Category: UK

How Not to Conduct Diplomacy: A Case Study

by Barry Rubin

British Prime Minister David Cameron’s July 27 speech in Turkey will not live on in history. But it should, as an example of the decline of Western diplomacy, of suicide by Political Correctness, as a textbook example of how not to conduct international affairs.

It crossed my mind that the speech was written by the Foreign Office for the express purpose of making Cameron look foolish, but then I realized that he and his top advisors probably have no idea why it was such a disaster.

Suppose you are the British prime minister going to Turkey, or to just about any country, what should you say? The theme should be: We can cooperate and do mutually beneficial things. Here’s what I can do for you, here’s what I’d like you to do for me. And here’s what you must not do in order to reap the benefits of my friendship and favor.

Obviously, you need to dress that up in appropriate language. But everything should be conditional. The message to be delivered is that it is in your interest to respect my interests.

Cameron did the precise and exact opposite. His message was: The UK needs Turkey. Turkey is wonderful. Its behavior has been perfect. We are desperate for your help.

What is the effect? A man goes into a bazaar, points to a carpet and says: That is the most beautiful carpet I have ever seen. I must have it no matter what the price! How much is it?

In addition, Cameron committed some other howling mistakes, several of which will amaze you. So please stick with me as I explain and document this. You won’t be disappointed. And remember this is not just a matter of one speech, it is a fitting symbol for the entire contemporary Western diplomatic approach to the Middle East and much more to the world as well. By the way, it is doomed to fail miserably.

Before we begin, remember that this is no longer the old Turkish Republic. Cameron is lavishing praise on an Islamist-oriented regime which has aligned itself with Iran and revolutionary Islamist groups. And all of Cameron’s pandering, as if he were a Western barbarian in the court of the all-powerful Ottoman sultan, is driving a knife into the heart of a Turkish opposition which is genuinely friendly toward the West and horrified by the current regime’s subversion of Turkish democracy.

Cameron began by saying:

“I’ve come to Ankara today to establish a new partnership between Britain and Turkey. I think this is a vital strategic relationship for our country.”

Note the cringing here. A proper prime minister might have said: “I think this is a vital strategic relationship for our countries.” In other words, the speaker would stress there is a mutual benefit. Instead, this polite approach makes it sound as if Turkey is doing the United Kingdom a favor by having a strategic relationship to it while Turkey doesn’t need Britain at all.

And this is precisely the interpretation put on such things in the local context: The Turkish regime can take its Western alliances for granted while taking the side of the West’s radical Islamist enemies.
And here it is again:

“People ask me why [I’m visiting] Turkey and why so soon. I’ll tell you why. Because Turkey is vital for our economy. Vital for our security. And vital for our politics and diplomacy.“ So Turkey holds all the cards and the West can do nothing but give concessions in hope of winning favor in its eyes. One should remember that a major theme of Iran, Syria, and this Turkish regime is that nothing can be achieved without them and so the West must bow to their will and do everything they want. Cameron is feeding this monster.

According to him, there are no problems with Turkey on security:

“Turkey is a great NATO ally. And Turkey shares our determination to fight terrorism in all its forms – whether from Al Qaeda or the PKK. [But not, he fails to mention, from Hamas or Hizballah!] But perhaps more significant still is the fact that Turkey’s unique position at the meeting point of East and West gives it an unrivalled influence in helping us get to grips with some of the greatest threats to our collective security.”

Look, you don’t go to a country and criticize it (unless the country is Israel. Now why is that?) but you don’t tell them that everything they are doing is great because if that’s true they will keep on doing it and know there is no cost. Turkey under this regime is not a pro-Western state helping the West against its “Eastern” enemies—as Turkey was between, say, 1950 and 2000—or is it a neutral meeting ground. At present, Turkey is on the enemy side.

He continues:

“Which Muslim majority country has a long-established relationship with Israel while at the same time championing the rights of the Palestinian people? Which European country could have the greatest chance of persuading Iran to change course on its nuclear policy?”

