BY HASAN CELAL GUZEL
RADIKAL- Did you know that throughout our history, we have been living smack in the middle of the world`s three most problematic regions? Since the beginning of history, the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Middle East have always seen the worst conflicts and wars. In addition, nearly all prophets emerged in the Middle East, and there`s a reason for this. World War I broke out in the Balkans, and the Caucasus has never been governed peacefully. After the Ottoman Empire incorporated these three regions, even if peace could have ensured by the Pax Ottomana, after the empire fell such conflicts continued. Turkey can`t be indifferent to the issues of the countries of the Balkans, Caucasus and Middle East and feel safe. In addition, Turkey has very serious concerns and interests in these regions. Although the region has seen ethnic cleansing and genocide over the last two centuries, its Turkish population remains very high. After being conquered by Lala Mustafa Pasha in 1578, Georgia was Islamized to a great extent. In spite of Stalin`s ethnic cleansing of Ahiska Turks, nearly 600,000 Kipchak Turks and Borcali Qarapapahs/Terekemes still live in Georgia. Under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), our relations with Georgia have developed, and there are close ties of friendship between the two countries.
The apparent reason for the Russian-Georgian War - or more correctly, Russia`s unilateral attack - is the young and inexperienced Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili`s operation against South Ossetia. It`s clear that that Russia manipulated Ossetia and trapped Saakashvili. It`s also evident that Russia has been planning this for a long time and waiting for Saakashvili to make a mistake. While Russia is still rankled by the 2004 ouster of Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze during the Rose Revolution as well as Ukraine`s Orange Revolution, Kosovo declaring independence earlier this year really tried Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin`s patience. A planned meeting on preparations for Georgia joining NATO and the status of Abkhazia also served to accelerate Russia`s aggression. Rising American dominance over countries of the Caucasus and former Soviet bloc and the US-Russian rivalry also played a role in Russia`s attacks. If such a war had broken out after Georgia joined NATO, either a world war with Turkish involvement would have begun, or, if the US and NATO had failed to respond, NATO`s prestige would have been destroyed.
Turkey can`t take open sides in the Russian-Georgian war, because it has interests in both countries. But this doesn`t mean we have to stay silent. Turkey should continue to try to help Georgia without taking sides, as it`s doing now. We should never forget that contrary to what certain anti-American nationalists think, Turkey can never cooperate with Russia against the West, but not because of the Ottoman-era Turkish-Russian conflict. We have no problem with Russians, but there have been areas of foreign policy competition within the Turkish geography since Czarist Russia and the Soviet era. Nearly 50 million ethnic Turks are still living in a great many autonomous and federated Turkish societies in Russia. Furthermore, Turkey`s close relations with the Central Asian Turkic Republics disturb Russia. Moreover, Russia`s negative stance on the Cyprus and terrorist PKK issues remain unchanged. Turkey has to play the role of an organizing central power in the Middle East and Balkans as well as in the Caucasus. So it should strengthen its position by encouraging US and European support without spoiling its relations with Russia. Otherwise Russia`s re-emergence as a superpower could destabilize the region."