'Turkey has overrated itself'

During the MANSET program Deputy U.S. Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz spelled out everything Washington had been simmering about. Without beating about the bush he expressed, albeit in a friendly way, the accumulated disappointment and anger.

Wolfowitz speaks so frankly because he worked hard to further Turkish-American relations. In a way he reacted like a man who has been betrayed by his closest friend. When you read his words carefully you see that his words were realistic but not hurtful. That was, rather, a friendly warning.

Rather than having an angry reaction to his words we should see this as a frank expression of sentiments on the part of a good and close friend.

A similar mood prevails in the State Department Besides, this kind of reaction is not particular to Pentagon. Immediately after that I went to the State Department to have a talk with Mark Grossman, the most effective name in the department that is known as the stronghold of the moderates. Grossman is known as a friend of Turks.

He too knows Turkey well. Two "sensitive" persons who "love Turkey" are holding the two most effective positions in the USA and, strangely enough, Ankara has, due to its incompetence, contents itself with getting stern warnings under the name of "friendly criticism" when it could have obtained support from these people.

'We cannot act as if nothing happened' I had rushed to the State Department with the hope that, in the wake of Wolfowitz's shocking remarks, State Department officials might display a more "understanding" attitude to our relief.

The only difference was that Grossman used "softer" words. The message was the same. He offered us a hard nut coated in chocolate!

Using intricate language and skillful logic, he indicated, basically, that Wolfowitz's words should be taken seriously. He said, "We cannot act as if nothing happened." .

Significantly, he stressed that Turkey made a big mistake by embracing the idea, "The USA cannot do anything in Iraq without us."

While preparations were being made in Ankara to push through Parliament the U.S. troop deployment motion, many an influential people in Ankara had subscribed to that idea which had reportedly stemmed from the AK Party ideologues. At that time I came across many "empowered" and "influential" people who said, "Brother, let us bargain well. We can grab what we want. Without Turkey the USA cannot take a step in Northern Iraq." That idea prevailed in non-AK Party circles as well.

Soon it was seen how empty, how wrong, an idea that was. However, by then it was too late. The USA brought the war to an end without Turkey in so short a time as two-and-a-half weeks.

According to Grossman, the biggest mistake the USA made was that it failed to make a strong enough effort to persuade those who govern Turkey to drop that erroneous assumption.

Turkey must decide what it will do As we chatted after the interview was recorded, he pointed out that Turkey missed two big opportunities: By not accepting a solution in Cyprus it has wasted the chance to join the European Union with its 9,999 troops. Also, by rejecting the troop deployment motion it missed the chance to make its weight felt in Northern Iraq with a 10,000-strong military force and, naturally, missed the $24 billion loan.

Grossman too wants to look ahead rather than focusing on the past. He too stressed that the ball is in Ankara's court and that it will be the Turkish government's decision.

If Turkey wants to go back to the good old days with the USA, Turkey must stop fluctuating. It must adjust its policies to Washington's expectations. Do not engage in different quests. Have faith in us and walk with us. You would benefit from that. Otherwise, you would suffer a loss as you did in the Iraq case.

Good that these have been said Our country -- including the president, the Parliament speaker, some of our renowned writers and politicians -- continue to live in a dream. They still cannot see the realities of the world.

What we are faced with is an USA that has become a hyperpower and we are, out of ignorance, stepping on its toe.

We do that at a time that hyperpower is prepared to embrace Turkey, to make it fly up.

That is good. Now the ball is in Ankara's court. Rather than becoming unduly defensive, rather than overreacting, we too should engage in self-criticism. Let us -- the president, the Parliament speaker, the prime minister, the foreign minister -- speak out as well.

Turkey is no longer a trusted friend of the USA, and will pay a heavy price for it. Who can Turkey turn for support now in their time of need, which is coming very soon. Their economy is a mess. Obviously the germans, the french or the russians are not going to extend them any helping hand.

This has to be a horrible situation for those in Turkey that wish to move toward the West and away from the lunatic radical Islamists and the "old European whores".

Turkey was lured away from their long term friend - by the smiling whores in France and a greedy miscalulation of their "bargining position". Well, the world now knows the French for who they are --- and we can't help but to see Turkey in the same bed.....with the covers pulled up to their noses.

For Turkey to have doubted America's friendship and integrity -- was a massive mistake.

I have no idea of how that bridge can be rebuilt... It's really one of the worse outcomes of the Iraqi scenario.

I'm sure you'll remember, when I suggested that Turkey had really F'ed up ---- immediatly after the 4th I.D. was denied permission to offload onto Turkish soil... This is one of the times, I am sorry I was right..

Semper Fi

"If Turkey wants to go back to the good old days with the USA, Turkey must stop fluctuating...... Have faith in us and walk with us. You would benefit from that. "

What the author is saying is that the Turkish government must stop acting like a mesmerizing, enchanting, willful, capricious, coquettish, seductive, and altogether ditzy young woman.

What the USA did angered nations for different reasons. Beyond local reasons for not backing us (Turkey and the Kurds is one) is the natural age old tendency of nations to form against what they precieve as an emerging hegemon.

Fear of an emerging German hegemony in Europe brought natural enemies Britain, France, and Russia (just a generation past in the Crimean War France, Britain, Germany and Austria-Hungry were at war with Russia).

Fear of Nazi Germany kept the WW1 Western alliance intact and fear of the USSR turned the "Western" allies into NATO. With the Cold War over that fear of nation of an emerging hegemon is directed at America no matter how irrational it may seem to us Americans that these nations should have that fear.

Turkeys can fly. Not far and not agilely. But they fly.

I know that wild turkeys can fly enough to roost high in trees at night. However, Carlson and Co. would not have dropped wild turkeys. They were no doubt factory-farmed overbred turkeys, whose feathers may be clipped to keep them on the farm and under control.

I understand that they are bred and selected for more breast meat than nature intended. I have read that as a result, they must be artifically inseminated as they cannot manage the task the natural way, as they overbalance and fall over.

Of course, knowing the competence of the WKRP crew, Herb Tarlek probably got a deal on frozen turkeys.

Disclaimer: I am not a turkey farmer, nor do I play one on TV.

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