Cyprus-Forum.com

[YFred]

Turkey ‘hawk’ touted as Obama’s man for Europe
By Stefanos Evripidou

THE US Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave President Barack Obama’s next “man in Europe” a grilling over his apparent “pro-Turkish” stance during his confirmation hearing on Thursday.

Obama nominated Philip H. Gordon, a Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, to replace Daniel Fried as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

However, during his hearing, Gordon came under fire from Democrat Senator Robert Menendez for his apparent pro-Turkish views, expressed during his career as academic and analyst, and his reported unwillingness to recognise Turkish occupation of a third of Cyprus.

The Senator also raised the issue of Gordon’s opposition to US recognition of the Armenian Genocide, due to the crisis it would stoke in Turkey.

According to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), the US Senator held a private meeting with Gordon before the hearing which failed to convince the New Jersey senator that his views in office would be impartial and not affected by the apparent pro-Turkish views expressed in the past.

Menendez referred to articles written by Gordon against US recognition of the Armenian Genocide, his reaction to the Greek Cypriot rejection of the Annan Plan in 2004 and his views on Turkey’s role in the world.

During the hearing, Menendez called on Gordon to say whether he agreed with the statement in Obama’s pre-election campaign which referred to a political settlement of the Cyprus issue which will end the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus and correct the tragic division of the island.

Gordon replied that he agreed. However, he claimed that the view concerning occupation was expressed by the government of Cyprus and some experts.

He went on to claim that there is a Turkish presence in the northern part of Cyprus which is not accepted by the Cyprus government. This is an issue under negotiations for a solution which the US supports, he said.

According to CNA, when Menendez indicated that the occupation was included in Obama’s declaration on Cyprus, Gordon said he has not changed his views on the matter.

Menendez invited Gordon to provide the committee with evidence on the funds which he and the organisations he worked for as analyst received and also whether they come from countries which will be under his jurisdiction as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

On the issue of the Armenian Genocide, Gordon talked about “a tragedy” that occurred to 1.5 million Armenians which must be recognised by Turkey. In the past, he has written that the US “should stand with Turkey in opposing efforts to punish modern Turkey for an Ottoman ‘genocide’ against Armenians” while encouraging greater honesty about Turkey’s past.

In his testimony before the committee, Gordon said the US had to show leadership in the Balkans. It also “must engage energetically on enduring conflicts in Moldova and Nagorno-Karabakh; support the negotiations on a settlement in Cyprus; promote Turkey’s EU aspirations while encouraging it to improve relations with Armenia, Cyprus and Greece; and vigorously promote the diversification of European energy supplies.”

Gordon noted his time under Bill Clinton on the National Security Council staff, where he was tasked with coordinating US policy toward NATO in the run up to its 50th anniversary. He described NATO as “the closest, most enduring, and most powerful alliance in history”

In contrast to earlier statements, the former analyst said, if confirmed, he looked forward to protecting “national sovereignty and territorial integrity” across the region and resolving the “enduring conflicts that cause needless suffering on a daily basis”.

Given Turkey’s high profile NATO membership, its proximity to the some of the hottest crisis zones in the world, and the key role it plays in Europe’s plans for energy supply diversification, there is little doubt as to Turkey’s importance in US foreign policy.

In her introduction to the hearing, presiding committee chairman, Senator Jeanne Shaheen referred to the “critical relationship” between US and Turkey while noting that NATO relations would be high on Gordon’s agenda.

“Dr. Gordon will also be responsible for managing our relations with Turkey, a valuable NATO ally with a predominantly Muslim population in a dangerous and geopolitically strategic location. How we define our relationship with Turkey over the next decade will have significant repercussions for our long-term interests abroad,” she said.

House President Marios Garoyian said yesterday as far as he knew, Obama’s positions on Cyprus had not changed, suggesting Gordon had come “unprepared” to the hearing.

Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou, refrained from commenting, saying he had yet to be briefed on the matter.


Gordon has written extensively on Turkey’s role in the world, most recently in a co-written book called: “Winning Turkey: How America, Europe, and Turkey Can Revive a Fading Partnership.”

The book presents a plan to restore the partnership between Turkey and the West where the authors suggest a series of efforts, including a political settlement in Cyprus and Turkish EU accession, to “anchor Turkey in the West”.

In 2007, Gordon published “Winning the Right War: The Path to Security for America and the World” where he suggests a paradigm shift in the “war on terror”.

One way of fighting the “right war”, Gordon writes, is to “win Turkey back” which requires “new efforts to repair strained relations with Turkey, the most advanced democracy in the Muslim world”.

Regarding the need to make and maintain allies in the greater Middle East, Gordon wrote: “In this regard, no relationship is more important- or more at risk- than the one with the Republic of Turkey.”

