A delegation composed of American journalists paid a visit to ORSAM on April 6, 2010. A roundtable meeting was held with the journalists that ORSAM Director Hasan Kanbolat, ORSAM Political Advisors Kürşad Turan and Serhat Erkmen, ORSAM Middle East Experts Oytun Orhan, Bilgay Duman and ORSAM Research Assistant Sercan Doğan attended.

After a brief initiatory presentation by Kürşad Turan about ORSAM and its activities, a live and fruitful discussion about the Middle East and Turkey’s Middle East policies has commenced. Firstly, a journalist asked about Turkey’s refusal to allow US troops to invade Iraq from the North. In response, ORSAM Experts stated that this issue had little relevance to Turkey’s Iraq policy or the North of Iraq, but rather it should be evaluated with Turkish-American relations in the perspective. Secondly, Turkey’s position regarding Iran and Turkey’s approach to Iran were touched upon. In this context, ORSAM Experts stated that Turkey is against a military option in the Iran question, and will vote against any sanctions towards Iran. Also, Turkey-Iran economic relations have been explained. 

Another issue that was touched upon was Turkish-Israeli relations. The visitors remarked that crises in Turkish-Israeli relations have a negative impact for Turkey’s image in the American media. ORSAM experts remarked that both Turkey’s approach toward Middle East and recent crises in Turkey-Israel relations must be evaluated in the light of the changing strategic environment in the Middle East in the 1990s and 2000s. 

Hasan Kanbolat, ORSAM Director, stated that Turkey’s EU accession negotiations, which started in 2004, also have a great role in Turkey’s relations with the Middle East. Lastly, the Alliance of Civilizations initiative headed by Spain and Turkey was discussed. It is also remarked that the Alliance of Civilizations will make it easier for Turkey to play its bridge role between Europe and Middle East.