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Can the Rise of ‘New’ Turkey Lead to a ‘New’ Era in India-Turkey Relations?

I find this a mildly amusing debate. People are talking about Turkey - a country that wants not only to be inducted into EU, but is actively looking to be under the US defense missile shield. but continue on folks....
 
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jayatl...I find this a mildly amusing debate. People are talking about Turkey - a country that wants not only to be inducted into NATO, but is actively looking to be under the US defense missile shield. but continue on folks....

I am surprise you didn't know Turkey is a part of NATO an active NATO member. Poor knowledge..
 
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Every country has the right to establish relationship with any other country and according to priorities. There is certain level of relationship between India-Turkey as between Israel-Turkey. How far it..that is to be seen.
 
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jayatl...I find this a mildly amusing debate. People are talking about Turkey - a country that wants not only to be inducted into NATO, but is actively looking to be under the US defense missile shield. but continue on folks....

I am surprise you didn't know Turkey is a part of NATO an active NATO member. Poor knowledge..

Sorry about that ( honest mistake :)) - I was meaning EU and thinking about the NATO defense shield at the same time when I wrote it. Thanks for pointing it out . the overall point made in that post , still remains.
 
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I think that those brotherhood relationship is only for core interests of the mentioned nations.
Otherwise, everyone prefers to do business...
 
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Turkey-India relations were constrained not so much because of Pakistan but because of the Cold War. Same thing with Saudi Arabia and the myriad of other Cold War allies of the US.

There was never a anti-Muslim issue here. Because what would explain bad India-Iran relations when the Shah was in power? And good relations of Pakistan at the same time.

And when the Islamic revolution happened, India ended up having BETTER relations with Iran with clerics running the show in Iran than with Pakistan in the 90s! Iran was infact the first "outside-SAARC" country that India signed a security and defense co-operation agreement with in 2003 by the BJP-led NDA govt.

With the end of the coldwar, the constrains are now no longer there. Turkey has already changed its stance from implementation of UN resolutions to resolving the Kashmir issue through dialogue between India-Pakistan. And from now there can only be an upswing in the relationship given the ColdWar history.

Infact, Turkey has a possibility of greater public opinion of having better relations with India than China given the issue of Turkic Muslims being suppressed by Chinese authorities in East Turkistan. Something that Turks who share the same ethnicity feel very strongly about. Opinion polls showed that the public was not happy with Erdogan getting close to China given the treatment to Turkic Muslims there.
 
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An older article that talked about India not being invited to the Afghan conference.

Overcoming Turkey policy blunder concerning India
14 December
It was a grave mistake for Turkish foreign policy to cave in to Pakistani pressure to not invite India to the İstanbul summit on Afghanistan held in January of this year.

The principles and values guiding Turkey’s foreign policy, including a multiple engagement policy in every region of the world with an honest broker approach, as coined by popular Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, were violated by this decision to appease the Pakistanis.

The meeting, attended by the Afghan and Pakistani presidents as well as senior diplomats and ministers from the UK, the US, Iran, Tajikistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Russia, was therefore marred by the absence of major regional player India, which is undoubtedly one of the important stakeholders in resolving problems in its neighborhood. We heard many diplomats in the halls of the Foreign Ministry in Ankara at the time question the wisdom of this decision and express their disillusionment in private with Davutoğlu’s decision.

The issue came back to life with a sting after the recent WikiLeaks release of US diplomatic cables detailing the controversy surrounding the Turkish decision to bar India from the İstanbul meeting. During a meeting with the US undersecretary of state for political affairs, William Burns, Rauf Engin Soysal, then-deputy undersecretary for bilateral political affairs responsible for the Middle East, South Asia and Africa, admitted that India was not invited to the summit in deference to Pakistani sensitivities.

Islamabad apparently requested that Turkey bar New Delhi from the meeting in line with the Pakistani policy of keeping India out of any meeting on Afghanistan. As I recall from talks I have had with Pakistani diplomats on the issue, I understand Pakistan has grave concerns and misgivings about Indian involvement in war-torn Afghanistan under development schemes lest New Delhi try to blindside Pakistan by forming another front against the country using Afghan territory to its west.

That may be true, but the problem here is why should Turkish foreign policy risk its principles and values, which it supposedly espouses in all parts of the globe, to being hijacked by becoming too acquiescent to the wishes of the Pakistani government and make Turkey’s interests hostage to bilateral problems? Soysal, a former Turkish ambassador to Pakistan and currently UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s special envoy for assistance to Pakistan, claims that Pakistan understands that barring India from the summit would be a mistake.

