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Beyond the Iraq dispute • By Philip H. Gordon
America's .partnership with Turkey is
,stillvaluable
ANKARA
When Turks were asked "Which country is
, Turkey's friend?" in a public opinion
poll conducted last year, 27 percent
named the United States, placing it a respectable
second. The problem was that the most
common response - from 34 percent of Turks - was
"nobody." And that was before the deep crisis in U.S.-
Turkish relations over the Iraq war.
Foreign Minister Abdullah GuI visited Washing-
, ton in late July in a worthy attempt to put things back
,on track after Turkey's refu~l March 1to allow U.S.
, troops to operate from Turkish ~oil and ~e humiliat-
, ing U.S. arrest July 4 of 11TurkISh specla! ~orce soldiers
in northern Iraq for allegedly conspmng to assassinate
a Kurdish governor. But U.S.-Turkish relations
are now at their lowest ebb in years, and the
Turkish sense of isolation - no friends - is probably
stronger than ever.
'
The sudden chill in relations has stunned both
Turks and Americans; for decades; both countries
were convinced of their unshakable strategic partnership.
'lUrkey supported key U.S. goals during the
cold war and the Balkans crises, and U.S. use ofTurkey's
Incirlik air base was critical to containing Saddam
Hussein's regime in Iraq. In return Washington
backed Turkey on what it most cared about. Th~ in-
'eluded financial support from the International
Monetary Fund, membership in the European U~ion,
a role in European defense and a central role ln
energy transport from the Caspian. ..
Each side benefited so much from the relationship
that it was convinced the other couldn't do without it.
Turks were so ,certain that the United States wouldn't
, begin an Iraq !,a~ without them that they ~ept delaying
and negotiating over the terms of their s~pport
right up until Washington walked away. With the
cold war over, the Balkans relatively stable and U.S.
troops now occupying Iraq, Turks are left to wonder
whether they have any leverage left to keep the old
deal with Washington in place. '
The irony of the failure to reach an agreement on
Iraq - the result of diplomatic b.lunders and miscalculations
'on both sides - is that it has inadvertently'
left both sides better off.
The United States now not only does not have to
pay Turkey billions of dollars in compensation, but it, '
also doesnot have to deal with the presence of a large
number ofTurkish troops in northern Iraq, a conces-
'sion it had been prepared to make to seal the deal It
is difficult enough coping with theongoing attacks
on 'U.S. troops in the country. The last thing the re-
,gion needs would be attacks on Turkish troops and
their potential response.
Turkeyalso benefited. In the eyes of the Turkish
public, most of Western Europe and the Arab world,
The United States needs Turkey to
succeed as a demOlistration to the
world that democracy and prosperity
in a Muslim country are possible.
.the Turkish Parliament's vote in the face of heavy
,U.S. pressurewas a triumph of democracy and inde-
,pendence. With the European Union set to decide by
the end of next year whether to begin talks on Turkey's
application for membership, it will now be
harder, to make the argument sometimes heard in
France and Germany that Turkey is too pro-American
and not democratic enough. . .
America may not need Turkey to contain Iraq any
more, but it would be a great mistake to conclude
that it no longer needs Turkey at all ..On the contrary,
the demolition of the myth that Turkey's military
value to the United States was so great that
Washington would always back Turkey could be the
liasis for a healthier and more constructive relationship.
On Iraq, Turkey could now offer more than just a
launching pad for American air strikes, but the intimate
knowledge of the country that Americans
sorely lack, restoration of a valuable trading re~ationship,
and help With the reconstruction of an infrastructure
that Turkish companies helped to build in '
the first place. With the United States now desperate
for allies to help stabilize Iraq, Turkey's large army
~ having just led the United Nations stabilization
force in Afghanistan - could also come in handy, in
the southern part of Iraq where any differences over
the Kurdish
avoided.
and Turkoman
.
minorities can be
Turkey could also play a constructive role along- .
side the United States in the Middle East peace process.
As one of the only countries in the world that
maintains excellent relations with both Israel and
the Palestinians, it could engage wi~ both sides and
help provide legitimacy to the painful compromises
that will be necessary to achieve peace. .
Perhaps most importantly, the United States still
needs Turkey to succeed internally, as a demonstration
to the world that democracy and prosperity in a
Muslim country are possible. ," .
The United States has a huge stake in the success of ,
Turkey's current moderate Islamist government. Just
. last week, the Turkish Parliament, where the government
has a solid majority, passed the latest round of
far-reaching domestic reforms - on human rights,
corruption and civilian control of the military - designed
to ready the country for EU membership. GuI,
the foreign minister, has also been pressing the Arab
world about the need to reform with a degree of credibility
that Americans -
cannot match.. '
or even secular Turks -
These subtle roles for Turkeyare not as obviously .
valuable for Americans as were Turkey's role,in tying
down Soviet divisions or maintaining sanCtions on
Iraq, but in the long run they form a much better basis
for a strong and lasting relationship. Washington
should get over whatever recriminations it still feels
about the Iraq war and make this valuable partnershipwork.
The writer is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution
and fonner director for European affairs on the
National Security Council staff.
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