Why Turkey Now?

It was the third meeting in past one year for Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, to meet with the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They were neither the leaders of close ally nor old friends each other. However, both countries are suffered from deteriorating relationship with their neighbors and trying to take a certain distance from America. With no clear strategy, they took on efforts for deepening economic ties for further cooperation.

When Abe visited Turkey for the first time in his second term last May, there was no crucial topic to talk except promoting cooperation in atomic energy. In the second visit last October, they agreed on Japan’s bid for building four nuclear reactors in Turkey and early activation of bilateral atomic energy agreement. Abe then attended a ceremony of new subway under Bosporus Strait, in which Japanese corporation invested for the train.

Both leaders took a new step for economic partnership agreement this time. With the agreement, both countries share free trade agreement to remove barriers in trade, and exercise smooth exchange of people and services. Japan expects increase in car export, while Turkey welcomes more investment from Japan. Erdogan brought Japan seven ministers and about a hundred business leaders, showing his expectation in the better economic relationship with Japan.

In the background of Erdogan’s positive approach to Japan, there is a strategy of wide-open diplomacy, not limited to the relationship with Western nations. Meanwhile, he has been taking hard policies toward Syria, and frustrated with current soft attitude of United States and European Union on Assad administration. Doubting conspiracy of America on domestic corruption scandal, Erdogan is positive on making closer ties with Russia and China through Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

That reluctance to reach America has common interest with Abe, who is also frustrated with U.S. after Obama administration expressed disappointment on his visit to Yasukuni Shrine. Preferable relationship with a growing power on the border of the West and the Middle East may make a diplomatic card against U.S. Although it is not clear whether Abe and Erdogan disregarded Obama each other, it is fair to say that both Japan and Turkey have enough reason to make closer ties each other.

Good relationship with Turkey does not necessarily mean fundamental development of Japan’s overall diplomacy. There is no calculation that Turkey card is working for a breakthrough with China or South Korea. Some argue that Abe’s multi-direction diplomacy is simply buying time for shifting public eyes from pessimistic relations with neighbors.