By Osman Unalan,
NEW DELHI: Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, the first Indian president to visit Turkey in 15 years, has said that his visit highlights the importance that India gives to improving bilateral relations with Turkey, and that the two countries are committed to developing the partnership.
Mukherjee, who is visiting Turkey on the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gül, hopes that the visit will give an impetus to all aspects of Indian-Turkish relations and that new areas of focus will be identified.
In an exclusive interview with Today’s Zaman, the Indian president touched on various issues, ranging from education to tourism, from defense cooperation between the two countries to regional problems, including Syria in the Middle East and Pakistan and Afghanistan in Central Asia.
Mukherjee said that defense cooperation is one of the areas in which there is potential to expand interaction with Turkey.
“During the visit of the Turkish PM [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan to India in November 2008, both prime ministers agreed to enhance cooperation between two defense forces through military-to-military contacts and training exchanges. A bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement has been proposed to be signed, and is under consideration with the Turkish side for some time now,” Mukherjee said.
Regarding cooperation between Turkey and India in the Central Asian region, the Indian president said: “India and Turkey have in place a dialogue mechanism to exchange views on Central Asia. India and Turkey have a shared interest in the stability and security of Afghanistan and Central Asia. Indian companies are open to collaborating with Turkish partners on joint projects in the region. India intends to participate in energy cooperation projects, and in the development of regional transportation corridors.”
Excerpts from the interview with Mukherjee:
Q: This is the first visit to Turkey in 15 years by an Indian president. What is the reason for the visit, and what is on the agenda? Who are the members of the delegation?
A: There have been many state visits between India and Turkey. Two Indian presidents have visited Turkey and my visit will be the third one. There have been an equal number of visits from the Turkish side. President Abdullah Gül visited India in 2010 and I am now returning the visit. Our Vice President Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari visited in October 2011 and our external affairs minister in July this year.
Both India and Turkey are committed to develop the partnership. My visit highlights the importance that India gives to improving our bilateral relations with Turkey. It is my hope that the visit will give an impetus to all aspects of Indo-Turkish relations and new thrust areas will be identified during my interactions and those of my delegation in Turkey.
Mr. G.K. Vasan, minister of shipping, and a five-member multiparty delegation of members of parliament, including vice chancellors of leading Indian universities, among others, are to accompany me.
Q: India and Turkey are two of the world’s most important emerging economies. Where are the areas of possible cooperation?
A: India-Turkey trade had increased steadily, reaching over $7 billion in 2011, well surpassing the target set for $5 billion for 2010.
Investments are increasing in both directions. More than 100 Indian companies have registered businesses in Turkey in the form of joint ventures, trade and representative offices. Indian companies have interest in infrastructure projects as well as in the automobile sector, energy and steel. The number of Turkish companies in India is also increasing, including in the roads and highways sector and construction of pipelines.
Institutional arrangements in terms of Joint Commission for Economic and Technical Cooperation (JCETC) and a Joint Business Council (JBC) exist between the two countries. Additional agreements for cooperation in science and technology and medium, small and micro enterprises are expected to be concluded while I am in Turkey.
Q: Culturally, both nations are very close. What are the goals of this visit in terms of social and cultural cooperation?
A: India and Turkey have been closely connected by historical bonds of culture, philosophy and language since time immemorial, and this offers one of the firmest foundations on which to build the edifice of our engagement. A whole range of activities support our interaction in the cultural arena; this includes institutions for cooperation between the Turkish Radio and Television [Corporation] (TRT) and our state broadcasters Doordarshan and Prasar Bharti, in the field of archives, as well as for twinning agreements between some of the historical cities of India and Turkey.
Q: Is education an area where Turkey and India are cooperating? Are there any plans to increase government funding for academic exchange programs?
A: In both our societies, youth forms an important part of our demography. Accordingly, for our youth, the future global citizens of the world, it is incumbent on us to make the best possible opportunities available to them.
Education, research and innovation have been identified as priority areas and I am happy to note that the leading universities of India and Turkey will be signing five agreements for cooperation during my visit. Scholarships in professional and vocational fields are offered by the government of India to Turkish nationals, and there already have been institutional tie-ups to take such cooperation forward.
