Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Opinion
  • Columns
  • Op-Ed
  • Reader's Corner
  • Editorial

Roseline A: The geopolitics of an operation

by Yahya Bostan

Dec 01, 2020 - 12:05 am GMT+3
No Image
by Yahya Bostan Dec 01, 2020 12:05 am
RECOMMENDED
Heads of the six opposition parties making up the "table for six" applaud as they participate in a meeting to present their program, in Ankara, Türkiye, Jan. 30, 2023. (AFP Photo)

Four codes of the Turkish opposition's manifesto

Turkish-Politics

On Sunday, Nov. 22, Roseline A, a Turkish-flagged vessel, left Istanbul carrying humanitarian cargo. Upon crossing the Dardanelles, the ship sailed through the Aegean Sea and into the Mediterranean, before setting its course for Libya. Some 160 nautical miles off the Port of Benghazi, still in international waters, a German frigate, FGS Hamburg, which was in the area as part of Operation Irini, attempted to approach the Turkish ship. A group of German soldiers then boarded Roseline A off a helicopter and searched its cargo. They were looking for weapons bound for Libya's U.N.-recognized, legitimate government. After 16 hours, they found nothing but humanitarian aid and left.

That incident quickly turned into a diplomatic crisis for mainly three reasons.

First, Turkey had been suspicious of Operation Irini. Although the European Union military operation was launched for the official purpose of enforcing an arms embargo on Libya, its ultimate objective has been to monitor the delivery of weapons to that country's legitimate government.

Keeping in mind that if the EU operates in the Mediterranean, Turkey is the only country that actually falls within Irini's scope. Ironically, weapons and ammunition for putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar, the warlord who attempted to overthrow the Libyan government, has continued to flow by air or through Egypt. The so-called arms embargo, therefore, was unmistakably one-sided and played into Haftar's hands.

Secondly, a Greek military commander was in charge of Operation Irini and Roseline was raided by German soldiers. It is no secret that tensions between Turkey and Greece, especially in the Mediterranean Sea, have been running high for some time. Turkish officials thus asked an obvious question: Was the European Union enforcing a one-sided embargo and kowtowing to Athens?

Last but not least, Roseline A was searched in violation of international law. According to international maritime law, the country, where the ship in question is registered, must consent to the search. In this particular case, Turkey was not asked permission before Roseline A was boarded in violation of the law.

The aftershocks of what happened last week will be felt in the coming days, as Turkey is expected to bring the EU's illegal actions to the attention of various international organizations. To account for that incident, however, one must analyze the backdrop, against which it occurred. Two factors, in particular, must be taken into account.

First, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced earlier this month that his administration would implement a series of legal and financial reforms. That effort is intended to improve the country's legal infrastructure and attract foreign investors.

At the same time, Erdoğan seeks to promote a kind of normalization in Turkey, where the court system has been overloaded due to a series of terrorist attacks and the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and left thousands injured.

Compared to France and others, which responded harshly to relatively mild security threats, the Turkish judiciary has arguably remained calm in the face of acts of terrorism and an attempted coup. Nonetheless, Ankara views judicial reform as a necessity.

In the international arena, too, the Turkish government is pursuing a kind of normalization. In recent years, the terrorist organization PKK's presence in northern Syria, an existential threat, has been largely eliminated. Turkey successfully created a new status quo in Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean that serves its interests.

Most recently, in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia's decadeslong occupation was ended. Having dealt with those problems, Turkey now would like to build new bridges internationally. A nascent process of rapprochement between Turkey and Saudi Arabia supports that view. Likewise, the Turks care about their relations with the EU and the U.S. as well.

The Turkish ship, Roseline A, was raided just at this critical junction. Keeping in mind Greek and French efforts to get the EU to sanction Turkey at this month's leaders summit, the question remains – was the illegal search of humanitarian cargo intended to derail Turkey-EU relations for good? The question is definitely worth asking.

RECOMMENDED
Heads of the six opposition parties making up the "table for six" applaud as they participate in a meeting to present their program, in Ankara, Türkiye, Jan. 30, 2023. (AFP Photo)

Four codes of the Turkish opposition's manifesto

Turkish-Politics
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    eastern mediterranean roseline a operation irini european union libya crisis khalifa haftar germany sanctions
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    The leaders of the opposition bloc pose on stage before presenting the election program, in the capital Ankara, Türkiye, Jan. 30, 2023. (AFP Photo)

    Turkish opposition bloc reveals road map but still no candidate 

    opposition
    A Toyota C-HR Prologue model, which will be manufactured at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Türkiye (TMMT) in the northwestern province of Sakarya, Türkiye. (Courtesy of TMMT)

    Türkiye plant pitched to manufacture new Toyota C-HR plug-in hybrid

    automotive-industry

    Türkiye warns of 'price' if US fails to deliver long-sought fighter jets

    F-16-FIGHTER-JETS

    Finland probing Paludan's links with Russia: FM Haavisto

    nato-membership
    No Image
    24 hours through the eyes of a child scavenger in India
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021