating impact of such a development on the traditionally secular, democratic and western people of Turkey.
Wishful Thinking: Strategic Imperatives and Heir Limits in Turkey’s EU Aspirations
Joseph N. Yackley
In an effort to counter concerns that Turkey is too big, too poor, and too Muslim to join the European Union, Turkish officials routinely stress the strategic benefits Turkish membership would provide the EU. While this argument may resonate in Washington and certain corners of Brussels, it is having little impact on the wider European public. By analyzing Turkey’s strategic rationale, the debate within the EU about its geographic and cultural limits, and the growing importance of European public opinion, this paper calls for a new public diplomacy that complements Turkey’s strategic arguments by stressing the concrete economic and political benefits of Turkish accession.
The Vatican and Turkey on the Eve of Pope Benedict’s Visit
David Barchard
The visit of Pope Benedict XVI takes place under conditions of great tension which did not obtain when his predecessor, John Paul I, visited Turkey nearly thirty years ago. This is largely because of unresolved disputes in the 1990 between the Vatican and Turkey over issues of legal recognition of Catholic churches in Turkey and their ownership. The article recommends modernization of the style of Vatican external representation and new Turkish legislation guaranteeing that foreign churches can operate freely and own their building are recommended to defuse tension in a relationship stretching back many hundreds of years.
Sustainable democratization has to be foremost a domestic transformation based on domestic consensus. In regard to political Islam and Kurdish nationalism, which involve complex questions of identity, democratization in Turkey requires time and domestic debate. The EU and the U.S. have significant long-term interests in assisting this process by acting as firm but judicious anchors: They should avoid promoting culturally or historically essentialist values and be non-intrusive in areas with weak domestic consensus. Domestic actors should pursue domestic consensus, formulate versions of nationalism that are more compatible with liberal democracy, and design policies to gradually improve state-society relations.
Turkish-Kurdish Reconciliation: Promise and Peril
Geoffrey Gresh and Matan Chorev
As part of its ongoing negotiations with the European Union, Turkey has made an effort to broaden its definition of national identity to include ethnic and religious sub-groups. This reconciliation process –a welcomed step for Turkey– is held at risk by the inherent instability of the reform process itself and the unpropitious regional and global environment. To continue the path to membership in the EU,interested parties such as the United States will have to play a crucial role in ensuring that Turkey’s fears about the potential negative fallouts from the reform process are not realized.
Managing the Middle East: The Need To Revive Transatlantic Cooperation
Selin Esinli Nasi
Following the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, the international community rallied around Americans, shared their grief, and expressed their solidarity to provide all they could for the United States to track down and punish the responsible. How did the U.S. waste this front of good will and loose credibility among its allies? How did the Bush administration’s strategies fail in the Middle East, undermining U.S. security and prestige? Arguing that transatlantic cooperation is vital to stabilize the churning in the Middle East, this article analyzes events since September 11 as they relate to the transatlantic alliance.
The Post 9/11 Divergence of Europe and the United States
Aylin Alpagut
In the aftermath of 9/11, the issue of international security gained worldwide significance and the reasons behind it have been widely interrogated. The way Turkey and EU countries positioned themselves was very dependant on their relations with the United States, public opinion in their countries and the particular governments ruling them. This paper attempts to analyze transatlantic relations after September 11, tracing the policies each followed in the run up to and following the Iraq war.
The 9/11 War Plus 5: Looking Back and Looking Forward at U.S.-Muslim World Relations
Peter W. Singer
Analyzing the current crisis between the U.S. and the Islamic world, the author observes that the U.S. has become isolated by its policies to the detriment of both sides of a building chasm. To win the war of ideas, the author presents an American strategy that recognizes the long-term, generational challenges that must be faced, with concrete suggestions shaped according to the nuances of the Muslim world.