Meeting With China Institute of International Studies

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China Institute for International Studies has visited Middle East Strategic Research Center (ORSAM) together with Turkish Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs Strategic Research Center (SAM) Board on 15 December 2009.

At the Meeting that started with Director of ORSAM Hasan Kanbolat’s short briefing about ORSAM, the Chinese Board have received the opinions of ORSAM specialists about the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Turkey’s role in the Middle East. 

Firstly, to the question of Ma Zhengang, the Director of China Institute for International Studies about the current situation in Iraq and the would-be situation after the US withdrawal, ORSAM Middle East Advisor Serhat Erkmen answered by mentioning that the main determiner will be the general elections for the future of Iraq.

Erkmen who said that his personal idea about the future of Iraq is not positive resting on the fact that there are many separate groups in Iraq who have separate political agendas regarding main issues of the country, mentioned that ORSAM follows the process in Iraq closely. ORSAM Middle East Assistant Researcher Sercan Doğan, resting on his observations from last month’s Iraq trip organized by ORSAM, expressed that he agrees with Serhat Erkmen by mentioning that Kurdish population and Regional Kurdish Administration are isolated from the rest of Iraq and have different agenda.

For the question of Ma Zhengang about the situation of Afghanistan and The US President Obama’s Afghanistan strategy, Sercan Doğan provided information about Pakistan and Afghanistan by saying that the two can’t be thought separately. Doğan mentioned that there may be more violence in the future than today if Obama’s strategy is not approved by the Afghan public.

Later the Chinese Board asked the opinion of ORSAM specialists’ about Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Serhat Erkmen mentioned that the peace process is highly affected by the internal fighting in Palestine and further expressed his opinion about the main obstacles to peace. ORSAM Middle East Specialist Oytun Orhan mentioned that with Obama, a new hope has arisen for peace since former administration of the US considered Iraq as its primary concern, however the new administration treats Israel-Palestine peace process as one of its priorities.

 At the meeting, the last point was Turkey’s role in the Middle East. Serhat Erkmen and Oytun Orhan with regard to the question of the Chinese Board about Turkey’s activism in the region, mentioned that Turkey is active especially in its closer neighborhood which can be observed from its relations with Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Israel and Palestine and its position on the regional issues.