Now this is after the Turkish regime trashed the relationship with Israel and stabbed the United States and UK in the back by cutting its own deal with Iran and even voting against sanctions at the UN. This is the policy Cameron praises! And then after all these things he adds:

“Whether in Afghanistan or the Middle East, Turkey has a credibility that others in the West just can’t hope to have. So I’ve come here to make the case for Turkey to use this credibility, to go further in enhancing our security and working for peace across our world.”

Does this include Turkish regime support for Hamas and Hizballah, alignment with Iran and Syria? He should be hinting gently that Turkey is losing its credibility because of the regime’s behavior. And therefore Turkey needs to change its behavior, a point that the opposition will be arguing in the next election. By this time I can see the opposition tearing it hair out as another Western leader heaps praise on the regime. And have no doubt the regime will use all this in next year’s elections:

Extremist? Transforming Turkey toward Islamism? What do you mean? The West loves us!

Cameron then goes on and makes it clear that Turkey would be doing the EU a favor by joining it, not the tiniest hint of leverage, that Turkish membership might depend on the regime’s behavior. He could have said:

While I, of course, support you, the path would be easier if…. Followed by some polite and proper hints done with full British charm.

But it gets worse. Cameron is about to insult several of Britain’s closest allies, including Germany and France, by making opposition to Turkey’s entrance into the EU as a form of racism and Islamophobia. For example, he says that opponents are:

“The prejudiced. Those who willfully misunderstand Islam. They see no difference between real Islam and the distorted version of the extremists. They think the problem is Islam itself. And they think the values of Islam can just never be compatible with the values of other religions, societies, or cultures.”

All these arguments are just plain wrong. The problem precisely is the version of Islam embodied in the current Turkish government. There could be other perfectly pious Muslims ruling Turkey (and Iran, Syria, or the Gaza Strip for that matter) who would interpret Islam in a way relatively compatible with the values of other religions. But not the Islamists!

He also complains of those who “see the history of our world as a clash of civilizations as a choice between East and West. They just don’t get the fact that Turkey can be a great unifier. Because instead of choosing between East and West, Turkey has chosen both.”

But he doesn’t comprehend that the current government of Turkey sees the world as a clash of civilizations. Its foreign minister even wrote a book to that effect, which has never been translated and which the regime is doing its best to conceal. This is not the Turkey of Kamal Ataturk and his successors but rather (at least temporarily) a country ruled by the successors of those who opposed Ataturk.

If I were a German or French journalist my headline would be: Cameron Calls German (or French) policy bigoted and anti-Islamic.

Yet Cameron sails on into even worse grounds. He actually praises a Turkish policy which has gone to the brink of war with Israel, sponsored a flotilla run by radical Islamists intending to create a violent confrontation, and is allied with a revolutionary terrorist group. One has to quote it to believe he actually said the following:

“Turkey’s relationships in the region, both with Israel and with the Arab world, are of incalculable value. No other country has the same potential to build understanding between Israel and the Arab world. I know that Gaza has led to real strains in Turkey’s relationship with Israel. But Turkey is a friend of Israel. And I urge Turkey, and Israel, not to give up on that friendship.

“Let me be clear. The Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla was completely unacceptable. And I have told PM Netanyahu, we will expect the Israeli inquiry to be swift, transparent and rigorous. Let me also be clear that the situation in Gaza has to change. Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.

“But as, hopefully, we move in the coming weeks to direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians so it’s Turkey that can make the case for peace and Turkey that can help to press the parties to come together, and point the way to a just and viable solution.”

In other words, Turkey is 100 percent right, I have no criticism of Hamas’s behavior, we should accept a permanent revolutionary Islamist, terrorist, genocidal, statelet on the Mediterranean. No problem. And we can ignore the Turkish regime’s pro-Hamas policy and provocative behavior because without abandoning that approach Turkey can still play a productive role! This is the diplomatic equivalent of insane behavior on Cameron’s part.

