As A New World Order Is Being Established

MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the establishment of a new world order with the signing of the Rome Declaration. A summary of his column is as follows:
The last vestiges of the Cold War were buried with the signing of a declaration in Rome by 19 NATO countries together with Russia, and the foundations of a new world order were laid down. Even today, the world is not the same as it was before. New friendships are taking the place of old hostilities. Old threats, such as the scenarios of wars between two military blocs, are being left in the distant past. NATO was built on two main pillars: the US and Europe. Today a third pillar is added to them and that is Russia. Thus, the Atlantic Alliance stretches from Vancouver on the western end of the American continent to Vladivostok in Asia’s Pacific coast. How will Turkey be affected by this historical development? During the Cold War, Turkey had undertaken the role of an outpost. At present, there is no need for such a mission. However, Turkey’s role is as important as before in NATO within the present framework. What happens is that its function is changing as that of NATO’s is and becoming more up to date. There are many things Turkey can do within the new circumstances ranging from the fight against terrorism, to regional crisis management, and to peace force missions... That is to say, Turkey has a pivotal place in NATO’s changing structure and strategy. The new world order may affect Turkey’s relations with Russia. The new organic relationship between Moscow and NATO and a Russian-Western rapprochement in general will relieve Turkey in many aspects. Russia is not an enemy but a friend of Turkey, as it is to the NATO allies. For some time, both countries were taking steps towards this goal. The circumstances have ripened for closer ties. At a time when Russia is not a threat, the military strategies will be determined in line with these policies. The two countries will not regard each other as rivals in the political and economic fields, but as partners. They can carry out great joint projects and work together... Even now, a change for the better has been noted in Moscow’s Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project policy. These circumstances may also affect relations between Turkey and Europe. Europe (the EU community) is within the NATO-Russia Council. But, the EU also wants to show a political and even military presence in addition to forming special relations with Russia. The EU doesn’t always share the same views with the US either within or outside NATO on every issue. What is more, it is trying to establish its own security and defense system. The importance of Turkey’s integration with the EU becomes clearer in the face of such an establishment. If Ankara takes necessary steps for membership, in time it will have the advantage of pursuing a more balanced policy peculiar to itself. These are the opportunities before Turkey while a new world order is being established.

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