Ozal, who visited the United States in September 1990 was very well received by Bush. Bush gave 4 promises to Turkey one month before that in Exchange for supporting the operation against Iraq which invaded Kuwait. The first promise was to make a new agreement on textiles. The second was that it would support the membership of the EU whose name was the European Community in that period. The third was $530 million which was the scope of aid promised in 1991 to Turkey will not be interrruped and finally Turkey F-16 purchase and the army was in the form will be given the necessary support related to the modernization. With this Ozal, believed that he would be strong at the table to be established after the war with the discourse he described as “put one, take three”. Of course, nothing has happened as how Turkey expected.
In fact, it has entered the field of direct influence of all negativities that have developed in Iraq. In fact, the history has repeated in the period of this power. The AKP fell into the error which Ozal fell before in Syria. Bush, trapped Ozal was a republican and Obama convinced the AKP was a democrat. But the result didn’t change. Bush had four promises but Obama gave us promising bombing. The statements that “the prayers in the Umayah Mosque will be performed in 15 days” became the modern version of Ozal’s logic of “put one, take three”.
The meaning of Syria in regional sense and the fact that it is part of which accounts globally has never been discussed with good sense. All these missteps and reading highlighted the Turkey’s security concerns which have never been like that. Turkey who were the lifeblood of the NATO until the crumbling of Soviet Union became hump in NATO after the Soviet Union. Besides wrongs in Syria, Turkey who does not have adequate systems and air defense in terms of developments in the eastern Mediterranean started negotiations with Russia regarding S-400 and made correctly. Because America who refuses to give Patriots and even with the words of our Secretary of Defense “responding our request after 17 months” now threatens Turkey saying that you cannot receive S-400s. On the other hand, it is being said that the F-35s which were agreed before may not be able to received.
I am concerned that some points will be taken back in order to convince the US about the S-400s as of this point. I feel that –I hope that I will be wrong- they will be silent about the demands of America about the north of Syria and the situation of the PYD/YPG, and in the eastern Mediterranean from the perspective of Cyprus. Everyone should know that Turkey’s security cannot be bargaining and it should not be done. How important the S-400s are, the territorial integrity of Syria is that vital too. How the security of Turkey is a crucial point, the continuation of our presence in the Mediterranean also goes to the same door. Beside all these, I had said that Turkey should have “multiliteral democracy” and I would like to repeat it again. There is no need for any special effort to confront anyone. But we should not be in a position to obtain any ratification from anyone to ensure our security. Turkey should not fall into a wrong like “unilateral dependence” regardless of its interlocutors.
What we said is in fact, valid in all political approaches.