ERDEM, THE CHAIRMAN OF TABA RECENTLY HOSTED CLINTON STATES : EUROPE SEEK INTEREST, THE US SEEK PARTNERSHIP
Dr. Zeynep Abidin Erdem, the Chairman of TABA AmCham said “It was only the US who affirmed our operations in the Southeast during the times the Europe welcome PKK terrorism. Furthermore, they lended us USD 36 billion during the crisis.”
THE US IS OF GREATER IMPORTANCE FOR US THAN SELF-SEEKING EUROPE
It was only the United States who affirmed our military operations in the Southeast during a period Europe welcome PKK terrorism. Furthermore, they granted us USD 36 billion during the crisis, whereas Argentina could not receive even USD 2 billion. The Europe wish to make use of us, however, we may balance our relations with the Europe if we converge with the EU.
Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, the Chairman of Turkish-American Businessmen Association (TABA), was born in Mardin, in 1944. GENPA A.Ş., the company that operates in the field of mobile phone and accessory sales, also takes place within the structure of Erdem Holding, which bears his name. Erdem, who have served in chairman and manager positions in many national and international organizations other than TABA, also serves as Honorary Consul of the Republic of Sudan. Erdem is known by the public with his active personality. His original profession is chemist, he completed business administration Ph. D. and plays tennis and golf.
Erdem is also interested in antique and archaic arts, also rides several hobbies such as making efforts to bring our arts taken to foreign countries back to our homeland. Recently, he has been praised by the public because of purchasing the seal of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid and granting it to the Ministry of Culture. Erdem, who recently hosted the former US President Clinton in Istanbul, says, “The President promised me, he’ll come back again”
How does the US consider us? Do they take us seriously or do we deceive ourself?
Turkish-American relations are so important that it cannot be underestimated or denied. As from the Korean War in the 1950s, we discovered each other. The United States selected Turkey as a friend due to our both political and miltary capabilities. From this point of view, that is, from military and economic standpoints, TURKEY is in the need of the US support. This holds true also for the US... The United States has a compulsion not to leave oil reserves in the Middle East uncontrolled, and therefore, it must establish a friendship with a trustworthy country such as Turkey. At this point, the United States – Turkey – Israel axis results from a compulsion. Although we support Palestinian’s view, this relation exists there.
You are talking about the compulsion of friendship, but, no such a potential seems emerged, from commercial point of view...
Yes, our commercial potential with the US is smaller than we have with Germany. We realize USD 6 billion import and USD 2 billion export with the US. However, what is considered important is not commercial volume but underlying political potential and power. As you may realize, only the United States and its President, Mr. Clinton supported Turkey and affirmed our military operations in the Southeast saying “Turkey is defending itself” during a period Europe embraced PKK terrorism. The United States is more attractive for us with respect to self-seeking Europe...
The United States is also not homogeneous. There are more than one America, so, which is our friend? Pentagon or White House, Democrats or Republicans?
Policy in the United Statesis a whole. It is not like pudding as in Turkey. The United States hold its external interests as a potential, then determine with which country it shall use these interests and finally reach a decision. After all, it put these decisions into application. It does not allow internal conflicts come to the light. Therefore, the United States, as a whole, support Turkey from military standpoint. However, certainly, there are some disturbing events due to malicious actionsof Greek and Armenian lobbies. Some interests are always blindminded.
Your are one of the very close witnesses of Turkish-American relations. A general opinion that Washington direct Ankara, the US take us under its guidance and we cannot ignore its advices, prevails within the public. To what extent such a description holds true?
No one can direct Turkey. Turkish people are misled in this issue. If Turkey would have been under the guidance of the US, Mr. Ecevit would have been directed and a single party regime would have been establihed in the country. The point that should not be ignored that, the United States do not welcome any alternative but democracy. Because, it may find itself obliged to use military power when its interests impaired there. So, it does not want such a situation. There are the US soldiers all around the world, even in the places where no US interests exist. Because, the United States also take into account the interests of its allies.
What is the reason of Europe – USA conflict on Turkey? Where do the interests differ?
Certainly, there are interest discrepancies. Europe desire to make use of Turkey in order to acquire authority and power on the Mid-Asia. The United States, on the other hand, have a sharing and joint acting approach. Europe desire to dictate, whereas the United States pursue partnership. We also experienced that, Europe do not pay attention to what trouble we confront. 99 percent of the money granted to Turkey following the February crisis originate from the United States, they undertook that risk and lended us more than USD 36.8 billion. Furthermore, the US did not use effort to ease its neighbor Argentina during those times.
Yes the US granted us that money, however, isn’t is true that it also purchased all our foreign policy preferences? Traditional milestones of our foreign policy began to resolve one by one following the crisis.
I respect your thought. However, I suggest you to think about what would happen if such an assistance would not have been granted us. People in Argentina cut into parts the cows. What will you do with your foreign policy preferences after experiencing a never-recoverable civil war, rebellion or an international defeat. Despite this, I still do not accept that Turkey’s foreign policy preferences are purchased. The United States is already our ally. We have joint strategical interests.
Let us consider the European Union... Well, would not it be inconvenient to be a member of the European Union while Europe desire to make use of us?
No, it would not. Because, when we sign all the prerequisites jointly, it means we are leading to a partnership. Our advices will prevail after such a partnership. We achieve profit or incur loss to the extent we participate the decisions made.
Do American politicians, occasionally, apply to TABA for lobbying? Do they request assistance for their jobs?
Yes they do, because, America put great emphasis on civil community. The Chairman of the American Chambers of Commerce with a number of members more than 3.7 million called us for the investment of an American firm in Turkey and requested our assistance. They were to increase investment for a pop factory and make an additional investment of USD 200 million. For this purpose, they required decrease of current 40 percent of tax to a level of 15-20 percent and, in return, they would increase the number of employees from 6 thousand to 10 thousand. They requested assistance and we performed mediation. We discussed the request with Mr. Ecevit. The matter settled but after that, Special Consumption Tax was put into force and they, again, faced with a new cost of 1.5 percent.
Not only us, but also entire Turkey wanted Clinton’s visit
You put Clinton, the former US President, up in Istanbul, he addressed Turkish people...Where this opinion originated from?
We wanted the support needed by Turkey to be announced to all the world from Istanbul and we achieved this following long lasting efforts. Last year, when were were about to announce this event, the September 11 occured and we froze this program. We did a really important task. There are many countries that cannot host Clinton even they spend 200 times more then we did. It is true, Clinton is an expensive lecturer but his lectures avoid meddling. The lecture he did in Istanbul was full of considerations Turkey can benefit from.
Your happiness is apparent...
Sure, I am very happy. Our people are also pleased. We had a 1800 subject survey conducted. With the exception of 40-50 people, everybody said about Clinton’s visit, “His visit would be beneficial for Tukey”. In other word, whole Turkey wanted his visit. Our people like Clinton. He told me “I like Turkish people, But I realized that Turkish people like me even more than I like them, I am very pleased”.