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30.08.2010

ON TURKISH-AZERBAIJANI ACTIVATION IN THE US ANALYTICAL STRUCTURES

   

Haykaram Nahapetyan

Haykaram Nahapetyan - The correspondent of the Armenian Public Television in the US.

A significant role in elaboration of the state policy of the United States, shaping of the analytical and information fields is allotted to the analytical organizations – think tanks.

The following analytical structures work in Washington: Carnegie endowment foundation, Brookings institute, Heritage foundation, John Hopkins university-SAIS, CSIS-Center for Strategic and International studies, Woodrow Wilson Center, Council of Foreign Relations, Atlantic Council and etc. There are many other analytical organizations in other states too. Meanwhile, as a rule, different American administrations affiliate different think tanks, in particular, over the period of George Bush Jr.’s presidency “Heritage” Foundation, which is known as an analytical structure close to the US neo-conservatives or neocons, had close ties with the American political leadership. At present the analytical and propaganda elaborations of “Heritage” Foundation are of oppositional character, which criticize the current administration for its foreign policy and reforms in health sphere.

Brookings institute is the closest institution to the incumbent democrat administration and is known as analytical structure which works side by side with the Democratic party.

In Turkey and in the recent period in Azerbaijan too, they gradually realize more distinctly the significance of think tanks in the political culture of the US. From year to year, it would not be an exaggeration to say that over the recent period even from month to month, the countries mentioned take more distinct steps to secure their presence in Washington analytical structures and become more active in that direction.

Those countries, particularly Turkey, carry out its activity with think tanks in Washington in two ways: a) according to the agreements with the American think tanks the analysts of Turkish descent get a job in those institutions. Thus, the employees of Turkish descent have an opportunity to use the name, “brand” of the American institution, and at the same time to retain relatively independent status in their analytical work, thus working within the interests of the Turkish party. The analysts of Turkish descent working in the analytical institutions in the capital of the US are:

CSIS – Bulent Alirza, Nesilhan Kaptanoglu, Seda Ciftci.

There is also a separate analytical group in CSIS which works in the Turkish direction and includes, besides the aforementioned persons, two analysts of non-Turkish descent. On CSIS web site researches connected with Turkey are presented in a special separate section which is called “Turkey Project” (http://csis.org/program/turkey-project).

Brookings institute. The works are managed by Omer Taspinar, and from Turkey he is assisted by Hakan Altinay.

On “Brookings” web site Turkey is also represented in a separate section (http://www.brookings.edu/topics/turkey.aspx). According to the data published on April 19, 2009, “Brookings” Institute received $410 thousand from Turkey as financial “aid”. From Turkey money was allotted to “Brookings” by: “Eksiogullari Group” building company – twice, $75 thousand each time (05.03.2007 և 29.09.2007), “Hedef Alliance Holding” pharmaceutical company – $30 thousand 17.01.2007, “Nurol” military-industrial company – $30 thousand (06.02.2008) and the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) – once $50 thousand and 6 times $25 thousand (correspondingly on 06.02.2009, 27.02.2009, 08.07.2009, 22.04.2008, 05.10.2007, 08.06.2007, 08.03.2007).

It should also be mentioned that there is information about the think tanks working in the US on the web-site of the Turkish embassy in the US (http://turkey.usembassy.gov/think_tanks_in_the_u.s).

At the same time, over the recent period, the tendency of activation of the Turkish think tanks in Washington is observed. Among main causes of that the followings are mentioned:

a). There are powers in the Turkish communities which are not under the control of the Turkish government. In particular, the public and lobbying groups (advocacies) which support the secular and military wings in Turkey have been formed in the West, as well as some cells close to Sufism – “nurcular”, which adhere to the exiled Ferhulah Gulen. Thus, Turkish government may face difficulties in arranging lobby abroad and, at the same time, it has a necessity in strengthening its presence in the communities abroad.

b). Some tensions which are observed in the Turkish-US and particularly Turkish-Israeli relations cause danger that the tactics of forwarding Turkish positions through the American think tanks have lost its viability at some extent. The Jewish lobby has considerable influence in think tanks, the number of the experts of Jewish descent working there is also considerable and most of them are specialized in the Turkish direction and have already criticized Turkey (Ariel Cohen, Henry Berky and others).

Thus, the necessity to establish their institutions in Washington is coming forward.

First of all it refers to SETA DC institution (http://www.setadc.org). It has been working since the beginning of 2009 on Washington central Connecticut Ave. SETA DC is a branch of SETA (Siyasi, Ekononomik, Toplum Araştırmaları Vakfı) analytical institution working in Ankara since 2006. In “Wikipedia” it is described as pro-governmental (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_think_tanks). It is remarkable that the founder and the first director of SETA Ibrahim Kalin has been the adviser of prime-minister Erdogan on the foreign policy issues since the spring 2009 and at the same time he continues to work in SETA as analytic (http://www.setadc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=9&Itemid=99).

This and many other facts come to prove that SETA DC was established in Washington in accordance with the government’s state programme. The head of the American branch is Nuh Yilmaz. The institution holds panel discussions, meetings, spreads in the US “Insight Turkey” analytical journal in English which is published by SETA in Ankara. In particular on May 7 “Multiculturalism under The JDP Government”, on April 30 “The Alevi Opening and the Democratization Initiative in Turkey”, on February 17 “Model Partnership: Creative Approaches to US-Turkey Relations” conferences were held. Judging by the headlines it becomes clear that one of the goals of the institution is the PR of the current Turkish leadership.

At present Azerbaijan also follows the example of the “big brother”. On April 28, 2010 it came out that Washington Centre for Azerbaijani Studies was set up. On April 27 it held its first arrangement: “Geopolitics of Caspian Energy: Perspectives and Challenges” conference was arranged at the Elliott School of International Affairs. The issue of Azerbaijani think tank establishment was covered in the Armenian mass media; separate publication devoted to it was presented by “Noravank” Foundation.

Thus, it is obvious, that Turkey and Azerbaijan show more and more interest in extending their activity within the framework of the US think tanks which are placed in the capital, spreading its influence on the American political and expert thought through such mechanisms and directing it in a way which promotes their interests. One of the aims is, undoubtedly, opposing to the Armenian lobbying organizations. It is beyond dispute that the actions of particularly Azerbaijani party will be of active anti-Armenian character. Taking into consideration the fact that the activity of the Armenian Diaspora generally does not cover the sphere of the analytical institutions, taking some steps in this direction seems reasonable. It is also important to mention that according to the US law, the foreign think tanks can take over the lobbying activity.


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