Argentina–Turkey relations

Turkish-Argentine relations

Argentina
Turkey

Argentina–Turkey relations are foreign relations between Argentina and Turkey. Argentina has an embassy in Ankara and Turkey has an embassy in Buenos Aires. Turkey's staunch support for fellow NATO member United Kingdom during the Falklands War and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Argentine parliament have soured relations between the two countries.

History and diplomatic incidents

President Cristina Kirchner and President Abdullah Gul in Ankara, 2011.

Relations between the two countries became sour during the Falklands War where Turkey gave full support to the United Kingdom. In 1992 Argentine President Carlos Menem visited Turkey as the first Latin American head of state ever to visit Turkey. On 24 April 2007, the Argentine Parliament signed into law a bill titled "The Action Day for Tolerance and Respect between Peoples for the Memory of Armenian Genocide," thus recognizing the Armenian Genocide despite Turkish international claims that it cannot be classified as such. Turkey deplored and rejected the bill and in an official statement stated that it was "unethical and far from being serious." In 2007, the Turkish Ambassador in Buenos Aires, Hayri Hayret Yalav, was summoned for consultations at the Foreign Ministry in Ankara to review bilateral relations with Argentina.[1]

Prior to the decision to pass the April 2007 bill, which was taken in January of the same year, relations were generally cordial although not especially strong. The Turkish Daily News has written that the two nations mostly acted together at the UN.[2] The Daily News opined that the Turkish Embassy in Buenos Aires has not been very effective, resulting in a missed opportunity to further improve relations and access to the rest of Latin America. The Argentina-Turkey Friendship Foundation (ATFF), an NGO operating in Argentina, plays a large role, assisting with cultural exchange by running classes on Turkish cooking and the Turkish language, and by sometimes handing out food to the poor.[2]

Economic links

Turkey and Argentina have signed an Economic and Commercial Cooperation Agreement. As of 2008, Turkish exports to Argentina stand at $35 million, while Argentine exports to Turkey stand at $221 million. Argentina is Turkey's third biggest economic partner in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico.[3]

Nuclear cooperation

On 3 May 1988, Argentina and Turkey signed a 15-year nuclear cooperation agreement, following Turkey's drive for nuclear fuel cycle independence. Argentina agreed to study the feasibility of building a 300 MWe PWR designed by Empresa Nuclear Argentina de Centrales.[4] Other fuel cycle activities were also explored.[5]

In October 1990, Turkish companies Sezai Turkes-Fevzi Akkaya and TEK formed a joint engineering agreement with Argentine agencies Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica and Investigaciones Applicadas to develop two CAREM-25 nuclear reactors, one in each country, with construction to begin in 1991 in Argentina and in 1992 in Turkey.[4] Former Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Ozal and Argentine President Carlos Menem personally negotiated the deal. However, the arrangement was cancelled a year later due to international pressure because of proliferation concerns.[4][5]

Visits

Guest Host Place of visit Date of visit
Argentina President Carlos Menem Turkey President Turgut Özal Çankaya Köşkü, Ankara May 8-11, 1992
Turkey President Süleyman Demirel Argentina President Carlos Menem Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires April, 1995
Argentina President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner Turkey President Abdullah Gül Ankara and Istanbul January 20–21, 2011

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Turkey's relations with Argentina under scrutiny". Today.Az. 15 February 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  2. 1 2 "Turkish Community in Buenos Aires". Turkish Daily News. 20 March 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  3. ↑ [http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=33575 "TURKEY SEEKS TO INCREASE TRADE WITH LATIN AMERICA"]. Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume. April 23, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  4. 1 2 3 "The CANDU Syndrome: Canada's Bid to Export Nuclear Reactors to Turkey". Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout. September 1997. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  5. 1 2 Kibaroglu, Mustafa. "TURKEY'S QUEST FOR PEACEFUL NUCLEAR POWER" (PDF). James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies: The Non-Proliferation Review (Spring-Summer 1997). pp. 37–38. Retrieved 2009-08-13.

External links

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