MEDIA REVIEW from Tukish Today's Zaman
By Muharrem Eksi
As of 2010, three major actors in Asia have taken over the term presidencies of three strategically important international and regional organizations.
This has given these three major actors in Asia the opportunity to cooperate with each other in 2010. While Turkey took over the term presidency of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Kazakhstan took over the term presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Russia became the term president of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). There is a strong probability that cooperation developed by these three strategic actors will deeply impact Asian policy.
International organizations started playing an important role in the development of international relations after the 1990s. Among these intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), which have the critical function of developing cooperation in international policy and international relations and of harmonizing the interests of different states, the CICA, the OSCE and the CIS have great potential to develop cooperation in the fields of political security, economic trade and culture in Asia.
The development of cooperation, especially in these three areas, will not only reflect on the regional but also on the global arena and contribute to world peace. In this respect, international organizations function as significant platforms to achieve bilateral and multilateral regional integration between states. It is for this reason that Asia is offering these three actors and organizations opportunities to develop their cooperation and solve existing problems.
Turkey, Russia and Kazakhstan will have vital responsibilities to fulfill as they take over the term presidencies of these three organizations. The development of cooperation, which is expected from all three countries because they are countries that have been gaining power and prestige on the regional and international level since the 2000s, will depend upon their abilities and regional and global dynamics and parameters.
The CICA was established upon the initiative of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1992, but it only recently concluded its institutionalization process. Until now, Kazakhstan had always assumed the term presidency in order to complete the institutionalization process. Therefore, the CICA’s existence today is in a sense linked to Kazakhstan and specifically to Nazarbayev.
The importance and the potential of the organization rests with its member states (CICA member countries: China, Russia, India, South Korea, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Thailand, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Palestine and Uzbekistan. Observer countries: the US, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar, Vietnam, Ukraine and the United Nations, the OSCE and the Arab League). Most importantly, the CICA, which includes regional powers and global actors such as China, Russia, India, South Korea, Pakistan, Iran, Israel and Turkey, is not just a regional organization, but an organization with a global dimension.
The CICA’s main duty is to ensure regional security and stability in Asia. However, the organization has not been able to increase its impact and functions yet because it has only recently completed its institutionalization process. Nazarbayev asked Turkey to assume the term presidency of the CICA so it can increase the organization’s activities and functions. Turkey’s status as a temporary member of the UN Security Council, its increased activity in international and regional organizations since 2003 and its potential to become a global actor played a role in this request.
Turkey and CICA
For Turkey, becoming the term president of the CICA means many different things. Primarily, it means giving Turkey, which has shifted to a multidimensional foreign policy for the first time since the 1980s, an opportunity to focus on Asia as well as the Middle East and the Caucasus with foreign policy architect Ahmet Davutoğlu. Furthermore, Turkey has applied for observer status in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is virtually the European Union of Asia, taking its first serious and concrete step to delve into Asia in depth.
Between 2003 and 2010, Turkey observed a foreign policy based upon the economy and trade in its Asia policy and implemented a strategy focused on improving bilateral trade relations with regional countries. The 30 percent average increase in the bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Asian countries between 2003 and 2009 is proof that trade relations improved.
As of 2010, trade relations will start to have an impact on the areas of politics and security as well. In this way, as the CICA term president, Turkey’s ability to affect its Asia policy and dynamics and pave the way for integration by becoming more engaged with institutions in Asia will improve.
No only will Turkey be able to increase its activity and profile in Asia, but it will also be able to consolidate its position as a global actor on the international stage. To put it concisely, the term presidency of the CICA offers Turkey a wide scope for movement. What is left is for Turkey to benefit from this as much as it can. In the final analysis, assuming the term presidency of this Asian security organization will test Turkey’s image as a country that promotes security in its environment and region within the scope of the policy it has been implementing since 2003.
Kazakhstan and OSCE
As for Kazakhstan, a country considered to be the shining/rising star of Central Asia, its active participation in regional organizations in Asia, along with its possession of energy resources and a balanced, multidimensional foreign and energy policy, is consolidating its position on the international stage day-to-day. At the Summit of OSCE Foreign Ministers in 2007, Kazakhstan was chosen to be the OSCE’s term president in 2010.
By taking over the presidency, Kazakhstan has opened the way to a critical period in terms of the country’s future. Kazakhstan is the first country from Central Asia, the former Soviet countries and the CIS to take over the term presidency of a major organization such as the OSCE, which is essentially a European institution with 54 member states (founded by the signing of the Helsinki Final Act in 1975).
*Muharrem Ekşi is a doctoral candidate in the international relations department at Ankara University. He is an expert on foreign relations and the Turkish Parliament.
