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Islamonline.net's Live Dialogue host was Prof. Muhammed Al-Adil,President of the Turkish-Arab Association for Science, Culture, and Arts (TASCA), and he answered the readers' questions on Obama's Turkey visit.
27/06/2010 - 00:47
Under the title Obama´s First Visit to Muslim World: Why Turkey? , Muhammed Al-Adil,President of the Turkish-Arab Association for Science, Culture, and Arts (TASCA),answered the readers´ questions.
Here are those questions and Prof. Adil´s answers:
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IOL Reader -
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Assalamo Alaikom
I have three questions if possible:
1- Mr. Erdogan is highly respected in the Muslim world, and perceived by many Muslims to be one of the most important leaders of the Ummah today.
As head of one of the few democratically-elected governments, could this be one of the main reasons Mr. Obama chose Turkey to address the Muslim world for the first time?
2- Do you see Turkey giving more weight in the near future to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), an organization which many Muslims around the world would like to see play a bigger role in coordinating between Muslim countries?
3- Do you think it is possible in the near future to see the official start of the Islamic Common Market, especially in the context of the deep recession in today´s global economy?
Thanks.
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First, I think Obama came to Turkey not just for her key position in the heart of the Muslim world and not just for its model of democracy in the Muslim world, but also because he has so important files to the interest of the United States.
The United States perceives that Turkey is an important player that can help with the US files of Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, and Iran with its
nuclear question.
As for the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), it´s no doubt that Turkey pays much attention to this Muslim gathering. And since the Turkish professor, Akmal eddine Ehsan Oglu, assumed the leadership of the OIC, he has endeavored to reform the OIC from within and has also endeavored to activate its regional and international role, and I think that´s why we have seen the good position it´s holding now. Turkey seems to be willing to make it as an Islamic United Nations with the true sense of the words.
As for the Islamic Common Market, I think the Muslim countries´ political landscape is not ready right now for such a huge project.
Establishing this kind of a huge market is basically a political will, and I don´t think that the member states of the OIC are targeting this market as a priority.
Secondly, I think the West and the United States are not willing to see such a competitive market. They need these countries to be the open market for distributing their products.
Nonetheless, the Muslim generations have to work hard for achieving this strategic dream.
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Muslimah -
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Salam Respected Scholar.
Was Obama´s visit merely done to persuade Turkey to send more troops to Afghanistan? or was he really sincere in his message to the Muslim Ummah or is it just empty words all over again?
Salam and Thank you. |
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From Turkey, President Obama has addressed the Muslims with many positive messages. Yet, the Muslim world and Turkey need action, not just speeches.
So, one should not be over-optimistic, and should reasonably consider such addresses in accordance with the needs and interests of the Muslim world, not only according to US interests.
As Obama says that he needs real partnership with the Muslim world, such partnership should be based on equal footings, not on the previous US jingoistic superior-inferior-approach.
I call all political and intellectual elites of the Muslim world to seriously think about Obama´s address.
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Mohamed A. Baqi -
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Do you think that the US started to reach out to the Muslim world ,and other powers like Russia and China, because it is becoming weaker as a super power?
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I think that Obama wants to improve the image of the United States, especially after the former president Bush had left a legacy of wars with the Muslim world.
Yet now, there is a serious US desire to cooperate with the Muslim world, albeit we shall not be too much optimistic.
Obviously, the US power is not only retreating in the Muslim world, but also it loses its erstwhile political and economic clout domestically as well.
So, I call upon the Arab world´s elite intellectuals to think about a way out to achieve a balanced relation with the United States that has so much depended on power for achieving its interests.
We should achieve a united Muslim and Arab front, with the participation of China, Russia, and India in order to achieve such balance.
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Sharif -
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Will turky be able to build bridges between the Muslim world and Obama´s US? Why did Obama prefer Turky?
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Yes, I think that Obama´s visit is seeking to get benefits form Turkey´s well-established status in the hearts of Muslims all over the world and its unique geographical position.
Turkey is seen by Muslims as a good example and a model country, especially after its firm stance against the Israeli war on Gaza. Turkey is posed well and can be a frank moderator between the US and the Arab and Muslim world. This is if the US is seriously willing to be a friend to the Muslim world.
