Erkan posted an interesting Guardian Unlimited article ... once you get past Cheney's latest ... highlighting a relatively unheralded goal of US foreign policy, to turn Turkey into a conduit for energy supplies that bypass the control of President Putin and the majority state-owned Russian gas giant Gazprom.
Yalim Eralp, an ex-ambassador now working for CNN Türk, says the scramble for energy is the new great game between China, Russia and the US - and we have chosen the EU, helping it to reduce its dependence on Russia. The US is determined, in this game, to push Russia into supplying its eastern neighbours, not Europe.
It's an interesting article that should set European minds at rest regarding an influx of Turkish immigrants if and when they are allowed to join the EU.
It ends with, Damla Zeynep Gürel, an opposition MP saying, If we can increase our GDP and improve our democratic standards, I don't think people will go to Europe - unless they are invited. Business leaders detect a trend to homecoming by Turkish 'Gastarbeiter' from Germany and elsewhere ... and increasing investment from overseas Turks in their native country.
Cem Duna of Tusiad, the Turkish CBI, says, In 10 years Europe will need the dynamism of the Turkish economy, but my nightmare scenario is a successful conclusion to the accession talks ... and popular rejection in national referenda.
2 comments:
Subtext from a suspicious American:
Turkey has a relatively stable pro-Western government. And they have ports. While backing a pipeline might be good for the Turksih economy, I'd say (without have read the article - I'll do that next) that this isn't about Russia supplying it's Eastern neighbors, it's about them supplying US. How much nicer for us to ship our fuel from Turkey instead of from the war torn anti-American Gulf?! Russian strategists, however, may decide to look east where they can run a pipelne through their own lands directly to their oil hungry Chinese neighbors.
'Interesting', suspicious American woman. :)
Thanks for filling the gaps, I imagine you're right but I find I can't stand to study what Bush and his lot are up to next.
I'll be happy if the whole thing contributes to Turkey's growth as I do get tired of how Turkey is perceived in Europe.
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