COURSE CORRECTION IN SPAIN

However, pre-election polls had shown the ruling Popular Party (PP) at least six points ahead of its rival. When PP leader and ousted Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar insisted that not al Qaeda, but Basque separatist group ETA was responsible for last week’s terrorist attacks, 10 million Spaniards cursed the terrorism on the streets and punished Aznar and his party with their angry votes.

We have to give al Qaeda grudging credit this time for skillfully choosing its terrifying attack. Spain was at the top of their target list due to Aznar’s close relationship with the US in its Afghanistan and Iraq policies. The attacks coincided with the elections, and so al Qaeda forced a course correction in Madrid. As Turkish Ambassador to Madrid Volkan Vural told me on the phone yesterday, al Qaeda hit Spain both in the heart and ballot box with its attacks. The effects of this will be felt in Europe and even in the US.

Zapatero and his party were firmly opposed to Spain’s support for the US concerning Iraq. Nor did they favor sending soldiers there or the European Union’s veering away from the French-German axis. So now Madrid is expected to orient its foreign policies in this new direction. After Zapatero’s election, he repeated his pledge to take the 1,300 Spanish troops out of Iraq.

Will Spain’s foreign policy changes affect its relations with Turkey? The ambassador doesn’t expect a change in Madrid’s policies towards Turkey. Spain is already on record as supporting Ankara’s EU bid. In light of his meetings with Zapatero and other socialist leaders, Vural thinks that this support will continue in the new era. It’s important for Turkey.”