As of 2010, three major actors in Asia have taken over the term presidencies of three strategically important international and regional organizations.
This has given these three major actors in Asia the opportunity to cooperate with each other in 2010. While Turkey took over the term presidency of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Kazakhstan took over the term presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Russia became the term president of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). There is a strong probability that cooperation developed by these three strategic actors will deeply impact Asian policy.
International organizations started playing an important role in the development of international relations after the 1990s. Among these intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), which have the critical function of developing cooperation in international policy and international relations and of harmonizing the interests of different states, the CICA, the OSCE and the CIS have great potential to develop cooperation in the fields of political security, economic trade and culture in Asia.
The development of cooperation, especially in these three areas, will not only reflect on the regional but also on the global arena and contribute to world peace. In this respect, international organizations function as significant platforms to achieve bilateral and multilateral regional integration between states. It is for this reason that Asia is offering these three actors and organizations opportunities to develop their cooperation and solve existing problems.
Turkey, Russia and Kazakhstan will have vital responsibilities to fulfill as they take over the term presidencies of these three organizations. The development of cooperation, which is expected from all three countries because they are countries that have been gaining power and prestige on the regional and international level since the 2000s, will depend upon their abilities and regional and global dynamics and parameters.
The CICA was established upon the initiative of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1992, but it only recently concluded its institutionalization process. Until now, Kazakhstan had always assumed the term presidency in order to complete the institutionalization process. Therefore, the CICA’s existence today is in a sense linked to Kazakhstan and specifically to Nazarbayev.
The importance and the potential of the organization rests with its member states (CICA member countries: China, Russia, India, South Korea, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Thailand, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Palestine and Uzbekistan. Observer countries: the US, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar, Vietnam, Ukraine and the United Nations, the OSCE and the Arab League). Most importantly, the CICA, which includes regional powers and global actors such as China, Russia, India, South Korea, Pakistan, Iran, Israel and Turkey, is not just a regional organization, but an organization with a global dimension.
The CICA’s main duty is to ensure regional security and stability in Asia. However, the organization has not been able to increase its impact and functions yet because it has only recently completed its institutionalization process. Nazarbayev asked Turkey to assume the term presidency of the CICA so it can increase the organization’s activities and functions. Turkey’s status as a temporary member of the UN Security Council, its increased activity in international and regional organizations since 2003 and its potential to become a global actor played a role in this request.
Turkey and CICA
For Turkey, becoming the term president of the CICA means many different things. Primarily, it means giving Turkey, which has shifted to a multidimensional foreign policy for the first time since the 1980s, an opportunity to focus on Asia as well as the Middle East and the Caucasus with foreign policy architect Ahmet Davutoğlu. Furthermore, Turkey has applied for observer status in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is virtually the European Union of Asia, taking its first serious and concrete step to delve into Asia in depth.
Between 2003 and 2010, Turkey observed a foreign policy based upon the economy and trade in its Asia policy and implemented a strategy focused on improving bilateral trade relations with regional countries. The 30 percent average increase in the bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Asian countries between 2003 and 2009 is proof that trade relations improved.
As of 2010, trade relations will start to have an impact on the areas of politics and security as well. In this way, as the CICA term president, Turkey’s ability to affect its Asia policy and dynamics and pave the way for integration by becoming more engaged with institutions in Asia will improve.
No only will Turkey be able to increase its activity and profile in Asia, but it will also be able to consolidate its position as a global actor on the international stage. To put it concisely, the term presidency of the CICA offers Turkey a wide scope for movement. What is left is for Turkey to benefit from this as much as it can. In the final analysis, assuming the term presidency of this Asian security organization will test Turkey’s image as a country that promotes security in its environment and region within the scope of the policy it has been implementing since 2003.
Kazakhstan and OSCE
As for Kazakhstan, a country considered to be the shining/rising star of Central Asia, its active participation in regional organizations in Asia, along with its possession of energy resources and a balanced, multidimensional foreign and energy policy, is consolidating its position on the international stage day-to-day. At the Summit of OSCE Foreign Ministers in 2007, Kazakhstan was chosen to be the OSCE’s term president in 2010.
By taking over the presidency, Kazakhstan has opened the way to a critical period in terms of the country’s future. Kazakhstan is the first country from Central Asia, the former Soviet countries and the CIS to take over the term presidency of a major organization such as the OSCE, which is essentially a European institution with 54 member states (founded by the signing of the Helsinki Final Act in 1975).
*Muharrem Ekşi is a doctoral candidate in the international relations department at Ankara University. He is an expert on foreign relations and the Turkish Parliament.
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