Q: What about tourism, and the importance of civil aviation for the sector? Is there a possibility that India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation will authorize Turkish Airlines (THY) to increase its flights?
A: Given our shared cultural heritage in today’s modern world, connectivity becomes a sine qua non for enhanced interaction between our two countries. Not only should there be physical connectivity but also through exchanges in other fields like music, films, visual and performing arts and media, all of which are critical for increasing people-to-people contacts, trade and economic relations.
There has been a steady increase in tourists to each other’s countries. There is a need to encourage such interaction. With increased people-to-people contacts, there would certainly be a need to increase connectivity, from both sides.
Q: Both Turkey and India are significant military powers in their regions, and have seen high-level military visits in recent years. Is there any possibility of cooperation or joint exercises in the future?
A: Defense cooperation is indeed one of the areas in which there is potential to expand interaction with Turkey. During the visit of the Turkish PM [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan to India in November 2008, both prime ministers agreed to enhance cooperation between two defense forces through military-to-military contacts and training exchanges. A bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement has been proposed to be signed, and is under consideration with the Turkish side for some time now.
Q: Turkey and India share a common national interest in Central Asia and Afghanistan in terms of energy corridors and strategy. Do you see any possible cooperation in this area?
A: India believes that Afghanistan can play its historical role as the hub of inter-regional trade, stemming from the country’s strategic location at the crossroads of West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia. A strong, self-sustainable and viable Afghan state in the post-2014 situation warrants developing alternate corridors of trade, transport and energy, thereby enmeshing Afghanistan in a network of mutually inclusive trade channels and assisting the transformation of Afghanistan from being an aid-based economy to a trade-based economy in the coming years. This, of course, is contingent upon Afghanistan having smooth transit and access to the regional markets and seaports through its immediate neighbors.
At a multilateral level, India, Turkey and other regional countries have come together under the framework of the İstanbul process to present a new vision of cooperation and confidence-building for the region, with Afghanistan at its center and consisting of regional countries, supporting countries and international organizations. India is actively participating in all the CBMs [confidence-building measures] and leads the CBM on Trade, Commerce and Investment Opportunities. India also hosted the successful “Delhi Summit on Investment in Afghanistan” last year to attract foreign investments into Afghanistan.
For stability in Afghanistan, it is essential that the international community remains engaged in Afghanistan and supports it in this process of transition and transformation. It is also essential that the root cause of problems in Afghanistan, which is terrorism emanating from beyond the borders of Afghanistan, is tackled firmly.
India and Turkey have both had extensive contacts with the Central Asian region through the ages. India and Turkey have in place a dialogue mechanism to exchange views on Central Asia. India and Turkey have a shared interest in the stability and security of Afghanistan and Central Asia. Indian companies are open to collaborating with Turkish partners on joint projects in the region. India intends to participate in energy cooperation projects, and in the development of regional transportation corridors.
Q: Turkey’s construction industry is the second largest in the world, and India has a plan to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure in the coming 5 years. What role can Turkey play in infrastructure in India?
A: India has opened its infrastructure development needs to global companies and is seeking state-of-the-art technologies from across the world. Anticipated requirement is of an expenditure to the tune of $1 trillion over the next five years, for which investment expertise and technical know-how are welcome. India welcomes Turkish companies to participate in such projects. There have been initial breakthroughs. Turkish companies already have a presence in India, and I understand they have participated, in collaboration with Indian companies, in some sectors like our national highways, constructing a dam in Jammu and Kashmir and the cargo terminal at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, and vice versa; leading Indian companies have invested in infrastructure in Turkey with İstanbul airport being just one example.
Q: India has an important role to play at the United Nations. What is India’s position on the best way to bring about peace to Syria?
A: The continuing violence in Syria and the humanitarian crisis arising out of it are of deep concern to us. India has consistently called upon all sides to abjure violence so that conditions can be created for an inclusive political dialogue leading to a comprehensive political solution, taking into account the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria. India’s policy on Syria has been guided by its long-standing ties with the region as well as its vital economic, energy and diaspora interests.
