The key foreign policy actors of the Turkish state made it explicit that they want no nuclear weapons in the region. They strongly reject Iran’s attainment of nuclear weapons as well as Israel’s preservation of its nuclear arsenal. They argue that Israel should undergo nuclear disarmament if the Israelis want Iran not to develop nuclear weapons. Even though everyone knows that Israel has a significant arsenal, Israeli government officials follow a policy of opacity, neither confirming nor denying possession of nuclear weapons. Turkish government officials have become resentful of Israel’s posture and accuse the Israelis of deceiving the international community. In their perception, Israel is far more aggressive than the Iranian
regime. Therefore, the Turkish elites propound that the international community should deal with
Israel’s existing nuclear weapons rather than imposing sanctions on Iran that has no proven weapons grade enrichment.
Various government officials clearly indicated that Turkey strongly resists all nuclear weapons in the region. In his interview with Al Arabia TV, President Abdullah Gul noted that “We are against any nuclear weapons in the region and we are against other types of weapons of mass destructions as well. Especially we don’t want nuclear neighbors. It’s not about Iran. We feel the same about the others. Nuclear energy is an inalienable right of Iran. But acquisition of nuclear weapons is a different issue.” 460 In another interview, President Gul emphasized that “Not a single country in the region, Including Israel, should have weapons of mass destruction.... The entire Middle East should be free of nuclear weapons. As a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the NPT, Iran is obligated to grant complete transparency. Iran lacks this transparency.”461 Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu agreed “We are against any nuclear weapons in this region. Not as a Foreign Minister but as a Turkish citizen, I’m saying that nothing can justify use of nuclear weapons… We do not differentiate Iran or Israel. We want eradication of nuclear weapons in the conflict prone Middle East.”462 General Hilmi Ozkok noted that creation of a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East is Turkey's policy and Turkey will oppose nuclear armament in any countries regardless of the type of regime.463 Murat Mercan concurred, “We don’t want nuclear weapons in this region. We want no country to preserve nuclear assault capacity. Existing nuclear powers should disarm themselves instead of pressuring
460 Interview with President Abdullah Gul by Al Arabia Tv, Istanbul, February 2, 2009 461 Gundem Info, “Gul: ortadogu nukleer silahlardan arindirilmali”, April 15 2009 462 Ahmet Davutoglu, Press speech, “Asil Eksen Degistiren Avrupa”, December 9, 2009
463 Mustafa Kibaroglu and Baris Caglar, “Implications of a Nuclear Iran for Turkey”, Middle East Policy, Vol. XV,
the countries that have no proven nuclear weapons program.”464 Prime Minister Erdogan noted that “We will not let diversion of Iranian nuclear reactors to weapons program, because we don’t want any neighbor with nuclear weapons. We have told this many times to our Iranian
colleagues. But if Iran would give up nuclear weapons, Israel should not have them too.”465 On his speech to after the UN Security Council Meeting at New York (September 25, 2009), Prime Minister Erdogan maintained that;
We have talked about non-proliferation at the UN Security Council. Our wish is to annihilate all nuclear weapons in the world. To be able to do that the permanent members of the United Nations should first start with terminating their nuclear arsenals. Those who give advice to others [Iran] should implement it first. If they don’t behave accordingly, they don’t have a right to give advice to others. They cannot pressure others for not doing so. Nuclear weapons pose existential threats to human security. We never know who can use it against whom. Humankind should not live under the threat of total destruction. If we want global security, we should destroy all nuclear warheads. You can spend lots of money on nuclear weapons but you can never claim that it gives prosperity to your citizens.466
In this context, rather than Iran’s nuclear power plants, Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons has become a greater concern for the Turkish elites. In their eyes, Iran may only develop nuclear weapons to deter Israeli or American aggression. They see Israel’s nuclear weapons as a provocation for a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Therefore, the Erdogan Administration asserts that the international community should first eliminate Israel’s nuclear arsenal rather than focusing on Iran’s nuclear program when there is no evidence of enrichment
