India – Turkey Relations Part - II

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Why in news

On May 1 2017 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited India, this is expected to open a wide opportunities in bilateral relations.

What is the ideology of turkey so far?

• Turkey’s position on Kashmir has traditionally reflected its proximity to Pakistan.
• Turkey and Pakistan are part of the Uniting for Consensus group which opposes the idea of adding new permanent members proposing instead a doubling of the non-permanent category to make the UNSC more representative.
• More recently, on India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Turkey supported the Chinese idea of a criteria-based approach for non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) member states, intended to accommodate Pakistan.
• Turkey appeared a moderate and progressive Islamic state, and prospects for EU membership were bright.
• Turkey is keen to join in the assault on the IS and ready to be global partner to fight against extremism.

What are the problems in Turkey?

• Turkey had a booming economy, Mr. Erdogan had clipped the wings of the army.
• It is estimated that about 120,000 government employees have been suspended or dismissed, primarily from the judiciary and the education branches by the present government for involving in a coup.
• In addition, 7,500 soldiers and officers including over a hundred with the rank of a brigadier and above, and over 10,000 police cadres have been sacked.
• More than a dozen colleges and universities and a thousand schools are closed; licences of 24 radio and TV channels have been revoked and over a hundred journalists have been arrested.
• The present government with a slim majority passed, 18 amendments to transform Turkey into a highly centralised presidential government.

What are the similarities between turkey and India?

• Both country’s ruling parties are associated with religious organisations, had overturned long standing ‘secular-nationalist elites’.
• India and Turkey as two of the world’s largest multi-ethnic and multi-religious democracies.
• The leaders of both the country has ideas on reviving national pride and restoring greatness, harnessing militant nationalism, impatience with criticism and civil society, and their personal charismatic appeal.
• Both sides sought to emphasise the potential for greater economic cooperation.

What is the way forward?

• It is important to India to use this cost positively since India with 1.3 billion people needed to have its place in the UNSC.
• This visit is an ambitious agenda, even for a highly committed and driven leader like Mr. Erdogan and will keep him busy for the next two years.
• Opening a new page in India-Turkey relations clearly needs to wait for better times.

Source: The Hindu