India-Turkey relations in the 21st century

There was a close and regular mutual interaction between Indian rulers and the Ottoman Empire. The activism and ideology of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made a deep impression on the Indian freedom struggle. The people of India watched with great sympathy the efforts of the Turkish people in freeing their country from the grup of imperial power after the First World War.

Turkey’s extraordinary success in modernising a traditional and conservative society was obviously of consuming interest to a newly independent India, which had many similar problems. This led to growth of mutual interest in the life and culture of each other. Our two great civilizational nations, with no history of conflict or contradiction, were well placed to rapidly expand mutually beneficial ties.

However, the Cold War intevened, with its distorting equations. Indo-Turkish relations did not achieve their potential. There was a priod of a few decades in the last century, when the vibrancy of our contacts and the dynamism of our interaction were somewhat more subdued.

The process of rediscovery began again in the mid-eighties of the last century and, since then, we have progressed in a steady forward direction, although in a somewhat incremental fashion.

History is always an inspiration, but it is contemporary relevance, which sustains and strengthens international relationships in today’s globalized world. As post-Cold War India and Turkey look at each other across a vast Asian landmass, they see that the cultural affinities of the past have been reinforced by new political convergences and economic complementarities. It is these that I discussed today with Prime Minister Erdogan, as we attempted to chart out the blueprint of the India-Turkish partnership for the coming decades.

We have some obvious shared strengths and commonalities, which are valuable in today’s world:

Both our countries are secular in our philosphy and democratic in our institutions.
The will of our peoples is embodied in the supremacy of our parliaments.
Our populations are enlightened and forward-looking.
Both of us have free and vibrant media.
Our economies are growing at a fast rate.
These commonalities lead to many obvious convergences of interests and objectives. I will particularly emphasize six of them today.

First, terrorism, which is unquestionably the highest priority on the international agenda. I come here with fresh memoriies of brutal terrorist actions recently carried out in various parts of India. Both Turkey and India have been victims of terrorism well before 9/11. We have common perspectives on this issue. We agree that there can be no double standards in identifying or fighting terrorism. We do not accept the dangerous logic of ‘root causes’ as excuses for inaction against terrorism. Today, the world paces the real and frightening danger of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists. We agree that strong international cooperation is needed to tackle this problem. Turkey and India have collaborated with each other at international fora on combating terrorism. We can expand this cooperation and give it greater practical shape. For this purpose, we have set up a Joint Working Group on Terrorism, which will also forge closer cooperation between the security and law enforcement agencies of our two countries.

Second, as we look beyond terrorism, we recognize our common stake in the development of a just and equitable international order. We need to ensure that all countries play their ceserved role in the emergence of a cooperative multi-polar world order in which their interests and asprirations are given due consideration. Multilateral institutions have recently come under considerable criticism and strain. Many of them have become ineffective, while others have virtually been paralysed. Most importantly, the functioning of the United Nations and its various agencies has been less than optimal. India and Turkey can work together for the reform of these institutions, to make them more relevant and responsive to today’s world realities.

Third, as developing economies, India and Turkey have a natural interest in seeing a more equitable spread in the benefits from free trade in goods and services. With our large rural populations, we are particularly interested in removing distortions and inequities in the regime for exports of agricultural commodities. The failure of the Cancun WTO Ministerial Meeting summit illustrates that those who lecture us on immediate sacrifices for long-term gains are not willing to follow their own prescriptions. If developing countries are to hold out for a more open and non-discriminatory global trade regime, India and Turkey should coordinate their positions with other like-minded countries. We can also work together on other key global issues like the environment and sustainable development.

Fourth, economic development is crucial for our people. It is in this area that we need to devote maximum attention. Turkey has state-of-the-art expertise in infrastructure construction and development. India is undertaking several ambitious infrastructure development projects, including the biggest highway project in the world — the construction of 13,000 kilometres of four-lane roads across the length and breadth of our vast country. Clearly, cooperation. There are virtually an uncountable number of other such complementary strengths of our two economies, including power, telecom, tourism, health and education. We have to aggressively seek them out to be aware of them and to exploit them.

Fifth, both our countries have attached great importance to science & technology as important catalysts of their development process. Technology drives the knowledge economy, which is at the heart of the globalisation process. It also accelerates the transition from one stage of development to the next. India and turkey have global scientific traditions. It is natural that we should enhance our linkages in this area. India’s growing strengths in agriculture, Information technology, biotechnology, space sciences and civilian nuclear power are well recognized. Companies around the world are outsourcing their research to Indian laboratories and institutions. India is also emerging as a world-class centre for healthcare.

Collaboration in these areas can be a significant force multiplier for our economic cooperation. We have to pursue it with a sense of purpose.

Sixth, and certainly not the least, there is an important role, which India and Turkey can play in maintaining regional peace and stability. We do not share physical borders, but we do have a vast common extended meighbourhood — in Central Asia, western Asia and the Gulf. It is of even greater significance that, while our interests overlap in this area, nowhere do they clash. We are already building partnerships in the regions of mutual interest. Indian and Turkish companies are collaborating on the construction of an oil pipeline in Central Asia and in the prospecting for oil in north Africa.

We are in the process of building a more comprehensive dialogue architecture, which would enable regular exchanges of views and perspectives, and coordination of action on matters of mutual concern. One needs only to glance at a map of Asia to see that there are areas of common concern, developments of shared interest and projects of mutual advantage where India and Turkey could act together. Prime Minister Erdogan and I have decided that our foreign ministers will meet more regularly, and our other Ministers would also keep in touch. This would ensure that we remain aware at all times of the opportunities forcooperation in bilateral, regional or global subjects.

I have only outlined the promise, which the India-Turkish relationship holds out for our two peoples in this 21st century. It is a cractial vision, based on objective realities. As Turkey and India step forward together, it would be a cooperation of two civilizations, gaining from their ancient wisdom, building on their current strengths, and driven by their common objectives. Enhanced engagement between India and Turkey is in the aterests of regional and global peace and cooperation.

We have had such opportunities before for coming together more closely. In a fast moving world, opportunities do not linger. We should seize this moment and move swiftly to implement the decisions that have been taken during this visit of mine.

Addressing the task of Turkish nation-building over 70 years ago, Kemal Ataturk urged that action should be taken, not according to the lax mentality of past centuries, but as per the speed and movement of the current century. That exhortation seems just as valid in the context of India-Turkey cooperation.