And does Israel want this regime to mediate between it and the Palestinians? Even the Palestinian Authority doesn’t want that: it knows that the Turkish regime is allied with its Hamas rivals, for goodness sakes! Doesn’t Cameron know this?

I don’t want to take up too much of your time but I cannot let this next gem pass. True, Cameron urged Turkey to continue internal reforms (but there’s no hint of the anti-democratic nature of the regime’s manipulation of such reforms, for example, to seize control of the courts) and the massive repression of dissidents.

He suggests that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons and he even criticizes the Turkey-Iran deal. But note the illogical leap:

“Even if Iran were to complete the deal proposed in their recent agreement with Turkey and Brazil, it would still retain around fifty percent of its stockpile of low-enriched uranium. So we need Turkey’s help now in making it clear to Iran just how serious we are about engaging fully with the international community.

“We hope that the meeting held in Istanbul between the Turkish, Brazilian and Iranian Foreign Ministers will see Iran move in the right direction.”

That meeting is a conference of Iran’s supporters! Why would it lead Iran in the right direction? How about Turkey’s opposition to sanctions? And again note the beggar’s worldview: “We need Turkey’s help….” Why should Turkey help? What will you give the regime in exchange for its alleged help? What behavior will you overlook in exchange for its alleged help?

This regime wants to help Iran, not against Iran.

Finally, remember that Cameron is a Conservative, the successor of Winston Churchill. That’s how deep the appeasement disease has penetrated the Western ruling class.

, August 4, 2010

August 4, 2010
Two men held over MI6 and Downing Street parcel bombs

Suspects arrested in north Wales over packages allegedly addressed to MI6 offices and Downing Street

Two men are being held by police today after two parcel bombs reportedly addressed to 10 Downing Street and MI6 were intercepted last week.

The suspects, aged 52 and 21, were arrested on suspicion of explosive offences at separate addresses in Caernafon, north Wales, on Friday by Metropolitan police officers and local police.

The Met said one package was found at the postal handling centre for MI6 near to its headquarters on the Albert Embankment, in London. It would not confirm or deny that the other, held at a south London sorting office, was addressed to Downing Street.

Police were called at 12.40pm on Wednesday after a suspicious package was found at the MI6 office. The second parcel was discovered at 4.30am on Thursday.

A police spokesman said: “The Metropolitan police service is investigating two suspect packages addressed to premises in central London. Both packages have been recovered by police.”

The last known attack on MI6 HQ was in 2000 when it suffered superficial damage in a rocket attack by dissident Irish republicans.

The Guardian

August 1, 2010
David Cameron backs Turkey’s EU bid
Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will fight for Turkey to become a member of the European Union as he addressed business leaders in the country’s capital Ankara.

The PM said Turkey’s economic rise was an opportunity for other EU states, not a threat, and also highlighted the nation’s contribution to the NATO effort in Afghanistan.

Mr Cameron said he wanted to establish a new partnership between Britain and Turkey because it was “vital” for the UK economy, security and politics.

The PM said:

“When I think about what Turkey has done to defend Europe as a NATO ally, and what Turkey is doing today in Afghanistan alongside our European allies, it makes me angry that your progress towards EU Membership can be frustrated in the way that it has been. My view is clear. I believe it’s just wrong to say that Turkey can guard the camp but not be allowed to sit in the tent.

“So I will remain your strongest possible advocate for EU membership and for greater influence at the top table of European diplomacy. This is something I feel very strongly, very passionately about. Together, I want us to pave the road from Ankara to Brussels.”

Mr Cameron added that Turkey could be a “unifier” because of its links to both East and West and called on the country’s government to “push forward aggressively” with the EU reforms it is already making to help its bid for membership.

Later, the PM met Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks and signed a new Strategic Partnership document setting out how the two Governments will intensify relations in a range of areas, including trade, defence, and culture.
- Listen to the joint press conference
Earlier, Mr Cameron laid a wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern secular Turkey.

