As A New Process Begins...

BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET)- With yesterday’s Bush-Erdogan meeting, a new process has begun which is expected to improve Turco-American relations, which had cooled of late.
These kind of visits and summits may not be enough to overcome all of the conflicts facing the relationship. However they may start a new process in which further steps can be taken.
The meeting at the White House began a process like this. The political will expressed on subjects which are considered important by the two sides such as Cyprus, the PKK, anti-Americanism, and Middle East policies can be expected to be put into operation in this new process. This may take weeks or perhaps months.
Healing strained relations between the states is possible with the leaders’ determination and by taking the necessary steps that require courage.
It can be seen that there is such a will and desire between the two countries. However there is a need for public support so relations can develop more easily.
For ‘official’ agreements reached on high levels to get a firm footing, a change in the feelings and the attitudes of the public is also necessary.
Prime Minister Erdogan told the Turkish press that pronouncements that there is a new anti-Americanism in Turkey are mistaken, but he put the blame on the media and main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for some of the recent incidents.
Actually this problem cannot just be discussed on the sidelines of a meeting but requires a thorough research and analysis.
Both sides are sometimes super sensitive, and they exaggerate things, and misunderstand each other.
It’s clear that the negative reactions that come from the Turkish public and political circles and even from government officials to the United States spring from the US policies in Iraq, which means that opposition to the US mainly means opposition to Bush’s policies. And Turkey is not the only country in such a position. Many Western countries, including US allies, have taken similar stances. So the US must not consider this subject a determining factor in our relations.