AJC Leadership Delegation In Turkey; Iraq And Turkish-Israeli, Turkish-American Relations On The Agenda

American Jewish Committee
Tuesday, 24 February 1998

An American Jewish Committee leadership delegation visited Ankara last week for meetings with Turkey's top government and military leaders. Among the topics discussed were the crisis in neighboring Iraq, Turkey's increasingly close bilateral ties with Israel, strategic interests in the Caspian Sea and Caucasus regions, U.S.-Turkish relations, and Turkey's neutrality during the Second World War and Nazi gold.

During their visit, the AJC delegation met with, among others, President Suleyman Demirel, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz and Deputy Chief of Staff General Cevic Bir.

The group also met with Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Korkmaz Haktanir and Minister of State Sukru Gurel, and was hosted at a gala reception by U.S. Ambassador Mark Parris.

The AJC delegation emphasized the importance of supporting Turkey's Western, secular orientation. In this regard, close ties with the United States are an essential linchpin of Turkish foreign policy, all the more so given Turkey's disappointment in its relations with the European Union.

Turkish officials stressed the importance of the U.S. link and the harmony in the bilateral relationship, but expressed concern that a consequence of any U.S.-led action in Iraq could be the disintegration of that Middle Eastern country and the creation of a dangerous vacuum in the region bordering Turkey.

These officials also sought to convey the inordinate burden shouldered by Turkey as a result of the 1990-91 Gulf crisis, including an estimate loss in income of $35 billion.

Regarding Israel, the Turkish leaders unanimously voiced their pleasure with the progress achieved in the ties with the Jewish state, especially in the military sphere during the past two years. They regard these ties as mutually beneficial and serving to underscore the commonality between the region's only two democracies, but went to considerable lengths to emphasize that, despite intense Arab criticism, the emerging Turkish-Israeli alliance was not directed at any third party.

Moreover, the Turkish leaders indicated a desire to be helpful to Israel and its neighbors in addressing the perennial lack of water in the region. Water-rich Turkey has the potential to export water either via pipelines or through innovative maritime techniques.

While in Turkey, the AJC delegation also had an hour-long meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholemew, at his offices in Istanbul, to discuss Jewish-Orthodox relations and to gain a better understanding of his church's current situation in Turkey. Martin Kaplan of Boston, the chair of the Interreligious Affairs Commission, responded on behalf of AJC to the Ecumenical Patriarch's eloquent opening statement expressing a desire for closer Jewish-Orthodox ties.

There were also meetings with Turkish Jewish community leaders, including the Chief Rabbi, as well as with the Israeli Consul General and Turkish business leaders.

After the meetings in Ankara and Istanbul, several members of the AJC delegation, accompanied by Turkish and U.S. officials, traveled to visit the Southeastern Anatolian Project Administration (GAP), one of the largest public works projects in Europe and the Middle East.

The AJC delegation was led by David Harris, the agency's executive director, and co-chaired by Nicholas Lane of Pittsburgh, the chairman of the International Relations Commission. Barry Jacobs, assistant director of AJC's Washington-based Office of Government and International Affairs, handled program arrangements.

AJC has had longstanding ties with Turkey and delegations have visited the country on several occasions. In addition, there are regular meetings with Turkish officials in the United States, including, most recently, with the Foreign Minister during his visit to New York in the fall of 1997 for the opening of the 52nd United Nations General Assembly session.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org