464 Author's interview with Murat Mercan on January 4, 2010. Ankara/Turkey.
465 Prime Minister Erdogan’s speech to Turkish citizens at Marriot Hotel, September 26, 2009, available at
www.internethaber.com/news_id=208695, [accessed February 23, 2010]
466 Prime Minister Erdogan’s speech to Turkish citizens at Marriot Hotel, September 26, 2009, available at
uranium up to weapons grade. Prime Minister Erdogan noted that, “We don’t want nuclear weapons in the Middle East. But if one country [Israel] has nuclear weapons in the region and if you don’t impose any sanctions on the existing nuclear states it would be a truly unjust endeavor. If those powerful states do not provide justice we cannot talk about global peace. We are seeking global peace and working for it. We should render Iran its right to develop nuclear energy.”467 During the press speech with President Hariri, Prime Minister Erdogan took the position that “Those who are putting great pressure on Iran, turn to a blind eye towards the Israeli Nuclear Program. Iran is the victim of unjust non-proliferation regime. We will always be with the victims. Our policy will be designed to protect the victims from oppression of the great powers.”468
Contrary to the previous Turkish governments, the key actors in the ruling Justice and Development Party believe that Israel is much more aggressive than Iran and more likely to use Weapons of Mass Destruction when its interests or survival are at stake. In a speech at Marriot Hotel at New York, on September 26, 2009, Erdogan criticized Israel for embracing an
aggressive posture, using phosphorous bombs and threatening to use nuclear weapons against the Arabs. 469 Interviewee Arif Keskin noted that, “Prime Minister Erdogan is quite angry with Israel because Netanyahu deceived him. On his visit to Ankara, Netanyahu never talked about
attacking Gaza. He pretended that he was leaning towards a peaceful solution. Two days after his return, Israel attacked Gaza and brutally massacred the Palestinians. Israel abuses the existing
467 Prime Minister Erdogan, “Nukleer Silah Istemiyoruz”, available at http://www.timeturk.com/erdogan---nukleer-
silah-istemiyoruz-_121266-haberi.html, [accessed March 23, 2010]
468 HaberFX, “Erdogan-Hariri Ortak Basin toplantisi”, January 11, 2010
469 Radical Daily Newspaper, “Erdogan’in sozlerine Israil Ates Puskurdu”, October 16, 2009, available at
http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalDetay&Date=&ArticleID=961208, [accessed February 23, 2010]
military alliance with Turkey.”470 Iranian president Ahmadinejad praised Erdogan’s posture towards Israel’s nuclear arsenal many times. For instance, during Erdogan’s visit to Tehran, Ahmadinejad told him that “When an illegitimate regime owns nuclear weapons, none else can speak about other nation’s rights to develop nuclear energy…Your unambiguous stance against Israel has created very positive effects on the Muslim World and everyone is happy about it.”471
Similar to the Turkish elites, a majority of the Turkish public also believes that Israel is a graver threat to regional security than Iran. Interwiewee Arzu Celalifer Ekinci reported that during her field research people immediately and without hesitation declared the United States and Israel as the gravest threats to the peace and stability in the world.472 According to foreign policy analysts Erhan Basyurt, who works as the chief editor of Bugun Newspaper, “Israel behaves like a mischievous son of the region. It fights against the Syrians. It hits Palestine and Lebanon. It wants to attack the Iranian nuclear facilities. It pushes the Americans to destroy and occupy Iran. They are the chief anarchist in the region.” 473 According to interviwee Kaan Dilek, who stayed in Iran for over a decade, “Israel behaves more irrationally than Iran. They look like an unbridled bully in the Near East. None of their nuclear facilities are subject to IAEA
safeguard inspections. Only Americans could inspect their nuclear infrastructure but they will not do it. You know why. You know the lobbies in Washington. I think Israel is much more serious threat to regional security than Iran.”474
470 Author's interview with Arif Keskin on December 12, 2009. Ankara/Turkey.
471 Dogruhaber, “Erdogan’in Iran Ziyaretinin Sonucu: Alisveriste Lira ve Riyal Kullanilacak”, available at
http://www.dogruhabergazetesi.com/habergoster.aspx?id=&2843 [accessed February 23, 2010]
472 Author’s interview with Arzu Celalifer Ekinci
473 Interview of Erhan Basyurt by Dursun Karatepe, October 23, 2009, available at
www.moralhaber.net/haber_id=69378, [accessed; February 21, 2010]