From the viewpoint of Turkish interests, it makes no difference if Pakistan is able to discern the ramifications of the decision to exclude India. The real point here, we should stress to Mr. Soysal, is how on earth Turkey allowed itself to be cornered into this position at the risk of alienating a major player on the Indian subcontinent. What benefits were we expecting to reap from this shortsighted decision? The “realpolitik” of national interests dictates that we should have a balanced approach in our dealings with both Pakistan and India and avoid being trapped in the bilateral problems of these neighbors.

India is too valuable a player, not only in the region but also in the global theater, to be ignored by an increasingly assertive Turkish foreign policy. In line with the diversification policies adopted by both countries after the Cold War ended, there are huge potentials and opportunities to exploit. Both countries belong to the prestigious G-20 club, the top 20 economies of the world. There have been clear signals from the Turkish side that Ankara wants to re-evaluate relations with India in light of changing global dynamics. The reversal of the Turkish position on Kashmir is a prime example of this paradigm shift under the new security challenges of the 21st century as Turkey moved from a call for a referendum under UN supervision to stressing the importance of Indian-Pakistani bilateral talks to resolve the issue, which is arguably closer to the Indian position.

In the last couple of years we have witnessed increased high-level contacts between the two countries, another sign of renewed interest to further cooperation. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid an official visit to India in November 2008, followed by President Abdullah Gül’s visit in February 2010. Yet the potential was not fully realized, and there is still a considerable confidence gap between India and Turkey. Though it is unfortunate that the diehard habits of Indians who still see Turkey through a Pakistani prism still linger on, the political commitment of the leadership of both countries may help overcome this mistrust in the future. Barring India from the January summit did not help but may even have exacerbated the situation.

Economic cooperation sought by both countries may pave the way to further cooperation in other areas as well. I look forward to seeing how the Joint Study Group, formed during Erdoğan’s visit to India to explore the feasibility of a free trade agreement and other opportunities for cooperation, will formulate its report, which is expected to be published by the end of this year or early next year. This report could be a roadmap to further developing ties with India.

The two countries had a trade volume of $3 billion in 2009 before dropping to $2.3 billion last year due to the global economic crisis. The first 10 months of 2010 show a rebound in both export and import figures in a year-on-year comparison. According to the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat), Turkish exports to India jumped 34 percent in the first 10 months of the year when compared to the same period of last year, from $336 million to $450 million. During the same period, imports from India also rose from $1.5 billion to $2.8 billion, a whopping 45 percent increase.

As the numbers point to increased cooperation between Turkey and India, political engagement will slowly but surely also expand and diversify in the coming years, especially after the introduction of new tools of interaction into the relationship.
 
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And of course here is the official follow up on that incident by the Turkish govt.

Turkey invites India to next Afghan conference, makes up for past meeting
In an apparent bid to ease Indian displeasure over its non-invitation to a regional conference on Afghanistan hosted last month in İstanbul, Turkey has extended an invitation to the South Asian country to participate in an upcoming conference on Afghanistan that will again be hosted in İstanbul in the near future.

Late last month ahead of an international conference on Afghanistan in London, the Afghan and Pakistani presidents and senior diplomats and ministers from the UK, the US, Iran, Tajikistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and several representatives from international agencies gathered for the İstanbul Summit on Friendship and Cooperation in the Heart of Asia, hosted by President Abdullah Gül.

Indian officials conveyed their disappointment at the time to Turkish officials over the fact that they were not invited to the regional conference, while reliable sources speaking with Today’s Zaman said the reason for India’s absence at the conference stemmed from Pakistan’s objection conveyed to the Turkish side.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Thursday before wrapping up a six-day state visit to India, Gül was asked whether the issue was raised during his talks with Indian officials, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Gül briefly said they have talked about the issue, while he praised India’s efforts for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, and disclosed that they have invited India to an economic and social cooperation meeting on Afghanistan, which will be hosted in İstanbul in the coming period, Anatolia said.

“President Gül recognized that India’s contribution to Afghanistan is very important and expressed the desire to work together with India in bringing stability to that country,” according to the information on Gül’s talks, which is provided on the official Web page of the Indian Foreign Ministry.

“He wished to avoid any misunderstanding relating to a recent meeting in İstanbul on Afghanistan, which emerged from a trilateral format involving Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey. He said that Turkey would have liked India to be there and hoped that India would be able to participate in yet another meeting relating to developments in Afghanistan that would be hosted in Turkey later this year,” the statement on the Web page said.
 
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It's okay- sometimes countries make mistakes. Turkey seems to have acknowledged it and we move on. This is not a zero sum game and you don't act like kids in playground , even if others do.
 
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NO there can't be any good turkey -india relationship...

Our relationship with Israel is better and fine in ME
 
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NO there can't be any good turkey -india relationship...

