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Turkey-China Relations: Rising Partnership

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Turkey-China Relations: Rising Partnership Kapak Konusu Immediately after this visit, Prime Minister Erdoğan paid a remarkable visit to China in April 2012. Prime Minister Erdoğan’s visit started from Urumqi and then he also visited Beijing and Shanghai. Turkey-China Relations: Rising Partnership Türkiye-Çin İlişkileri: Gelişen Ortaklık Selçuk ÇOLAKOĞLU Özet 2 2/222 RR /2 R / 22 2 /2 2 2 / / 2 R 2 / / 2 2 2 2 2 / 22 O P2 Z` !"#$%&'$(&' Kapak Konusu It is seen that there are two main reasons behind the fact that Turkey has been willing to develop its relations with China since 1971. First +#9,#;;,9+99,9 _X_Y##+9;, 99#;(9U`; to get a market share from a huge country such as China which is rapidly developing. Abstract Keywords: Foreign Policy Analysis, Turkey, Chi- na Since diplomatic relations between Turkey and PRC were established in 1971, concerns on inter- Introduction national security and the economic potentials of each country have been among the factors that Turkey’s relations with the People’s Republic of shape the Sino-Turkish relations. Politically, An- China (PRC) have followed a fluctuating course kara has considered the PRC, as one of the UN since 1971, when the relations between the two Security Council permanent members, as a new countries officially started, until today. While the political expansion area and getting support for two countries did not have a close relationship Turkey-related issues. Economically, Ankara has in 1970s, a major revival took place in the bi- an expectation of benefits from China offering lateral relations throughout 1980s. The Central huge economic opportunities. However, Turkey Asia policy that Ankara followed just after the has faced unexpected difficulties relation with collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 worried Bei- China in last two decades. China pursued op- jing. In 2000s, on the other hand, it is observed posite policies of the Turkish claims in the inter- that high-level visits considerably increased as in national arena, including Kosovo, Bosnia-Herze- 1980s. govina, Cyprus and Nagorno-Karabakh issues. Moreover, Turkey and China have developed It is seen that there are two main reasons behind completely opposite policies toward the Arab the fact that Turkey has been willing to develop Spring that occurred in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, its relations with China since 1971. First of all, Yemen and finally Syria. The most obvious prob- Turkey has been supported by China, which is lem that appeared in the field of economy is that a member of the United Nations (UN) Security there is a trade gap against Turkey’s favor has Council, in the international problems in which grown gradually since 2001. On the other hand, Turkey is a part. The second major expectation the relations between Turkey and China have of Ankara is to get a market share from a huge been quite rapidly growing in the recent years. country such as China which is rapidly develop- The Turkish-Chinese relations do not only con- ing. cern the two countries, but also gained a global dimension. If Ankara and Beijing can develop an Pursuits of Developing the Relations appropriate policy to overcome the existing is- with China sues in a positive manner, it can be possible for Turkish-Chinese relations to achieve the level of The relations between the two countries from “strategic partnership”. 1971, when diplomatic relations were estab- !"#$%&'$(&' ZZ Kapak Konusu lished, followed a quite low course until 1980. attitude in the international platform. President Ankara, which was marginalized by the Euro- Li’s visit was followed by Foreign Minister Vahit pean Economic Community (EEC) after the Halefoğlu’s visit to China in October 1984.7 1980 coup d’état, embarked on a quest of new balances in political terms. The PRC, one of the Prime Minister Turgut Özal, on the other hand, permanent members of the UN Security Council paid a visit to PRC in July 1985.8 The Chinese and which opened up to capitalist economy, was government encouraged Turkey to invest in the considered as a new political center of balance Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) for Ankara. In this period, first senior-level talks in 1980s. Chairman of the Xinjiang government started between Turkey and China, and a great İsmail Amat visited various cities of Turkey number of mutual visits took place between the along with a committee in July 1985.9 two countries. Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang, on the other Minister of Trade Kemal Cantürk paid the first hand, paid a visit to Turkey in July 1986. As in high-level visit from Turkey to China on May former high-level visits, talks were held dur- 1981. Foreign Minister İlter Türkmen’s visit to ing the prime ministerial summit on improving China in December 1981 is quite important in political and especially economic relations be- terms of the bilateral relations. During the afore- tween the two countries.10 Deputy Foreign Min- said visit, it was understood that the Beijing ad- ister Ci Huai Yuan stated in an interview, made ministration leaned towards the 1980 coup d’état in October 1987, that it is necessary to solve the on the ground that it provided a political stabil- problems of in the Aegean Sea, Cyprus, and the ity against the Soviet expansion. China wanted a Turkish minority issues in Bulgaria through dip- diplomatic solution for the Aegean Sea disputes lomatic channels.11 between Turkey and Greece, and Cyprus issue between the parties. In this visit, economic and China continued the high-level visits until 1991. technical cooperation agreement, which paved The Minister of Culture Wang Meng paid a the way for commercial cooperation, was signed visit to Turkey on March 198812, and the vice- between Turkey and China.1 chairman of the National People’s Congress of the PRC visited Turkey in April 1990.13 Foreign The President of Turkey Kenan Evren made a Minister Qian Qichen, on the other hand, came kind of Asian initiative in early 1980s. President to visit Turkey on September 1990 in order to as- Evren paid visits to China, South Korea, Indone- sess the developments regarding the Gulf crisis sia, Bangladesh and Pakistan in December 1983.2 which started with Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.14 While each of the aforesaid visits carries a great importance, the visit to China is a milestone in While the relations between the two countries bilateral relations for being a senior-level visit were going quite well at high level, a develop- between Turkey and China.3 Following the afore- ment which increased the tension took place. mentioned visit of Evren, the Minister of Culture Muhammed Niyazi, Commercial Attaché of the Zhu Muzhi paid a visit to Turkey on April 19834, Chinese Embassy in Ankara, was granted po- while the Foreign Minister Wu Chuochiang vis- litical asylum in Turkey on September 1986 for ited Turkey in October 1983.5 not having a life security.15 This development was the sign of the end of Chinese policy to use Chinese President Li Xiannian made a return the Xinjiang area in establishing closer relations visit to Turkey in March 1984.6 During the visit with Turkey. In 1980’s, the actions of the Uyghur of President Li, China praised Turkey’s stable at- opposition leader Isa Yusuf Alptekin started to titude in the Iran-Iraq War, and highlighted that pose problem between Turkey and China.16 the Cyprus issue should be solved through inter- national talks. As a result of the talks, Turkey and Following the Tiananmen Square Protests in China reached an agreement on adopting a joint 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Z[ !"#$%&'$(&' Kapak Konusu the fact that Central Asian republics gained in- dependence, led China to reconsider its minor- ity policies in 1990s. In this respect, the fact that China which paid lots of high-level visits to Tur- key in 1980s did not make even a ministerial visit to the country between 1991 and 2000 points out a negative development in Ankara perception of Beijing. The emergence of Turkic countries in Central Asia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 caused to excitement in Turkey. Those developments created a misperception in the Turkish public regarding that the PRC, consid- ered as a multinational empire, would collapse In 1980’s, the actions of the Uyghur opposition just like the Soviet Union.17 leader Isa Yusuf Alptekin started to pose problem between Turkey and China. During this period, officials at various levels talked to the leaders of the Uyghur opposition in Turkey. In November 199118, a week before Süleyman Demirel took office as Prime Minis- duce its dependence on the United States (U.S.) ter, and in February 1992 when President Turgut and the European Union (EU) by developing its Özal talked to Uyghur opposition leader Isa Yu- suf Alptekin.19 Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan relations with other great powers like China and Municipality Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was protest- Russia. ed by Chinese Ambassador to Ankara Wu Kem- ing in August 1995 for naming a park after İsa It was important also for China to establish close Yusuf Alptekin.20 relations with Turkey. Even though Turkey was not as influential as China in world politics and Turkey, which could not be successful enough economy, Turkey had a considerable importance in terms of the initiative on the Central Asia on in terms of the geopolitics of West Asia, the Bal- its own, developed a strategy attaching more im- kans and North Africa. Therefore, China needed portance to cooperation with Russia and China to receive the support of regional powers such as in the region as from mid-1990s.
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