Turkey's success in last decade impressed Arab world

LONDON (A.A) - November 8, 2011 - Turkish President Abdullah Gul said, "Turkey's success, especially during the last decade, has impressed the Arab world," in an interview with British Financial Times (FT) newspaper. Gul, in his interview with Daniel Dombey in FT, warned Syria not to use PKK terrorist organization against Turkey, stressed the growing role of Turkey in world stage and told relations with the U.S. had never been healthier. Dombey defined the interview as "it is a tour d'horizon that highlights not just Turkey's diplomatic activism in the Middle East and beyond, but also a new closeness between Washington and Ankara – a shift ushered in by the two countries' reaction to this year's Arab uprising and a big contrast to last year, when tensions ran high." "Mr. Gul's measured manner sometimes contrasts with the more forceful approach of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But both men emphasise Turkey's growing role in a region in flux," wrote Dombey. Quoting Gul as saying "Turkey's success, especially during the last decade, has impressed the Arab world," Dombey wrote that Gul stressed that his nation's status as a secular, democratic, free-market Muslim majority country, and for that reason they are following Turkey closely and for that reason Turkey has indirect influence. Dombey wrote, "Mr. Gul notes that Syria has previously hosted members of PKK terrorist organization, and urges it not do so again." "I would strongly suggest and would expect that they would not get into such a dangerous game. Even though I do not think they would do that, we are still closely following the matter," Dombey quoted Gul. Regarding Turkey's EU membership process, Dombey quoted Gul as "right at the moment we are doing much better than most of the EU countries in terms of the Maastricht criteria," referring to Turkey's low budget deficit and government debt. Noting that when it comes to Washington, rather than Brussels, Gul's words seem warmer, Dombey quoted Gul as saying "the period we are going through is the healthiest relations that we ever had with the U.S." "This year, Washington has welcomed Turkey's decision to host a missile defence radar base most NATO countries say is intended to counter a threat from Iran – even though Mr. Gul says the system does not single out Tehran," wrote Dombey. He quoted Gul as "no one single country should be pointed out as an enemy. Rather this is a system against missiles." Regarding Turkish-Israeli tension, Dombet wrote, "some top U.S. officials are more inclined to blame that on Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, than on Turkey's leadership."