135
competitive capacity have been increasing steadily. It boasts
a young population with qualified citizens who can speak
English. However, a majority of citizen are below poverty
line. They have limited access to electricity, water and basic
food materials. While one fourth of the population make less
than 1 dollar and the one fourth make less than 2 dollar a
day, one fourth of the population is middle and upper middle
class. Despite the fast growth rate, India fails to distribute
the wealth fairly and reach out to rural areas. Furthermore,
there are ethnic, religious and sectarian problems in the
country.
The USA opposed to India’s nuclear program during
the Cold War. However, it changed its position on the matter
in 2000s and began to procure nuclear fuel and technology
to India. Following a policy of balance between the West
and the East, the Atlantic and the Eurasia, the USA and the
UK as well as Russia, India favors settling the dispute
between China and Pakistan by peaceful means. Territorial
disputes are pushed aside. International Energy Agency has
been keeping an eye on India in recent years. India holds a
huge share in global energy demand increase, particularly in
coal consumption.
India’s demand for oil has been soaring. Its demand
for energy is expected to surpass China’s considering the
rising young population in cities. Increase in demand for
coal is expected to make India the second largest coal
producer of the world. Japan will be the world’s largest coal
importer alongside the EU and China in 2020. Dependency
on oil exports is expected to go over 90% by 2040.
234
India
takes sides with Russia and China in BRICS and G20. It
aims to provide access to energy resources and large markets
in the Central Asia through its SCO membership.
Furthermore, it has been consulting with Russia for free
trade zone and customs union agreement.
Simultaneous membership of India and Pakistan, in
2017 is a first in SCO history as well as an interesting
experience in terms of international relations and diplomacy
as the two countries had serious disputes amongst each
other. By allowing this, SCO demonstrated its determinism
234
World Energy Outlook 2015 and 2016 data. International Energy
Agency. www.iea.org.
136
to solve conflicts and gained reputation as an international
organization. This is a constructive and vital move. At a time
when England decided to leave the EU after a referendum in
2016 and US President Trump called NATO an “obsolete”
organization, SCO’s expansion is remarkable. Granting
membership to India, a country with strong ties to the UK
and the USA, SCO has grown stronger, built confidence and
strengthened its hand against the West. SCO has got one step
closer to leveling up from a regional organization to an
international one. Its reach has been extended.
Some resemble India and Pakistan’s membership in
SCO to Germany and France’s involvement in European
Communities as co-founders in order to settle the disputes
between each other after the Second World War. One
difference, however, is that Germany and France were the
founders of the European Union while India and Pakistan are
about to join an organization that was already established.
By joining SCO, these two countries have taken an
important step to settle disputes and demonstrated their will
to add value to the organization. China supported Pakistan
while Russia endorsed India during the membership process.
Although China had issues with India and the two countries
were competitors in many areas, it supported India’s
membership. China believed that it could settle its disputes
with India more efficiently after India’s membership and it
could benefit from its contribution to the organization. While
Pakistan’s problematic relation with the USA escalates, it is
doing better with the Eurasian powers. A 46 billion dollar
agreement was signed between China and Pakistan in 2015
and it covers land routes, railways and pipelines. It is
significant for China’s Silk Road Project. Pakistan’s
relations with Russia also follow a positive course.
Some scholars argue that India’s SCO membership
may bring similar outcomes as England’s EU membership.
In other words, having close relations with both the USA
and the UK, India will keep a foot in both camps, one in the
Atlantic and the other one in SCO. However, it must be
remembered that India was one of the founders of the Non-
Aligned Movement, which is significant for SCO.
Furthermore, the EU and SCO are two different examples as
the EU was founded during the first years of the Cold War
while the SCO was founded only after the end of it. While
137
the EU was founded during the rise of Atlantic powers, SCO
was founded during the rise of the Eurasian powers. The EU
was founded and expanded with the US support, which
makes it an organization of western imperialism. SCO, on
the other hand, is an organization founded by Eurasia’s great
powers as well as its developing nations. The EU aimed to
reconcile Germany and France that had disputes throughout
history and helped the USA to become more influential in
Europe. SCO aimed for regional cooperation under the
leadership of Russia and China as it was founded against the
USA’s influence in Eurasia. The EU is a supra-national
organization, which means a transfer of power for
membership. SCO is an international organization and never
set that goal for itself. It preferred not to become one not
only due to member states’ regimes but also it was not a
decision that would bring fruitful results.
3) How Popular is Eurasianism in Turkey?
Despite having some ground at intellectual level, the
idea of Eurasianism is not embraced in Turkey by strong
political parties, Turkish National Assembly, public opinion
and mainstream media. Eurasianism advocates a region-
centered foreign policy and mostly adopted by circles that
stand aloof from the USA and the EU. The only political
party that supports Eurasianism and SCO membership
openly and includes it in its agenda is Vatan (Patriotic)
Party. Some nationalists, supporters of Turkism, socialists
and left Kemalists also embrace the movement. Regarding
Eurasianism as a strong alternative to relations with the
West, these circles attach importance to the movement on a
strategic level.
235
On the other hand, circles that attach importance to
Eurasian geography and advocate establishing close ties with
the countries in the region if not defend Eurasianism do not
regard Eurasia as an alternative to the West as much as SCO
to NATO and the EU. They think that Eurasianism should be
235
Some of the work that set the basis for discussions on Eurasianism in
Turkey:
Aleksandr Dugin, Rus Jeopolitiği Avrasyacı Yaklaşım, Küre Yayınları,
İstanbul, 2003.
Meşdi İsmayılov, Avrasyacılık, Doğu Batı Yayınları, İstanbul, 2011.
Mehmet Perinçek, Avrasyacılık, Bilgi Yayınevi, Ankara, 2006.
Dostları ilə paylaş: |