Advice From Gul

BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen comments on Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s address yesterday to the Organization of the Islamic Conference’s meeting and the “road map” for Middle East peace. A summary of his column is as follows:
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) delegates from more than 50 countries met in Tehran yesterday, where they listened to an address from Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul which was most unexpected. Gul’s statements were effectively a clarion call to the Islamic world like so: ‘Now is the time for change. First we must put ourselves in order and strive to be modern.’ Such a call from Gul on such a conservative platform favoring the status quo was a brave and fitting move. Leaders of certain countries within the OIC might not be pleased with Gul’s counsel, that is, such advice as ‘become democratic, establish good government, ensure gender equality, respect human rights and freedoms, and make the fights against corruption, ignorance and violence your priority.’
How many of these countries are ready for radical reform? Gul is presenting them a ‘vision’ and showing the necessity for the Islamic world to make a move by taking ‘strategic risks.’ Gul also gave advice on various issues, including the Israeli-Arab conflict. Speaking on the Cyprus issue, Gul requested that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should be given not an ‘observer status’ but rather full membership within the OIC. Is it too much to ask the Islamic world such a thing? I wonder how Gul’s words will reverberate within the OIC.
Is there any realistic reason for hope of peace in the Middle East to suddenly rise? Yes, there is. Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will hold their first official meeting on the ‘road map’ to peace today. And next week the two leaders are due to meet with US President George W. Bush. Thus, the three-stage road map will go some distance, at least, for the new peace process to start. There are certain important reasons for these three sides to walk down this road.
As for the US, now Bush understands that the Palestinian problem must be solved for the war against terrorism to be successful. He thinks that the Israeli-Arab disputes must be resolved in order to establish a new order in the Middle East, and that the US should use its power towards this end. There are certain reasons for Israel to come to an agreement, among them anxiety over terrorism, economic woes and renewed US pressure. Sharon is now openly saying that territorial incursion isn’t a good solution. In addition, Abbas thinks that violence isn’t a solution either and sees the miserable situation of his nation.
All these reasons would suffice for sitting down at the table. However, will these factors urge them to meet all the conditions of the road map? Of course walking down this road won’t be easy, but even beginning the path is a source of hope.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION