Aknauta
03-05-2003, 03:07 PM
wsj.com
The Inscrutable Turks
Ankara's irresponsibility illustrates the risk of delay.
Tuesday, March 4, 2003 12:01 a.m. EST
These columns said hopefully last week that democracies are messy but they usually end up doing the right thing. We'll admit we didn't immediately expect to see the exception that proves the rule in Turkey.
Rarely has short-sighted domestic politics sabotaged national interest quite as clearly as in Ankara on Saturday. Stock prices in Istanbul tumbled by more than 12% yesterday on the surprising news that Turkey's parliament had rejected the use of the country (and about $15 billion in aid) as a staging area for U.S. troops preparing to invade Iraq. Investors realize that the Turkish political elites have thoroughly botched this one.
Unless reversed in a later vote, the decision will damage U.S.-Turkish relations for years to come. The U.S. and Turkish governments had worked out the details at great length, but were undermined by an establishment more concerned with scoring domestic political points than looking out for Turkey's long-term interests.
Link (http://www.opinionjournal.c om/editorial/feature.html?id=1100 03151)
The Inscrutable Turks
Ankara's irresponsibility illustrates the risk of delay.
Tuesday, March 4, 2003 12:01 a.m. EST
These columns said hopefully last week that democracies are messy but they usually end up doing the right thing. We'll admit we didn't immediately expect to see the exception that proves the rule in Turkey.
Rarely has short-sighted domestic politics sabotaged national interest quite as clearly as in Ankara on Saturday. Stock prices in Istanbul tumbled by more than 12% yesterday on the surprising news that Turkey's parliament had rejected the use of the country (and about $15 billion in aid) as a staging area for U.S. troops preparing to invade Iraq. Investors realize that the Turkish political elites have thoroughly botched this one.
Unless reversed in a later vote, the decision will damage U.S.-Turkish relations for years to come. The U.S. and Turkish governments had worked out the details at great length, but were undermined by an establishment more concerned with scoring domestic political points than looking out for Turkey's long-term interests.
Link (http://www.opinionjournal.c om/editorial/feature.html?id=1100 03151)