We believe that there can be no military solution to this conflict. The reported use of chemical weapons in Syria is a matter of deep concern. India has consistently supported the complete destruction and elimination of chemical weapons worldwide. India has welcomed the framework agreement reached between Russia and the US on the time-bound safeguarding and destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles as well as the recent steps taken by Syria to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention. We hope that the recent peace efforts will lead to early convening of the proposed “International Conference on Syria” (Geneva-II), under the auspices of UN, which will bring all parties involved in the Syrian conflict to the negotiating table for peaceful resolution of the crisis.
Q: What is India’s approach to bilateral relations with Pakistan?
A: India desires peaceful, friendly and cooperative relations with Pakistan, which requires an environment free from terror and violence. India is firmly resolved to combat and defeat the terrorist menace that continues to receive encouragement and reinforcement from across the border.
We have consistently stressed the need for Pakistan to honor its solemn commitment of not allowing territory under its control to be used for terrorism directed against India in any manner. Pakistan must also show determined action to dismantle the terrorist networks, organizations and infrastructure operating from territories under its control.
There is expectation from the people of India that Pakistan will show tangible movement in investigating and bringing to justice quickly those Pakistanis responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attack in November 2008, including those whose trial is presently underway in Islamabad.
India remains committed to the resolution of all outstanding issues with Pakistan, including those pertaining to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, through a peaceful bilateral dialogue as mutually agreed under the Simla Agreement of 1972. For this dialogue to progress meaningfully, an environment free from cross-border terrorism and violence along the Line of Control is an essential prerequisite.
Pakistan And India Relations
Q: On his visit to Ankara, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that he is willing to solve every outstanding problem with India through dialogue. And on Sept. 16 the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers met in New York. What are your views on a new beginning of the peace talks between India and Pakistan?
A: In fact India wants to stay peaceful with its neighboring countries. More than often I used to say, when I was the foreign minister of our country, that we have the option of choosing our friends, it depends on one’s likes and dislikes. But so far as neighbors are concerned, they are going to stay where they are. Therefore it is for us to decide whether we should live with our neighbors with tension or in a cordial atmosphere. We always believe that we shall live with a cordial atmosphere with our neighbors. And peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues with all neighboring countries could be achieved only through dialogue.
So far as our relation with Pakistan is concerned, there are regular institutional arrangements. Also one point is to be kept in view, the commitment which was made by Pakistan, not now but in 2004, that Pakistani territory will not be allowed to be used by the forces inimical to India. But most of the terrorist activities are emanating from the territories under the control of Pakistan. Therefore in the recent talks which have taken place yesterday [Sept. 29, 2013] in New York at the margin of UNGA [United Nations General Assembly] between the prime ministers, Dr. Manmohan Singh and Nawaz Sharif, India has highlighted emphasis on these aspects.
Let the appropriate atmosphere be created. The actual line of control on which the ceasefire exists, it has been violated. And I am glad that both prime ministers have agreed to direct their officers, director generals of military operations … to sit down and resolve this issue in the framework of the 1972 agreement, which is more popularly known as the Shimla Agreement, between Mrs. Indira Gandhi, then prime minister of India, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then prime minister of Pakistan. That is the framework we can use to resolve all issues through dialogue. But for that peace is needed. Serious effort should be made by Pakistan. This is our appeal to assure that their territory is not being used to carry on terrorist activities against India.
Q: Sharif started this dialogue initiative on his Turkey visit. Do you think the steps taken by his government so far are sincere enough to lead the two countries to serious peace talks?
A: We appreciate the gestures of Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, shown towards India even immediately after assuming office. And there is communality in our approach. We do believe that we can expand our cooperation in trade, investment, economic sectors, but for that the appropriate conducive atmosphere must be there. And we are not demanding anything more, we demand of Pakistan that “the infrastructures created by the terrorist outfits in your territories, dismantle them! Keep your commitments to India, don’t allow terrorists to use your land to perpetrate their nefarious activities on India.” Unless that atmosphere is created, how could you talk about other developments? Therefore we do hope that what Nawaz Sharif stated, he will try to implement that.
Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-328150-indian-president-says-turkey-visit-to-boost-political-defense-ties.html