Turkey Needs 'Zero Problems' With Its Own Kurds First
A Turkey that can’t resolve its own Kurdish problem through peaceful means can’t talk of “zero problems” with the Syrian Kurds today or tomorrow, writes Kadri Gürsel.
Anyone who follows Turkey’s new foreign policy and the diplomacy of its founder, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, is surely aware of the concept of “Zero problems with neighbors.” Ahmet Davutoglu is the godfather of the idea. He has the copyright to it.
Apart from being a concept, what is the significance of "zero problems"? What is it really? Is it a hope, utopia or a discourse? If so, no problem. We all wish to have no problems with neighbors.
The answer is in the official website of the Turkish Foreign Ministry. There is an icon that reads “Policy of zero problems with our neighbors.’’ Click on it. The first sentence you will see is: “Aware that development and progress in real terms can only be achieved in a lasting peace and stable environment, Turkey places this objective at the very center of its foreign-policy vision.”
When we continue reading the text we realize that “zero problems” is not only an expression or an ideal, but actually a policy.
