Turkey seeks to empower the Organisation of the Islamic Conference while shifting its foreign policy away from Israel towards a rapprochement with Arab states. Gareth Jenkins reports from Istanbul Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has emphasised the "growing interest" Turkey has in "revitalising" the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). He added that Turkey, host of the three-day OIC summit that began on Monday, was optimistic that its candidate, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, a 59-year- old teacher, would be elected OIC secretary-general when Abdul-Wahed Belkeziz steps down at the end of the Istanbul summit. The importance that Turkey is now attaching to the OIC reflects a gradual but discernible shift in its Middle East policy. For many years the Arab world has been suspicious of Turkey's strong ties with Israel, exacerbated by bitter memories of the massacres that accompanied the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But since it came to power in November 2002, the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (JDP) has neglected Turkey's traditional ties with Israel while edging closer to other Muslim countries in the region. Privately, JDP officials have long been scathingly critical of Israel's policies in the Palestinian occupied territories, although they have been reluctant to voice their opinions publicly, not least for fear of antagonising the United States. However, after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan bluntly condemned Israel's policy of violence against the Palestinians, Turkey last week withdrew both its ambassador and consul-general from Israel for "consultations". Although both are expected to return to Israel, in private Turkish officials candidly admit that the withdrawals were meant to send a signal to the government of Ariel Sharon that its policies were unacceptable. Last week Turkey took another step towards strengthening its ties both with the region and with the European Union by finally releasing four Kurdish politicians -- including Nobel Peace Prize nominee Leyla Zana -- after 10 years in prison for alleged links to the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The release coincided with Turkish state television launching broadcasts in minority languages, including Kurdish and Arabic. Although the broadcasts comprised only a few minutes of anodyne state propaganda, they nevertheless represented the breaking of one more taboo. "In themselves all of these things are relatively minor steps," said a Turkish official. "But they are still signs that the wind is beginning to blow in another direction." This gradual shift in Turkish foreign policy comes at a key moment for the region, most especially with the upcoming transfer of power to the transitional government in neighbouring Iraq. Foreign ministers representing their governments at the OIC summit offered a boost to Iraq's fragile interim government on Tuesday when they welcomed the planned transfer of sovereignty at the end of June, wishing the new administration every success. The foreign ministers and representatives also stressed that the transfer must be full, in the sense that "sovereignty" designates. Meeting on the sidelines of the main session, foreign ministers to the US-occupied country, its neighbours -- Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria -- plus Egypt stressed support for Iraqis "in their progress on the path towards building fully legitimate and representative national institutions". The meeting on Iraq came as delegates to the OIC -- the world's largest Islamic organisation -- were debating a resolution on Tuesday that would give Iraq's new interim government the official support of the Islamic world. The United Nations' Iraq special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi also attended the meeting. In a statement issued after the meeting, foreign ministers also welcomed last week's UN resolution on Iraq that endorsed the transfer of sovereignty from the US-led occupation authority and authorised the establishment of a multinational security force. The statement, which was later circulated to delegates at the full conference in Istanbul, "welcomes... the declaration of the formation of the interim government in Iraq as a beginning to end the occupation". It also urged member states to provide "full support and necessary help for the Iraqi people in order to rebuild Iraq". Widespread support for the interim Iraqi government until elections could be held was expressed to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. However, there was little support for calls to send peace-keepers to help US-led forces in Iraq. The draft also condemned "inhumane practices" against detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. The draft resolution followed appeals on Monday from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the OIC head to give Iraq's interim government a helping hand. "Our support will help the new government to move beyond this critical and perilous transitional period and guarantee the sovereignty, independence, security and safety, and national and territorial integrity, of Iraq and Iraqi citizens," Belkeziz said.
