Despite the rising tensions between the ruling Justice and Development Party, NATO, the European Union and the U.S, documents on the '2023 political vision' of the Turkish government shows a totally different approach to NATO.
Pro-Erdoğan gold trader Reza Zarrab’s trial in the U.S. and the arrest of U.S. Consulate staff within the scope of the Fethullahist Terror Organization [FETÖ, the prime suspect of the failed coup last year in Turkey] investigations in Turkey are among the causes of rising tensions between the two countries.
The latest crisis in Turkey’s foreign policy is now with NATO.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, and the current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had been depicted as 'enemies' in a joint military exercise, named Trident Javelin, carried out by NATO in Norway.
After the incident, Turkey withdrew its soldiers from the drill, while Erdoğan, referring to the NATO alliance, said that "There can be no such pact, no such alliance". The Turkish President had already opened the structure of NATO up for discussion, after Turkey’s July 15 coup attempt in 2016.
'WE WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR PARTNERSHIP…'
Despite this, the 2023 Political Vision document of the AKP, strikes a different tone with the EU, the U.S. and NATO, all institutions which Turkey currently has serious problems with.
The document states that "We consider our relationship with the United States of America and NATO based on equality and equal partnership. Like with other countries, we will continue to strengthen our partnership with the US on the basis of mutual interest and partnership."
As to the party programme of the AKP, the document writes that "Parallel to the contributions made by Turkey inside NATO until the present day, efforts shall continue for Turkey to take the place it deserves within the new European Security and Defense Concept created within the framework of the new European defence strategy."
"The political and economic cooperation which continues to exist since a long time between Turkey and friendly countries and allies shall be maintained and this cooperation shall be intensified in areas of the economy, science, technology, investments, and trade.
The cooperation with the United States of America which has been defence-oriented shall be maintained and this cooperation shall be extended to areas of the economy, investments, science and technology’’, according to the AKP’s party programme.
'THE EU AS A SUCCESS STORY'
Regarding the EU, the 2023 Political Vision document of the Turkish government claims that "We accept the European Union project as a success story. After decades of great wars and conflicts, a project like the EU to unify all European nations could have been possible only with a grand vision for the future. Today, people refer to the EU project when they talk about peace, solidarity and economic development in other parts of the world."
"It is AKP that has put for the first time Turkey’s 50-year old checkered relationship with the EU in a comprehensive strategic context and made it part of its strategic outlook. AK Party has taken concrete steps to realize the EU vision in tandem with Turkey’s needs and priorities", it continued.
'AKP'S STRATEGIC GOAL IS FULL MEMBERSHIP IN THE EU'
The political vision document states that "Legal reforms and new regulations have been passed as part of the EU's acquis communautaire and they have raised and strengthened Turkey’s democratic standards… AK Party’s strategic goal is full membership in the EU. We will not accept any option other than full membership. Despite the obstacles originating from the EU itself, our political will and determination which we demonstrated in 2005 for negotiations remains strong and will not change."
"…We have taken bold and realistic steps. We expect the same from the EU, i.e., to act with the vision and leadership that created the EU. It is a contradiction of EU’s own principles to make Turkey an instrument of European domestic politics. This attitude creates a sense of mistrust and suspicion in the Turkish public. EU leaders should show courage and leadership and the negotiations should move forward," the 2023 Political Vision document of the AKP also said.
In March 2017, the Norwegian government received negative reactions from the Turkish government by granting political asylum to five Turkish officers who fled to Norway and had refused to return Turkey after the failed coup in July 2016.
Turkey has the second largest army in the NATO alliance, and has a geopolitical significance for NATO and imperialist countries with its location as well as its NATO bases near Syrian, Iraqi and Iranian borders.
