| Turkish FM unveils plan of strategic optimism |
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ANKARA - On the eve of his departure to put a Turkish shoulder to the wheel of Pakistan and Afghanistan's problems, the author of the country's policy of ’strategic depth,’ Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu, will be traveling with a diplomatic playbook that might well be described as ’strategic optimism’.
As the Afghanistan and Pakistan governments try to fight Taliban insurgents along their volatile border, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu will embark on a tour of the two countries this week.
Davutoðlu’s trip follows Turkey’s assumption of the U.N. Security Council presidency for one month, beginning June 1. The foreign minister is set to visit Pakistan from June 9 to 10 and Afghanistan from June 11 to 13.
The potential for Turkey to provide counter-insurgency training for Pakistan’s military is expected to appear on the agenda of the talks.
In New York, both the foreign minister and the top army commander extended their full support to Pakistan, with Davutoðlu emphasizing that the country’s stability was as important for Turkey as its own, while Chief of General Staff Gen. Ýlker Baþbuð said the Turkish military may use its longtime experience in fighting terrorism to train Pakistan’s army in counter-insurgency tactics.
Pakistan has been battling radical Taliban militants in the Swat Valley in the country’s troubled northwest. The United States views the situations in Pakistan and Afghanistan as a threat to its security, and to that of the world.
Davutoðlu’s visit comes after a suicide blast killed 38 people during Friday prayers at a mosque in Pakistan’s Upper Dir, a district next to Swat. The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the terrorist attack in a written statement and expressed solidarity with the people of Pakistan, vowing that it would continue to support the Pakistanis to maintain their well being and security.
"Turkey, which has had close ties with Pakistan since the latter was founded in 1947, can look to this country in the light of its special ties," diplomatic sources told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review yesterday.
The operations against the Taliban insurgents in Swat have long occupied the world agenda. The Pakistani government led by Yousuf Raza Gilani is pursuing a three-part policy made up of dialogue, development and deterrence. Behind the scenes, Turkey is expending diplomatic efforts to brief European and NATO member states about the alarming situation in Pakistan, but in public statements, Ankara avoids portraying the ongoing war against the Taliban militants as in trouble and keeps it at a low profile. While praising Pakistan’s strong will to combat terrorism in cooperation with its military and civilians, Turkish diplomatic sources told the Daily News that, "Pakistan is not an area of extremism. This is evident in the results of the Feb. 2008 elections that brought moderate forces to power."
As part of its diplomatic efforts, Turkey is bringing together the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan through a trilateral summit mechanism launched in April 2007. A major document on the future of Pakistani-Afghani relations refers to Ankara and Istanbul declarations released after the trilateral summits. Turkey is also a member of the Friends of Pakistan group.
At an April meeting in Tokyo, Turkey pledged $100 million in development aid to Pakistan, and Istanbul will host the next summit, which is set for this fall. The Friends of Pakistan group include Turkey, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States, China, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Australia and Italy, plus the United Nations and the European Union. "Turkey has big capital in Pakistan that tries to be understood by the international community." |
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