VOA标准英语2008年-Turkey Defines New Role in Middle East Diplomac

Turkish foreign minister Ali Babacan is in Tehran to help find a solution to the ongoing¹ tensions over Iran's nuclear aspirations². Turkey is increasingly playing an active role in working to resolve tensions across the Middle East. Earlier this year it was revealed Ankara had mediated³ the Syrian-Israeli peace talks. Dorian Jones reports for VOA on Turkey's increasingly active diplomatic role in the region.

On the eve of crucial talks between Iran and the international community in Geneva earlier this month, Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki visited Ankara, for talks with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan. The meeting centered on Iran's nuclear program, and international fears Tehran is seeking to build a nuclear bomb, a charge Iran denies.

As the crisis continues, Turkey has stepped up its role in helping⁴ to resolve the tensions. Speaking after meeting with his counterpart, Mottaki thanked Turkey.

He said we are in continuous discussions and Turkey has always followed Iran's nuclear activities. He thanked Turkey for its constructive⁵ attitude to Iran's nuclear activities.

Babacan in the past month has been talking with officials in Iran and the United States as well as representatives from the six countries negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program. For Babacan, trust and clarity are key to resolving the crisis.

What is important is that parties should understand each other clearly, he said, adding he had the opportunity to learn the views and approach of both Iran and the group of the six countries. He said, this issue must be solved through dialogue.

While Turkey has been active in mediating⁶ crises around the Middle East, Babacan described his country's role as un-named.

Gokhan Cetinsaya of Istanbul Technical University, an expert on Turkish-Iranian relations and unofficial adviser⁷ to the foreign ministry⁸, says it's key that Ankara is seen as a credible⁹ negotiator.

"I think in that sense Turkey is in a very unique position. Iran knows Turkey is also going to lose if there is going to be a war between Iran and United States. So Turkey is sincere in that sense. It's a unique role at this particular moment in the regional politics -- both Iran and Israel. Can you imagine? Maybe five years ago it was different," he said.

Five years ago was when the present Islamic-rooted Justice and development party, or AK party, came to power. The AK leadership, which has strong ties with many Middle Eastern rulers has, unlike its recent predecessors¹⁰, chosen to be actively¹¹ engaged in the region, according to Soli Ozel an international relations expert at Bilgi University.

"There is no question this government in particular pays serious attention to the Middle East wishes to make Turkey an important player in developments whether it be the Israeli-Syrian front, whether it be Iraq or Israeli-Palestine front," he said.

In Iraq Turkey played a pivotal role in persuading Sunni Iraqi leaders to participate in the 2005 general election, after a secret meeting in Istanbul. Turkish diplomatic sources also say Ankara recently helped to end an impasse¹² in Lebanon between rival political parties over the presidential election.

But it's Ankara's role in brokering¹⁴ the start of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel, which further defined their role in the region.

For the last few months, secret talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv have been held in Istanbul. The most recent was this week, and further talks are reported to be scheduled for mid-August. Soli Ozel explains Ankara's role.

"It's more than a messenger , and less than a mediator¹⁵, I think the appropriate term to use is a facilitator. Obviously this shows all concerned parties, trust Turkey." he said.

Near and Middle Eastern countries have been deeply suspicious of the Turks, who once ruled them as part of the Ottoman Empire. But history appears to be giving way to growing concerns over Iran's nuclear program.

Experts say Turkey, for now at least, appears to be in the unique position as the region's only honest broker¹³. Ankara's success has been built on the foundation of five years of political and economic stability at home. But Istanbul Technical University's Cetinsaya warns that those diplomatic gains can be easily lost.

"It is vulnerable, let's say, to economic crisis, political crisis, or change of actors," he said. "The actors are important in pursuing such a foreign policy . In that sense it's reversible in forthcoming months.

The ruling AK party this week narrowly escaped closure by the country's constitutional court after being convicted of undermining the secular¹⁶ state. With Ankara playing an increasingly active diplomatic role in the region, at a time of high political tension, experts say the repercussions¹⁷ of Turkey's internal strife¹⁸ could affect areas far beyond its borders.

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

3 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

6 mediating   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的现在分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• So many factors are mediating. 如此众多的因素在起作用。
• The contrast in mediating noted in the sitting room. 客厅中注重了调和中的对比。

7 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

10 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

12 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

13 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

14 brokering   

v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的现在分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• Intertwined with these were rivalry, power brokering, and patronage. 然而也不乏有抗争、强权操纵与任命特权交织其中。 来自互联网
• Kingston Quest Can Assist Your Company In Negotiations, Brokering, Agency Services, Sourcing Factories Or Property. 金士顿追求，可帮助您的公司在谈判中，经纪，代理服务，货源工厂或财产。 来自互联网

15 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

16 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

17 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。