The visit to Turkey is only Mr Cameron’s fifth bilateral overseas visit since becoming Prime Minister, following trips to France, Germany, Afghanistan and last week’s visit to the US.

Listen to the speech

Speeches and transcripts: PM’s speech in Turkey

Speeches and transcripts: Press conference with Turkish PM

The Prime Ministers Office

Number 10
July 30, 2010
NHS accused of racism

The NHS has been accused of racism after figures showed applicants from ethnic minorities find it harder to get a job, are more likely to be bullied if they do and have more grievances taken out against them.

Figures from the South East Coast NHS, one of ten regions in England, found that although black and minority ethnic groups made up almost a third of applicants for jobs they only represented 16 per cent of appointees.

Rob Berkeley, deputy director of the Runnymede Trust, a racial equality think tank, told the Health Service Journal: “The patterns are broad enough to suggest it’s about institutional racism. The NHS has been slower to address it.”

The data show three per cent of the 193 executive directors were black and ethnic minority in origin along with only 2.5 per cent of non-executive directors.

Candy Morris, chief executive of NHS South East Coast, said: “We recognise that we need to do more to address the needs of black and minority ethnic patients and members of the public as well as provide greater leadership opportunities for black and minority ethnic staff members.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health said The Race Equality Service Review had shown there were still areas of concern.

The Telegraph

July 28, 2010
Cameron Throws Down Gauntlet To France, Germany With Backing For Turkey EU Bid

British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on July 26

July 27, 2010

By Robert Tait

British Prime Minister David Cameron appears to have set himself on a collision course with France and Germany by expressing “anger” at moves blocking Turkey’s entry into the European Union and pledging to help “pave the road from Ankara to Brussels.”

Speaking in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Cameron said he “passionately” supported Turkey’s EU membership and said opponents were guilty of double standards because they were happy to accept its contributions to Europe’s defense as a member of NATO.

“When I think about what Turkey has done to defend Europe as a NATO ally and what Turkey is doing now in Afghanistan alongside European allies, it makes me angry that your progress towards EU membership can be frustrated in the way it has been,” he told a meeting of the Turkish chambers of commerce. “I believe it’s just wrong to say Turkey can guard the camp but not be allowed to sit inside the tent.”

Cameron called Turkey” a great NATO ally” that “shares our determination to fight terrorism in all its forms, whether from Al-Qaeda or from the PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party].”

While Cameron’s remarks — on his first official visit to Turkey — echoed the support of Britain’s previous Labour government for Turkish EU membership, they were striking in their vehemence. They also represented a direct challenge to France and Germany, both of which oppose the majority Muslim country’s entry even though it formally opened membership negotiations in 2005. Since then, the pace of Turkey’s application has floundered, with just 13 of 35 chapters of European law required for membership opened.

Doing De Gaulle Proud

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have tried to assuage Turkish aspirations by offering it “privileged partnership” status — a designation Turkey rejects.

Germany’s opposition was reiterated on July 27 by Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who was also visiting Turkey but said it was not “ready to join” the EU.

“If the question had to be decided today, Turkey would not be ready for membership and the EU would not be ready to absorb it,” Westerwelle told the German newspaper “Bild.” “But we have a big interest in Turkey turning in Europe’s direction. I want a Turkey that is on Europe’s side. Not just for economic reasons. The country can also provide very constructive help in resolving many conflicts.”

Sarkozy has justified his opposition to Turkish membership by citing cultural differences and saying it would pose a threat to the bloc’s political cohesion.

But Cameron brazenly ruffled French feathers by comparing Paris’s position to President Charles de Gaulle’s hostility to British membership in the 1960s.

“Do you know who said, ‘Here is a country which is not European. Its history, its geography, its economy, its agriculture and the character of its people — admirable people though they are — all point in a different direction. This is a country which cannot, despite what it claims and perhaps even believes, be a full member’?” Cameron asked. “It might sound like some Europeans describing Turkey, but it was actually General de Gaulle describing the UK before vetoing our EU accession. We know what it’s like to be shut out of the club. But we also know that these things can change.”