On Cyprus, he wrote: “(The US) can make more of an effort to lessen the diplomatic and economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, who in 2004 courageously- and with Ankara’s backing- supported a political settlement on the long-divided island that the Greek side rejected.”

In 2006, he wrote that Turkey was “on the brink” of a nationalist backlash, referring to growing nationalist frustration with the US and Europe.






Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

[paliometoxo]

intresting

[Nikitas]

Why not make Turkey the 53rd state and see how they will like the attitude Turkey displays to Europe, which is a demand that Europe should change to acomodate Turkey. It will be entertaining to see Americans react to a demand that they change their constitution to suit the Turks.

Note, there are 50 states, plus the UK and Israel, which totals 52. Turkey would be a nice addition to bring the toal to 53.

[DT.]

Menendez asked him in the committee what he thinks of the following statement (after saying there was a "presence" of turkish troops on the island that the govt of the island disapproved...rather than calling it an occupation....)

"There must be a just and viable solution to end the current turkish occupation of Cyprus"

Gordon replied that there were some people who thought like that though not necessarily himself.

Menendez then informed him that the statement belonged to his boss the President

GOrdon immediately agreed with the statement

[Lit]

Turkey ‘hawk’ touted as Obama’s man for Europe
By Stefanos Evripidou

THE US Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave President Barack Obama’s next “man in Europe” a grilling over his apparent “pro-Turkish” stance during his confirmation hearing on Thursday.

Obama nominated Philip H. Gordon, a Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, to replace Daniel Fried as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Daniel Fried, the person who will be replaced, was also a Turkey hawk. There are many in the State Department that are Turkey Hawks. That didnt prevent the Greek Americans and American Philhellenes from recently stopping the Talat-Clinton meeting. At the end of the day, the buck stops with President Obama. As i have stated previously, help those in the States who help you. Organizations like PSEKA are extremely important. Even the upcomer CANA is doing great things. CANA managed to get an interview with a US congressman who is known to back Turkey on just about anything. CANA had the congressman back pedaling on just about every issue.

CANA: Are you aware that there are thousand upon thousand of Greek Americans in your district sir who have recently been taken aback by your views regarding....

Congressman: uhh, well, uhh. lets see, uhhh.

classic

Go to their websites. There are several to choose from and see how you can help. The Turks do it all the time. The Turks donate to FYRoM organizations. The Turks donate to Azeri organizations. But forget about that...lets try and get along with the Turkish Cypriots IN THIS forum. If we can show Insan and Yfronts that we really and truly and pretty please want peace maybe it will come true?? What do you guys think? Yaaaawn.

Well good morning and!......au revoir? I realize its a short stay today in this forum but this Americanaki has to work on his cardio. One and two and one and two.....if i can do it, so can you!!!

[Lit]

Menendez asked him in the committee what he thinks of the following statement (after saying there was a "presence" of turkish troops on the island that the govt of the island disapproved...rather than calling it an occupation....)

"There must be a just and viable solution to end the current turkish occupation of Cyprus"

Gordon replied that there were some people who thought like that though not necessarily himself.

Menendez then informed him that the statement belonged to his boss the President

GOrdon immediately agreed with the statement

People may want to read some of Gordon's previously published articles. I couldn't differentiate Gordan's articles from the ones that Halil reproduces here.

Sen. Menendez blasted Gordan during the hearing. The Sen. told Gordon that he was concerned when there is a veto by a foreign government over domestic policies of the US including the congress of the United States. The Sen. mentioned this when he was talking about the Armenian genocide issue. The overwhelming population in the States believes that a genocide did occur. Sen. Menendez also asked Gordon to supply him with a list of countries that will be under Gordon's jurisdiction and he also wanted the organizations that Gordon has worked with prior to the nomination and what money was received by these organizations from foreign countries. OUCH.

[Nikephoros]

Ankara buys a lot influence abroad. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say it imposes on large foreign multi-nationals and defence firms heavily involved in Turkey to buy mouthpieces abroad. Specifically in the USA the fascist tribes of Ankara would thus ask large American defence firms and corps. to pay think-tanks, fund departments of Turkish/Ottoman history, etc.

