2010 ilerleme raporu - Avrupa Birliği Bakanlığı

As regards the Middle East, Turkey’s seeks to play a constructive role, notably by offering a
mediator role between Israel and Syria. Relations with Syria improved substantially with both
countries lifting visa restrictions and setting up a strategic cooperation council. Turkey
continues to contribute to stabilisation in Lebanon, through diplomatic activities and its
participation in UNIFIL. However, relations with Israel deteriorated after the Gaza conflict,
and in particular following the Gaza flotilla incident.
Turkey continued its efforts to bring Afghanistan and Pakistan closer. Turkey remains
engaged in NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). It assumed command of
the Kabul region for the second time as of 31 October 2009. Ambassador Engin Soysal was
nominated UN special envoy for assistance to Pakistan. Turkey organised two trilateral
summits in Istanbul and also hosted the Istanbul Summit on Friendship and Cooperation in
the Heart of Asia. Turkey hosted the fourth Regional Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA).
Turkey intensified its economic and political ties with Russia and China. The relations
between Turkey and Russia were marked by an exchange of high-level visits. A high-level
strategic cooperation council between the two countries was established.
Turkey continued to intensify its relations with African and Latin American countries. Several
high-level visits were made by the President and the Prime Minister.
Relations with the United States have been marked by tensions. Turkey withdrew its
Ambassador for a short period after the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of
Representatives adopted a resolution recognising the killings of Armenians in 1915 as
genocide.
No particular developments can be reported as regards restrictive measures.
Concerning non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Turkey has not aligned itself
with the EU position on membership of certain suppliers’ groups, such as the Wassenaar
Arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies.
(For dual-use goods, see Chapter 30 — External relations)
With regard to cooperation with international organisations, Turkey continues holding a nonpermanent
seat in the UN Security Council in 2010. The third forum of the UN-backed
Alliance of Civilisations was held in Rio in May. Although Turkey is not a member of the
League of Arab States, it attended the last two meetings of the League and hosted the third
meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum (TAC). Turkey also
enjoys observer status in the Organisation of African States. In 2010, a member of the AK
party was elected president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Turkey
has not signed the statute of the International Criminal Court.
Turkey extended for one year the navy’s participation in an international task force to join the
UN-led international anti-piracy coalition in Somalia.
As regards the common security and defence policy (CSDP), Turkey is continuing to
contribute to the EU-led military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR/Althea).
Turkey is also contributing to EUPM, the EU-led police mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina
and to the EU rule of law mission (EULEX) in Kosovo. The issue of EU-NATO cooperation
that would involve all EU Member States beyond the 'Berlin plus arrangements' remains to be
resolved.
EN 96 EN