The Hindu : PM reaches Turkey to revive ties

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2003

International

International - India & World

PM reaches Turkey to revive ties

By Harish Khare

Ankara Sept. 16. The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, arrived at the Esenboga Airport here today on the first leg of a four-day official visit, aimed at reviving Indo-Turkish ties. He will begin his official engagements tomorrow by laying a wreath at Kemal Ataturk's tomb.

Before leaving for Turkey, Mr. Vajpayee told mediapersons at the Indira Gandhi International Airport that "we are now witnessing a new commitment and surge" to co-operation between India and Turkey. This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister since Rajiv Gandhi came here in 1988.

Mr. Vajpayee should find himself in somewhat familiar territory. Turkey too has a new Government, headed by Tayyip Erdogan of the Justice and Development Party (AK), which swept to power in November last with 34 per cent of popular vote. The AK is perceived to be an Islamist party in a country where the armed forces have vigorously and vigilantly insisted on a secular order. The AK has provided Turkey the first single-party government after years of ineffectual and assorted coalitions.

Mr. Vajpayee's visit has invoked considerable interest in the media. Turkey's only English newspaper, Turkish Daily News, today published an eight-column interview with Mr. Vajpayee on its front page as the lead story. Other newspapers, Safak and Hurriyet, too had interviews and write-ups connected with his visit.

Mr. Vajpayee is visiting Turkey at a time when the host country, like India, is debating whether or not to send troops to Iraq. According to one report in the Turkish Daily News, the Office of the Chief of the General Staff — the constitutionally-empowered powerful voice of the Army — is said to be "very much positive and willing" to send troops to Iraq.

In all the pre-visit interviews, Mr. Vajpayee has been quizzed on the Indian position. He told Hurriyet: "Sending Indian troops to Iraq is not absolutely necessary because we have other responsibilities too. The U.N. should undertake a more powerful role in the humanitarian and economic reconstruction of the country. We hope that talks continuing with the U.N. on this issue would soon produce satisfactory results."

After the recent visit of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, to India, there is talk in the Turkish media of a three-way axis involving India, Turkey and Israel, claimed to have been put together by the United States. Asked to comment, Mr. Vajpayee said, "There is no such proposal for an axis between Turkey, Israel and India. Terrorism affects all societies. There is an international struggle against terrorism, and India, Turkey and Israel are part of it." However, a columnist for the Islamist newspaper, Safak, insisted that there was a new geo-political axis and it was "designed to control the Muslim world from the Middle East to South Asia".

Because the Turkish political discourse is trying to come to terms with the rise of the AK, there is curiosity about India's own secular experience. Mr. Vajpayee was quoted as asserting that "India has the second largest Muslim population in the world. Muslims together with other Indian nationals are equal partners in India's political, economic and social life."

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