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 An Interview with the Turkish Ambassador to Oman, Mucat Mehmet Hayri Erol
Reflections of Turkey’s proactive policies were seen during President Abdullah Gül’s visit to Oman. ORSAM advisors Assistant Prof. Veysel Ayhan and Oytun Orhan were among the academics who accompanied President Abdullah Gül during his visit to Oman where they interviewed Turkish Ambassador to Mucat Mehmet Hayri Erol. Erol evaluated mutual relations and common perspectives regarding the region.
Mr. Ambassador, how do you assess President Abdullah Gül’s recent visit to Oman?
The already good Turkey-Oman relations were strengthened by the visit. President Gül’s visit was taken very seriously by the Omanis. The president addressed subjects such as Iran, Iraqi and regional issues, but economic issues were the main subjects of the visit. We can say that commercial relations between Turkey and Oman started when a Turkish company was awarded a tender in Oman for the first time in 2001. Since then 18 Turkish companies came to Oman and undertook serious projects. Turkish companies have realized highway and airport projects, and they have participated in development projects initiated by Sultan Qaboos. In fact, Sultan Qaboos’s emphasis on the wide experience of the Turkish companies enabled them to receive a larger share in Oman’s development process. Recent agreements prove that both the Sultan and Omani authorities were satisfied with the activities of Turkish companies here. I was assigned as Ambassador to Muscat in October 2009 and during this short period I was able to witness the Omani authorities’ will to cooperate with Turkish companies. This pleases me very much.
Mr. Ambassador, I know that you have been here in Oman for a short time now, but can you share your observations about Oman and Omani people?
I never suffered the difficulties of being a stranger here in Oman since Omanis are very considerate, hospitable people and like Turkey a lot. Omani people are very sincere and they do their best to assist us in every occasion. I observed that Turkish TV serials have a great influence here. People who preferred to visit Asian countries in the past now prefer to visit Turkey instead. Omani people have a peaceful nature; foreigners are never disturbed here in the streets of Oman.
How can the cooperation between Oman and Turkey develop further in terms of regional issues?
As you know, Oman is a significant member of the GCO. The last conference of this organization was held in Istanbul with a large contribution by Oman. During the conference and as a part of the strategic dialogue process, resolutions were made in order to improve cooperation between Turkey and GCO members in the fields of politics, economy, security and social matters. Oman made great efforts to develop the strategic cooperation process between Turkey and GCO member states. Moreover, Turkey and Oman have a shared understanding of regional issues. When we examine Sultan Qaboos’s foreign policies, we see that he is not willing to countenance problems of any kind with neighboring states. Recently, Oman’s issues with Yemen were resolved through diplomacy. Oman has no border issues and doesn’t interfere in the domestic affairs of others. Instead of looking at the past, Sultan Qaboos prefers to develop new policies to build a future. Turkey and Oman pursue parallel policies to restore peace and stability in the Middle East.
What can you say about the approaches of Turkey and Oman to Israeli issues in relation with the international system?
Both states support peaceful means to resolve regional issues. Especially Oman’s approach towards Israel differs from other regional states and is based on different policies. Oman embraces the option of leaving an open door for dialogue with Israel and takes steps in this direction. But the recent policies of Israel and the Netanyahu government bothered Oman. On the other hand, Oman declared from the start that it supports Turkey’s Arab initiative regarding the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Arab initiative, which accepts the borders of the pre-1967 war era and demands the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within these borders, is also supported by Oman. So we see that both states share a common perspective on the resolution of the Palestinian issue.
Finally, can you tell us if there is a difference between Turkish and Omani policies towards the Iran crisis?
Iran and Oman are considered bordering neighbors. Oman openly declares its opposition to a possible military operation against Iran. Oman doesn’t want a new fight after the Iraq war in the region. Likewise, Turkey supports the diplomatic resolution of the issue. Both states seem willing to further develop their relations with Iran. Neither Turkey nor Oman wants a new war in the region. For this reason, they support policies of diplomacy for the resolution of the issue.
Mr. Ambassador, thank you for sharing this information with us. |
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| May 10 2010 |
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