What Pleases Ecevit So Much?

STAR- Columnist Semih Idiz writes on US Vice President Cheney’s visit to Turkey and its consequences. A summary of his column is as follows:
US Vice President Dick Cheney’s visit rouses the curiosity in me as to why our prime minister was so pleased after the talks he held with the Bush’s number two. His pleasure was written all over his face while he told members of the press about the talks. He had the air of someone who had attained an important achievement. What is more, instead of opting for statements which could find favor in Turkish politics, Ecevit preferred to criticise Iraq. He used expressions which may come to mean that Saddam should lend an ear to what the entire world expected of him. In fact, before Cheney’s visit, it was predicted that these talks would be ‘tough’ and in a way would reflect Turkey’s defense of Iraq. The crisis regarding the meeting with Chief of General Staff Gen. Kivrikoglu was quite minor. Cheney could have received important information, or clues, during face-to-face talks with Gen. Kivrikoglu. Our oversensitivity which has hampered us before has reared its heed once again. When there were ‘concrete’ and ‘practical’ issues to be discussed, we were concerned with the form. The difference between a ‘working visit’ and a ‘state visit’ should not be forgotten. The talks Mr. Cheney held with Mr. Ecevit took on great importance in the light of these developments and when the obvious pleasure of the prime minister is taken into account, we can assume that important issues were discussed and that Turkey received vital guarantees. These must be so important that Prime Minister Ecevit decided to direct his diplomatic pressure efforts towards Saddam Hussein. The only thing we know is that the US will not launch a military operation against Iraq in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the Bush administration will ask for $228 million from the US Congress for Turkey’s part in the Afghanistan operation. Both factors are important, but I am not sure if these are the things which pleased Ecevit so much.The reason being that ‘foreseeable future’ may mean three weeks, three months, or even three years. The possibility of an Iraqi operation is not altogether out. The aid the Bush administration would like to give to us, but which we have yet to see whether the US Congress will agree to, must not suffice to please Ecevit that much. They are the ones who would like to see Turkey play a role in Afghanistan, and this comes with a price tag. As Turkish-EU relations are not moving forward even an inch and even slipping backwards, we see that Turkish-American strategic relations are taking on a new dimension with every passing day. We see that some see these strategic relations with the US as an alternative to the EU. I am really wondering, what pleases Prime Minister Ecevit so much?

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