We are not against the United States, as some may wrongly get it. We are just against the policies of hegemony that the US played during Bush´s era.
If Obama is frank in his reconciliation with the Arab world, I think we are very open for this too, and we are for real and mutual cooperation that is away from the policies of hegemony.
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Yusuf -
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What are the qualifications of Turkey to play a bigger role in the region? Can this role be international, and how? thanks
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I mentioned that Turkey has real qualifications to play such a bigger and effective role in the region.
Turkey is a strong country with its geographical situation, political stability, economic advancement, and its military establishment. It´s a successful power with almost all measures.
Another point of strength for Turkey is that it has good relations with its all neighbors. It also has endeavored for establishing good relations with interests with the Arab world, Russia, China and Africa.
Turkey is now a supervisor member for both the Arab league and the African Union, and is heading the OIC.
If some Arab capitals get rid of their fears from the Turkish role, Turkey can go forward to a significant international role. The coalition of the Arab and Muslim countries with Turkey, with the support of Russia as a traditional ally, can have an effective role in striking the balance of powers with the Unites states.
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Salim Ali -
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What are the qualifications of Turkey to play a bigger role in the region? Can this role be international, and how?
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Turkey has political, economic, and military significance, as well as historical legacy — the Ottoman Caliphate.
Turkey has a strategic geographical position, large population, and it is a democratic state, which makes Turkey well-suited for such a role.
After the Justice and Development(AKP) has taken Turkey´s leadership, it has started to strengthen relations with its neighboring countries and the Arab world.
Turkey has established strategic cooperation with India, China, Russia, Africa, and the Arab world after it has recognized the US hegemonic ambitions in the region.
The United States has sought to cooperate with Turkey after it has recognized Ankara´s rising political role, and thereby the need to achieve a balance with Turkey.
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Amila Hassan -
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Why is the US still having the Armenian issue as a card that it talks about from time to time? Is it to pressure Turkey, and for what?
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Yes, I think the US wants to use the Armenian issue as a card for pressuring Ankara. Obama came to Turkey with heavy weight and complicated files like Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, and he is seeking to get help from Turkey.
It seems that the US wants to say that it´s ready to solve the Armenian issue for the help it gets from Ankara, especially as a draft resolution, condemning Turkey for alleged accusations regarding the Armenians, will soon be discussed by the US congress.
The United States seems to use the same old tricks some time to achieve its interests. We´ll have to see what Obama can do. His policies in the Middle East will speak louder than his speeches, and will show whether the change he is talking about is real or just decorative.
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Sa´eb -
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Will Turkey lose its Islamic identity by time, especially that the West sees it as a western ally? Will Turkey be a tool in the hand of America for the so called war on terror?
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First, Turkey, after the rise of the AKP, has begun to revive its Islamic-Turkish identity, and began to be less clung to the West, especially the European Union, in case it rejects Turkey proposed membership.
Turkey has begun to reconcile with the Arab world, and is establishing good relations with Russia. It has also engaged in Africa, and is becoming significantly larger than the European Union membership.
Many Turkish intellectuals say that Turkey will lose its strategic weight in case it joins the European Union, as they think the EU will diminish its might and the roles it can play. Now, the European Union needs Turkey, not the vice versa, because of many reasons, most importantly that Turkey serves as a bridge between the East and the West.
Under the pretext of "fighting terrorism", the United States used the NATO, the United Nations, and the Security Council to achieve its goals.
The United States tries to exploit the mired relations between Turkey and the PKK to make Turkey an ally with Washington in its "War on Terrorism".
Yet, contrary to US expectations, Turkey´s relations with Washington are mainly based on Turkey´s national interest.
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Muslim -
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Is the planned exit of American troops from Iraq through Turkey a decision in Turkey´s best national interest?
Would it be easy for American troops to exit through the South-East of Turkey where Kurds may still create problems?
Is that one of the reasons for the high priority Mr. Obama is giving Turkey?
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The question of the way of exit from Iraq is not so important when compared to from where the US will get out and what it achieved.
What´s more important here is that the US will get out of Iraq with heavy defeat after it apparently failed in acheieving its goals that country. The issue of getting out through Turkey is not so much important, as long as the US will not stay in Turkey, but just get through. |
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