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TURKEY RISING.
The offer from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan to act as a mediator between Iran and the incoming Obama administration is pretty good news. Good news not only because it possibly points the way towards a meaningful dialogue, but because it would be a good way for Turkey to step into its unique role as a bridge between the Western world and the Muslim countries. They're a NATO member who almost secured an EU spot and are currently sitting on the UN Security Council, but at the same time, they're a predominantly Muslim country that has good relations with other Muslim countries. Indeed, last year, they had a real breakthrough when they brought Israel and Syria to the negotiating table for the first time in years.
This sort of thing has some wider IR theory relevance, too. Anne-Marie Slaughter, Ivo Daalder, Susan Rice, and others have for some time been pushing this concept of "strategic leadership," wherein America begins thinking more about its interests than its preeminence. Part of that means being willing to let allies take a leadership role in the regions where they're most influential. It's obvious enough how you do that in, say, Eastern Europe, but less so in the Muslim world. Unless, of course, Turkey is willing to step into a leadership role. And there's evidence they want to do exactly that. Erdogan, actually, is in DC today, and has a PR firm e-mailing journalists to attend his speech at the National Press Club and his event at Brookings. That's the sort of thing that comes as part of a concerted effort to raise your country's profile, not by accident.
COMMENTS (8)
That would be an interesting development. But what about the Turkish-Kurdish issues? Turkey and the US have already been at odds over Iraqi Kurds. With Iran's dealings with the Kurds as well, I would be concerned about Turkey's ability to mediate cleanly.
Posted by: Morfydd | November 14, 2008 11:38 AM
What an excellent idea. Turkey commands respect amongst Muslim countries and initially talking through a mediator can get rid of the up front rhetoric (from both sides) before sitting down for real and substantive talks with Iran.
Posted by: Ajaz | November 14, 2008 11:47 AM
Turkey is also a country with a long and continuing history of persecuting and torturing Kurds. And of prosecuting people for speech (I won't call it free, since it obviously is not free in Turkey).
Wonder why people in the EU countries are not crazy about having that country as a member?
Posted by: Beth | November 14, 2008 12:05 PM
With Thanksgiving around the corner, I thought this would be a plug for a vegetarian turkey with maybe tempe as one of the main ingredients.
Note - only fermented soy is good for you!
Posted by: dearing | November 14, 2008 1:30 PM
wherein America begins thinking more about its interests than its preeminence.
Amen.
If Obama is able to drive home the idea that our preeminence and our national interest are not one-in-the-same he will have done the United States of America a great great service. It could actually sow the seeds for a peaceful, rather than violent, Imperial decline. And that would be nice.
Posted by: mkd | November 14, 2008 3:37 PM
Really?
Turkey has it's own history and the former residents of the Ottoman Empire remember it. It's especially important via Iran, whose history is wrapped up in the pre-revolutionary "triumvirate" of Israel, Turkey and Iran acting as the U.S. beatcop.
If this is what the "serious" folks are up to, we are fucked.
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