BY YILMAZ OZTUNA
TURKIYE- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, ‘Each of us [Ankara and Washington] . . . have a responsibility with our publics, because we have democracies to speak out for how important and central [our] relationship is to both of us; to remind all of us and our people of the long history that we have together, of what we have achieved together, of what we have supported for one another, and of what a prosperous future we have in working on the many difficult and complicated issues ahead, as well as the bright opportunities ahead.’ Rarely have I heard such sweeping sincere sentences from a politician. Rice reminded us that during the half-century of the Turkish-US partnership, we defeated Soviet communism and pushed Russia back to its borders. She meant that from now on, we could reset the political balance, reestablishing it by continuing our strategic partnership. She wanted to say that the US was not planning on benefiting solely from opportunities, but rather sharing these with its strategic allies. Rice also suggested that only countries ignoring their best interests would turn this down. She was telling the Turkish people that both it and the American people can prosper by taking advantage of these opportunities, and called on our government to quell the soaring anti-American feelings in Turkey.
Rice won’t retreat from the Pax Americana. If Washington can’t do this with Turkey, it will instead work with Kurds, Armenians, etc. She will eventually become the secretary of defense and command the US armed forces. She will become a candidate for the Republican Party leadership and perhaps run against Hillary Clinton from the Democrats. Hillary is seven years older than Rice and still a New York senator. Whoever wins will protect the Pax Americana. Only their styles are different. Those who have difficulty understanding this combination should reconsider and expand their horizons.