ISN Security Watch - Turkey key to Western energy, security - -by Federico Bordonaro

For the full report in the ISN Security Watch click on this link

Turkey key to Western energy, security - by Federico Bordonaro

European observers and decision-makers are closely watching ongoing political developments in Turkey and their implications for Ankara's foreign policy. Foremost among these concerns is the appointment in late July of General Yasar Buyukanit as the new military chief of staff, not to mention upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. General Buyukanit will take over as the new military chief of staff on 30 August, replacing General Hilmi Ozkok. In a country where the relationship between the civilian administration and the army is key to the preservation of democracy and national unity, a change of leadership on the military side of the equation is considered a delicate moment - even more so as the country prepares for presidential and parliamentary elections. These domestic events come at a time when Ankara is experiencing difficulties in finding a political and diplomatic convergence with the US on how to deal with Kurdish rebel activities in northern Iraq, and with the EU on the still complex Cyprus question.

Turkey's decision to take part in an enhanced United Nations mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as decided by UN Security Council Resolution 1701, will bring Turkish military personnel into a former Ottoman province for the first time since World War I.Furthermore, since both Washington and the EU increasingly view Turkey as a strategic partner for European and Mediterranean energy security, Ankara's democratic stability and foreign policy orientation are of crucial importance for Western interests.