The result produces these Gordons. And what happens in the Greek world?
The media as mouthpieces of the state and elites poison the population in Greece with:
1)"let's democratize Turkey"
2)"let's invest in Turkey"
3)"let us support the European Union integration of Turkey"
4)"let's support the Talat and his party and the AKP"

And after our worst enemy in the world proves why it is our worst enemy once again:
5)let's protest to NATO, Washington, UN, whine, bitch

Greece/Cyprus rely too much on the European Union players who have their own agenda regarding Turkey, and who hopefully will integrate us into their plans regarding Turkey. Too many leftoids running around believing the careerist clan-families whose ideology of the moment is popularist leftism have made Greece into a diplomatic midget that is to happy for Europe, Washington, even the enemy in Ankara to be the drivers and us the lowly passengers of events. We cannot do anything, but Europeanize problems or rely on international and integrate ourselves into the plans of large Washington and the large Western European players.

[insan]

Turkey ‘hawk’ touted as Obama’s man for Europe
By Stefanos Evripidou

THE US Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave President Barack Obama’s next “man in Europe” a grilling over his apparent “pro-Turkish” stance during his confirmation hearing on Thursday.

Obama nominated Philip H. Gordon, a Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, to replace Daniel Fried as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Daniel Fried, the person who will be replaced, was also a Turkey hawk. There are many in the State Department that are Turkey Hawks. That didnt prevent the Greek Americans and American Philhellenes from recently stopping the Talat-Clinton meeting. At the end of the day, the buck stops with President Obama. As i have stated previously, help those in the States who help you. Organizations like PSEKA are extremely important. Even the upcomer CANA is doing great things. CANA managed to get an interview with a US congressman who is known to back Turkey on just about anything. CANA had the congressman back pedaling on just about every issue.

CANA: Are you aware that there are thousand upon thousand of Greek Americans in your district sir who have recently been taken aback by your views regarding....

Congressman: uhh, well, uhh. lets see, uhhh.

classic

Go to their websites. There are several to choose from and see how you can help. The Turks do it all the time. The Turks donate to FYRoM organizations. The Turks donate to Azeri organizations. But forget about that...lets try and get along with the Turkish Cypriots IN THIS forum. If we can show Insan and Yfronts that we really and truly and pretty please want peace maybe it will come true?? What do you guys think? Yaaaawn.

Well good morning and!......au revoir? I realize its a short stay today in this forum but this Americanaki has to work on his cardio. One and two and one and two.....if i can do it, so can you!!!

We well know that majority of Hellenes wants peace and a solution to Cyprus problem. However we also well know how "good guys" turn into "bad guys" according to the changes of circumstances.

On both sides of Cyprus there r various interest groups from various ideologies. This is a fact. There r leftists, rightists, far right, far left, nationalists etc.. Respectively, they all have different perspectives, beliefs, plans, policies etc on national, international and cultural issues... In a united Cyprus, the interest clashes among those various political groups r inevitable.

Throughout our history Turks and TCs many times witnessed the unity of Hellenes or some Hellenic interest groups against Turks when it comes to national interests. Is this something bad? No, of course. It is too natural for u too unite and struggle for ur national interests but how much it is considered natural for u to do this; it should also be considered that much natural for us TCs to unite with Turks and struggle for our own national interests. In order to be able to legally challenge with Hellenic interest groups in Cyprus, TCs must have political equality on legislative and judicial bodies. Only the political equality of 2 communities provides a fair ground for 2 communities to challenge their opposing demands.

It is obvious that we r 2 rival communities besides Greeks and Turks r also 2 rival nations. We almost have never had any common interests throughout our history. To the contrary of this our common history is full of wars and disputes with each other. Regarding the Hellenic interests; Greeks of Cyprus, Greeks of Greece and diaspora Greeks have always been in collaboration and cooperation. When TCs tried/try to had/have same or similar relations with Turks, we hear the voices of Hellenes, "NO! Stop! WE don't like Turks, They r our enemies!". Ain't it weird? You will have full freedom to do anything u like but when it comes to TCs, they will have to stop and obbey ur rule...

What about arts and wiles of the politics? Those r the worst situations for the weak side. Those arts and wiles of the politics which ur ruling class planned and carried out in order to gain the legitimacy to the so-called RoC, afterwards 1964. What can I say, well done... U r partly succeeded to get what u want but please respect, we too struggle to get what we want... This is the struggle of Hellenic solution thesis VS Turkish solution thesis.

We need Turkey's help more than GCs need the help of Greece and diaspora Greeks. Due to unrecognized status of TRNC, TCs haven't had direct contact with the outside world since 1963. Economic conditions have also been negatively affecting our social and political lives but nothing can prevent or stop us struggling for our own cause.

Whole world push Greeks and Turks/GCs and GCs to reconcile and rapprochement however we witness Hellenes exert for "Osmosis" policy by using the arts and wiles of politics with the advantages of EU membership.

It seems like, it's time for Turkey to make arts and wiles of politics for common TC-Turkish interests.

Our common history proves that neither Hellenes nor Turks have the ability or wish to come together for regional and global common interests.