Published on November 11, 2005
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is in Turkey today to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit, which is of importance in many respects and more than many observers may think, comes at a time when Thailand’s restive South is ridden by violence and insurgency. As a secular and Muslim country, Turkey can provide Thaksin with some useful advice in his dealing with the Muslim South. There is a lot Thailand can learn from Turkey, and the Turkish model with respect to what is going on in its South. The countries have much in common.
1) Both countries are seeking new openings in their foreign policies and efforts to open up to new territories to increase their economic, diplomatic and trade ties, and pursue a multi-dimensional foreign policy in and outside their regions.
2) Thailand and Turkey have geographical and geopolitical similarities. Their populations are roughly of similar size (Thailand: 65 million; Turkey: 70 million), Both have borders with several neighbouring countries (Thailand: four; Turkey: eight). Each is close to one of the two giant countries of Eurasia – Thailand is near China and Turkey is near Russia. 3) Both the Thaksin and Erdogan governments are pursuing a diplomatic policy of constructive engagement as far as Bangkok and Ankara’s relations with troubled neighbours. For example, Thailand’s policy with Burma, and Turkey’s relations with Syria. Another common element of their respective foreign policies is strict adherence to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries. This is so despite international pressure and condemnation of activities in Burma and Syria. 4) Thailand and Turkey are actively involved in regional groupings in their areas – Asean, in the Thai case, and the Economic Cooperation Organisation and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, in the Turkish case. Thailand also takes part in multinational naval operations in the Malacca Strait, while Turkey participates in similar exercises with its neighbours in the Black Sea. 5) Both countries were empires and then experienced loss of territory to neighbours, the aftermath of which has led to lasting troubles in relations with people in their respective regions. However, the similarities are not limited to foreign policy principles. There are quite striking similarities in both countries’ domestic political arenas. 1) The militaries of Thailand and Turkey have played important roles in shaping the political systems of their respective countries. 2) Thaksin came to power in 2001 and Erdogan came to power in 2002. They both are charismatic leaders and won similar numbers of seats in their respective 500-seat parliaments (Thaksin: 377; Erdogan 357). The emergence of Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai has transformed politics in Thailand. A similar phenomenon has taken place in Turkey under Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party. Both upstart parties defeated the old guard. 3) Both countries emerged relatively unscathed from a major financial crises – in Thailand it was the 1997 Southeast Asian crisis, in Turkey, the 2000-01 financial crisis. The IMF stepped in to help out in both cases. 4) Both Thailand and Turkey have been dealing with bird-flu outbreaks. Turkey has largely overcome it, but new cases in Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia still pose a danger. This is a subject that the PMs are expected to discuss in their meeting. Erdogan also visited tsunami-hit regions of Thailand early this year. 5) Most importantly, both PMs are dealing with separatist insurgencies. The problems in Thailand’s South are similar to those in southeastern Turkey. There is much room for the two prime ministers to engage in extensive, cooperative dialogue. The insurgencies are a result of dissatisfaction in regard to various domestic problems, and are simply a problem of ethnicity or religion. The problems in Kurdish areas of Turkey and those in southern Thailand have economic and social origins. When this correct diagnosis is realised, proper prognosis can follow. However, what is at stake is the internationalising of these issues. The Thai government still has the time and room to prevent this if it acts quickly. The Turkish government is well placed to offer advice on this as it has learned from its mistakes when it acted too late and was unable to prevent internationalising the Kurdish issue. Now Turkey approaches the issue through a more methodical and mature approach that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Its aspiration to join the European Union, among other objectives, does have a role in this change of policy, which has started yielding its results positively, successfully marginalising violence and terror, and pulling the grassroots support away from under the feet of terrorists. Thailand would do well to follow this model. The Turkish model can also serve as an example for the population in the South, helping raise a generation which can be Muslim, yet equipped with secular values and ready to integrate with the rest of Thailand without feeling exclusion. Responding to violence with violence and stricter controls and suppression are clearly not remedies. The latest disturbances in France – a much more powerful and stronger state – illustrates this fact very vividly. If it is addressed head-on, this issue has the potential to make the Thaksin-Erdogan meeting very productive indeed. Mevlut Katik Special to The Nation London Mevlut Katik is a London-based Turkish journalist and analyst.
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