Our relationship with Israel is better and fine in ME

well that memo was missed by the Indian foreign affairs office when turkey visited India.
 
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Infact, Turkey has a possibility of greater public opinion of having better relations with India than China given the issue of Turkic Muslims being suppressed by Chinese authorities in East Turkistan. Something that Turks who share the same ethnicity feel very strongly about. Opinion polls showed that the public was not happy with Erdogan getting close to China given the treatment to Turkic Muslims there.

Turkey, China eye cooperation in trade, Uighur problem

"Regardless of the level to which the relations between China and Turkey fell following the bloody crackdown on Uighur riots last July, ties have significantly improved between the two countries in the past few months, even to strategic levels. Thanks to the Chinese government’s tangible policies seeking to alter dynamics in the Xinjiang region, and Turkey’s dramatic shift in its rhetoric against China, relations between the two countries have largely improved, which, as a result, is expected to enhance trade and investment in the region.

The first move came from Beijing, when it replaced long-time dictator Wang Lequan, who has been criticized for his handling of last year’s ethnic riot, and appointed Zhang Chunxian as Communist Party secretary in Xinjiang. Known for his liberal approach and reformist character, Beijing is planning to take an even more liberal approach in easing tensions in the region.

With an increase in dissatisfaction between Turkey and the US over a wide range of issues in the region, Turkey, through inviting China to a military drill, showed the US there are still alternatives even in security cooperation. This was the result of a vacuum that formed when the US pulled out of a military exercise after Turkey refused to allow Israel to participate in it. Soon after, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made a key visit to Turkey, signing eight agreements, mostly in the economy and trade sectors. The visit heralded a new era in partnership and cooperation between the two countries."


It's not just about the Uygur issue. The American relationship with Turkey has deteriorated over time and Turkey isn't exactly in friendly terms with US's close ally Israel.
China have since replaced the guy who was in charge during the Xinjiang incident, due to overall disatisfaction of the way he handled the entire situation. China is doing whatever it can to ease tensions in those regions. One must remember that China is a huge country with diverse cultures and religions. There is no universal solution to its problems.

Depite what happened, Sino-Turkey relationship has vastly improved. We've even had joint military drills together which is a strong sign to the rest of the world that relationships between the two is healthy and sends a strong message to the Americans that they are not just a small country who allows itself to be bullied and do as it says. Turkey is a strong country with options!
 
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^^^Well I never said that Turkey will have no relationship with China.


I am only highlighting the fact that Turkey-India relationship continues to grow post Cold-war.

The Uighur issue is an irritant for public opinion but the Turkish govt. in its enlightened self-interest may pursue relations with China. But as a democracy, Turkey will have to take into account how China treats the Uighur population.

Compared with India, there are no conflicts of interest issues with Turkey and the possibility of co-operation is more free and open. So just like Turkey is taking advantage of China, it is also looking forward to forge a strategic partneship with India in its own enlightened self-interest.

Scindia opens India Show in Turkey, calls for strategic partnership between two countries
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the "India Show" in Istanbul yesterday and said Turkey presented the most compelling imperative for India to develop a strategic partnership in diverse fields.

He said such a partnership could cover areas such as energy security, infrastructure development, automotives and engineering industry.

More than 160 engineering companies are participating in the four-day show being held at the Tuyap Fair, Convention and Congress Centre in Istanbul.

Prominent participants in the event include Tata Motors, Bajaj Precision, HMT International, Ramakrishna Forgings, Noida SEZ and Mahindra World City.

The Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Tourism, Coffee Board and Tea Board as well as the State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are also represented at the show.

The exhibition has been organised jointly by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC).

Mr Scindia said the partnership between the two countries had to be viewed from an overarching perspective that draws on strategic, political and economic consideration.

He said India was making concerted efforts to extend co-operation in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caspian region. He said India and the European Union had established an institutionalized EU-India Strategic Partnership.

Further, India and Turkey have themselves set up a Joint Study Group to look at the feasibility of a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, he pointed out.

Mr Scindia said Indo-Turkey co-operation had many nodal points. "There are immense possibilities for economic collaboration, joint projects and joint investments in our regions which are of common interest to both countries," he said.

At a bilateral meeting with his Turkish counterpart Nehat Ergun, the two sides pledged to take bilateral trade and economic cooperation beyond the set target of $ 5 billion by 2012.

The bilateral trade between Turkey and India, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 27%, reached $ 3.14 billion in 2009-10 from $ 1.2 billion in 2005-06. The bilateral trade target is $ 5 billion by 2012 and $ 10 billion in the next 10 years.

Mr Scindia also inaugurated an India Evening in Istanbul today, which was attended by captains of Turkish industry.
 
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