The two-day summit meeting of the heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization ended the previous day. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Putin, as well as the heads of state of India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan attended this meeting. In addition, while Iran, Mongolia and Belarus took part in the meeting as observers, the heads of state of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Armenia also attended the meetings as special guests.
There is no doubt that this meeting is very important and was held at a stage where there are very hot developments in the world. Let’s do a brief summary first.
The world has entered conditions of re-polarization and the Cold War. The most important development is China’s economic catch up with the USA. The USA has entered the phase of reckoning with China. The Russia-Ukraine war continues and Russia wants to be surrounded economically. NATO and EU countries are acting together in this regard. >> More In 5, NATO becomes a part of the fight against China. In such circumstances, it is very important that this meeting be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. While under the leadership of the USA, NATO and EU countries impose an embargo on Russia and the USA wants to encircle China, the coexistence and mutual conversations of the heads of state of China and Russia should be taken into account.
On the other hand, the importance of this organization in terms of population and economy is obvious. China, Russia, India and other participating states make up 40 percent of the world’s population. In addition, these countries are very important not only strategically but also for the world economy. Because they meet 30 percent of the global gross national income.
At this stage, it is in the national interests of Turkey, as a NATO member, to participate in such a meeting representing Eurasia and to become a member of this organization in the future. Claims such as “The countries participating in this organization are not governed by democracy, it is inconvenient for Turkey to take part in this organization” contradicts the developments in the world. It is also wrong to see the USA as a model of democracy. The USA cooperates with authoritarian states all over the world and maintains close relations with all kinds of model countries for its national interests.
Let’s not forget the question: Is NATO exporting democracy to the world? The two reactionary fascist coups (March 12, 1971 and September 12, 1980) and the July 15, 2016 espionage attempt that Turkey faced in its democratic life took place with the supervision and support of the United States. This situation, which is known by the whole world, should never be forgotten.
Turkey’s national interests depend on maintaining its relations with a broad perspective, without giving place to ideological obsessions that are of no use in foreign policy. Turkey has to fulfill the requirements of its national interests without compromising democracy, rule of law and freedoms, without turning its back on the realities of the world.