Useful Friend

He also attacked opponents of Turkish entry on the grounds of its Muslim population as being guilty of seeing “the history of the world through the prism of a clash of civilizations.” He added: “They think Turkey has to choose between East and West and that choosing both is not an option.”

Turkey’s growing economic power meant that the Europe could not turn its back on it, Cameron suggested.

“Which European country grew at 11 percent at the start of this year? Which European country will be the second-fastest-growing economy in the world by 2017? Which country in Europe has more young people than any of the 27 countries of the European Union? Which country in Europe is our No. 1 manufacturer of televisions and second only to China in the world in construction and in contracting?

“Tabii ki Turkiye,” he said, Turkish for “Turkey, of course.”

He also said Turkey was vital to resolving the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran claims is for peaceful purposes but which the West suspects is for bomb-making.

“Which European country could have the greatest chance of persuading Iran to change course on its nuclear policy?” Cameron asked. “Of course, it’s Turkey. It’s Turkey that can help us stop Iran from getting the bomb.”

Turkey, along with Brazil, reached an agreement with Iran in May to export 1,200 kilograms of low-enriched uranium in exchange for nuclear fuel for a medical reactor in Tehran. The agreement failed to prevent a fourth round of UN sanctions against Iran, together with further EU and U.S. embargoes. But Cameron said he hoped the deal could help “see Iran move in the right direction.”

Not So Simple

Cameron also urged Turkey to repair its tattered relations with Israel after the recent confrontation over a commando raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, resulting in the deaths of nine Turkish citizens.

“No other country has the same potential to build understanding between Israel and the Arab world,” Cameron said, acknowledging Turkey’s potential to act as a bridge between East and West. “I urge Turkey — and Israel — not to give up on that friendship.” But he also appeared to side with Turkish sentiments over Gaza, saying: The situation in Gaza has to change. Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.”

His comments appeared to reflect the belief of many Western policymakers that Turkey’s recent hostility toward Israel may have been partly fueled by its feelings of rejection by the EU and a resulting need to foster alternative alliances in the east, including with Iran.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have both suggested in recent remarks that the EU has driven Turkey away from the West. .”If they do not feel part of the European family, then obviously they’re going to look elsewhere for alliances and affiliations,” Obama told the Italian newspaper, “Corriere Della Sera,” this month.

However, Turkey’s EU critics complain that an internal domestic reform process needed for membership has slowed. They also cite Turkey’s failure to open its ports to goods from Cyprus, an EU member that Ankara refuses to recognize because of its division into Greek and Turkish sectors.

https://www.rferl.org/a/Cameron_Throws_Down_Gauntlet_To_France_And_Germany_With_Backing_For_Turkish_EU_Bid/2111086.html

July 27, 2010
Pink Floyd duo outshine Kate Moss at Palestine charity gig

It is not often that Kate Moss finds herself upstaged. But the supermodel’s enthusiastic turn on the tambourine was overshadowed by a rare reunion of Pink Floyd legendsDavid Gilmour and Roger Waters.

They took to the stage at the Hoping For Palestine charity gala, where guests bid at an auction throughout the night to raise money for Palestinian refugee children.

Held at Jemima Khan‘s country house Kiddington Hall at the weekend, the Pink Floyd duo performed To Know Him Is To Love Him, Wish You Were Here and Comfortably Numb. Financier Arpad Busson then bid £50,000 for them to play Another Brick In The Wall.

The evening began when Nick Cave and Jamie Hince sang Stagger Lee, with Moss and Cave’s wife Susie Bick on tambourines.

The evening was orchestrated by the Hoping Foundation’s trustees Bella Freud, Karma Nabulsi, James Fox and Sudhir Hazareesingh and raised £400,000. Guests included Guy Ritchie and new girlfriend Jacqui Ainsley, Fearne Cotton, Dougray Scott, Harry Potterdirector Alfonso Cuarón and Sheherazade Goldsmith.

This Is London

July 15, 2010