‘We anticipated more,’ Turks say of Greek PM

Karamanlis seen as hostage to political dynamics, party pressure

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis (standing) and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Evros last year.

By Barcin Yinanc - Turkish Daily News

ISTANBUL – Turkish diplomats do not hide Ankara’s disappointment with Premier Costas Karamanlis’s first term as Greece’s prime minister. Their disappointment might stem from the courageous steps taken by the preceding left-leaning PASOK government. It was during the government led by Costas Simitis that the rapprochement between the longtime regional foes began. George Papandreou, the foreign minister in Simitis’s cabinet who succeeded Simitis as PASOK leader, had always appeared to the Turkish side as more spirited as far as improving relations between Turkey and Greece were concerned.

“Papandreou still today is bold enough to stand up to heavy criticism on relations with Turkey. All the political parties used the pictures of him taken in Ataturk’s mausoleum against him, even during the last elections in the fall,” said a Turkish diplomat to the Turkish Daily News. “Karamanlis did not put his heart into Turkish-Greek rapprochement during his first tenure,” he added.

The Turkish side believes there has not been any new initiative or constructive approach on the part of the Greeks as far as the political dimension of bilateral ties is concerned.

Longstanding differences in the Aegean Sea have led the two NATO allies to the brink of war three times in the last decade. Bureaucrats from the two countries meet periodically to attempt to solve the problems but no progress has been made.

According to Turkish officials, Karamanlis has been held hostage to inner political dynamics and party pressure. “Karamanlis did not meet our expectations during his first tenure. Though knowing the Greek conservatives’ stance on Turkey, we had kept our expectations quite low. But he could have at least paid an official visit to Turkey during his first tenure,” said a Turkish official, familiar with Turkish-Greek relations.

Karamanlis did come to Turkey twice during his first tenure, first for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son’s wedding, and the second to participate in the summit of the Black Sea Economic Organization.

For the Greek public, an official visit to Ankara requires a breakthrough in the frozen problems often based on a unilateral “gesture,” from the Turkish side. From the perspective of the Greek side, an official visit is unnecessary, unless it will end in some substantial, concrete results. Karamanlis’s official visit to Ankara is not, however, expected to yield any concrete result. But he will acquire the title of becoming the first Greek prime minister to pay an official visit to Turkey after his uncle’s visit 48 years ago. “The visit’s symbolism seems to carry more importance than the substance,” said Professor Attilla Eralp, director at the Center for European Studies. “We do not have high expectations of the visit,” said an official from the Foreign Ministry. “We do not think that the political process will gain new momentum.”

The Turkish side is extremely satisfied with the point reached in economic relations. “We have an absolute success story on the economic dimension. It is proceeding in its own dynamic,” said the same official. Actually, throughout the years until the ice was broken between the two countries eight years ago, Turkey sought to improve relations with Greece on all levels, despite complex problems on the political issues. “Let’s not let political problems hamper relations at other levels,” was the Turkish position, whereas Greece refused to endorse the “business as usual” approach while the political atmosphere remained poisoned by political problems. But nowadays, it seems it is Greece’s turn to say “business as usual.” The Greek side is happy to see improvement in economic ties. “On the political front, Greeks do not want to move. They want a solution to the Aegean issues within the context of the EU,” said a Turkish diplomat. Greece made a strategic decision and stopped blocking the Turkish EU bid a decade ago. Greece realized that Turkey will be less harmful to its interests if it is anchored to the EU.

The Turkish side, on the other hand, always thought that an improvement in the general atmosphere will facilitate the solution of political problems. But the spillover effect has been late in coming. “The strategy of separating political problems from other aspects of relations has proved successful thus far. But now it’s time to move forward on the political front. Otherwise, progress in relations in general will slow down; we will witness a stagnation in relations,” said Eralp.

A statement by Karamanlis that Greece will expend every effort for the improvement of relations and that the Cyprus issue will also be on the agenda, was received with caution in Turkey, as the Turkish side is suspicious as to what degree Karamanlis will reflect his rhetoric in concrete steps. To date, Greece has avoided talking to Ankara on the divided Mediterranean island, arguing that it is an issue between Turkey and the Greek-Cypriot administration.

“We are not that hopeful that the Greek side will change its attitude of playing for time. As Turkish accession to the EU proceeds, they believe we will be more compromising on bilateral problems and the Cyprus issue as well,” said a Turkish diplomat.

Officials this side of the Aegean do not have dramatic expectations from Karamanlis’s three-day trip. In the eyes of the Turkish side, Karamanlis’s visit is meaningful, since it will mean the crossing of a psychological barrier. “Let’s not forget that the Greek side still has some dogmatic approach to Turkey. The Greek speaker of parliament won’t visit Turkey, and they don’t even have a Turkish-Greek parliamentary friendship group, as a reaction to the Turkish Parliament’s decision that the extension of territorial waters to 12 miles will constitute casus belli,” said a Turkish diplomat.

Barcin Yinanc is the managing editor of the Turkish Daily News.