Turkey looks to shore up ties with Islamic neighbors

Turkey’s government this month held high level talks with both Syria and Iran, countries that the US has accused of terrorism. On Saturday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan headed to Saudi Arabia for an economic forum with regional leaders and later in the month he will meet US President George W. Bush in Washington.

The diplomatic traffic comes as Turkey tries to mobilize countries in the region to oppose Iraqi Kurds’ plans for a federation that would include a self-governing Kurdish zone in the north. Many countries in the region fear that could lead to Iraqi Kurdish independence and destabilize the region.

"We have said that a federation based on ethnic lines wouldn’t be right," Erdogan told reporters Saturday before departing for Saudi Arabia. "We share this concern with neighboring countries."

Analysts say Turkey’s warming ties with the Middle East could bring the country closer to Washington, where US officials, including Bush, have spoken of Turkey as a model of a secular democracy in the region.

"Iraq is becoming a unifying factor in the region," said columnist Somi Kohen of the daily Milliyet. "Turkish diplomacy is trying to mobilize public opinion in the region now. This gives Turkey the opportunity to play the role of a regional power."

Many countries in the region have long been suspicious of Turkey because of its close ties with the US and Israel. The Islamic-rooted governing party is aggressively promoting Turkey’s bid to join the EU, but apparently wants to keep its options open if the EU snubs Turkey at a crucial summit at the end of the year.

Turkey’s regional ties have been boosted ever since parliament refused last March to allow US troops in the country ahead of the Iraq invasion. The March decision upset relations with Washington but was hailed by many countries in the region, where — like in Turkey — there was strong opposition to the war.

"Regional countries perceived what Turkey did as standing up to the US," said Soner Cagaptay, an analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

But now Turkey’s government is eager to restore relations with the US as it seeks influence in Iraq, particularly as Iraqi Kurds push for greater self-rule. Turkey fears a repeat of fighting with Kurdish rebels who fought for autonomy in southeastern Turkey.

In an effort to improve relations with Washington, Turkey agreed after the war to open its air bases to the US-led coalition for logistical support. It even offered to send peacekeepers to Iraq, an offer that was shelved because of strong Iraqi opposition to the deployment.

Turkey will allow more than 100,000 US troops to pass through a southern air base in the coming months in a major rotation of US troops — a move unforeseeable last March.