BY TUFAN TURENC
HURRIYET)- Was Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent vist to Washington an effort to end the standoff in relations after Turkey’s rejection of the March 1, 2003 motion which blocked the deployment of American troops in Turkey? Or was it just a gesture of devotion?
Whatever it was, has it been of any help? Of course not.
Now I can see that there is no trace left of the warmth the US showed to Erdogan before the motion.
I couldn’t understand why Emine Erdogan joined the visit even though there was no invitation from Laura Bush. I couldn’t understand why Mrs. Gul and Mrs. Babacan were there either.
Anyway, it’s pointless to dwell on this too much.
Now let’s take a look at Turco-American relations...
The ‘damage in relations’ that started with the rejection of the March 1, 2003 motion has yet to be repaired.
Washington is very uneasy over rising anti-US sentiment in Turkey.
The interesting thing is that, the US administration holds the AKP administration responsible for this and wants Erdogan to redress this situation.
As if he could do anything about it...
It will be impossible to improve this atmosphere if the US doesn’t change its stance over the PKK problem, which Turkey is very sensitive about.
The PKK has settled in northern Iraq and it lives there in comfort. It brings militants to Turkey whom it trains there and orders them to carry out attacks.
These attacks are made either by ambush or exploding landmines. The funerals of Turkish soldiers killed in these attacks cause great anguish and anger in our society.
The Turkish nation holds the US responsible for the death of these young men.
This is the first reason for the rising anti-US sentiment in the Turkish public.
However Washington can’t or doen’t understand this. The US ties Turkey’s hands on the PKK problem and says, ‘You should stand aside, I will solve the problem, but then doesn’t even touch the PKK.
And besides, it pretends not to see that the logistical working of the chanels of the terrorist organization.
Also, there is the Cyprus issue. The US doesn’t seem to be keeping promises it made before the referendum.
Neither the US nor Europe have taken concrete steps on the isolation issue.
These two issues are very troubling for Erdogan, because he finds himself in a very tight spot in domestic politics.