THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-May 3, 2017- Topic 2

Turkish detour

Erdogan's visit highlights the need to refresh ties

There is usually a heightened exchange of diplomatic niceties between two countries just before a high-level bilateral visit. However, the optics and the statements issued by India and Turkey just ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit were distinctly undiplomatic. Just ahead of his trip to India, his first bilateral visit since 2008 when he was Prime Minister, Mr. Erdogan chose to make comments guaranteed to strike a discordant note in New Delhi. 

He said the Kashmir issue could be resolved through “multilateral negotiations”, and offered himself as an intermediary with Pakistan. Mr. Erdogan knows the region well, and is aware of India’s consistent position on resolving the Kashmir dispute bilaterally. That his comments came on the heels of his visit to Pakistan last year where he pledged Turkey’s support to the host’s position on Kashmir made them more pointed. New Delhi also made what could well be considered as a provocative gesture by inviting Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades just days before Mr. Erdogan was due, while Vice President Hamid Ansari made a previously unannounced visit to Armenia. The decision on the visits related to two countries that Turkey doesn’t maintain diplomatic ties with was described by India as a “coincidence”.

Given this backdrop, Mr. Erdogan’s visit did manage to meet the somewhat lowered expectations. His rapport with Narendra Modi is strong, and much bonhomie was on display. Both countries pledged to revive bilateral trade, which has been declining, besides improving air connectivity and increasing tourist arrivals. Mr. Erdogan’s comments on supporting India’s bid for the UN Security Council membership came with the rider on other countries being included, and for the Nuclear Suppliers Group with the caveat of support for Pakistan. But it is certainly a start that could lead to deeper engagement on the two issues. Significantly, while condemning terrorism he mentioned only Naxal violence and did not refer to terrorism emanating from Pakistan. India-Turkey ties date back centuries: Mughal rulers and the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire exchanged diplomatic missions. The poet Rumi and the Sufi movement there found easy synergy with the Bhakti and Sufi movements here. In the 20th century India’s freedom fighters supported the Turkish independence movement. Turkey under Mr. Erdogan has in recent years turned away from the old equation, as he sought to bolster his image as a leader of the Islamic world. It is to New Delhi’s credit that it chose to persist in its diplomacy with this important West Asian country, with the hope that sustained contact will refresh the relationship in a way that reflects shared concerns and is not hyphenated with ties with Pakistan — as India has been able to do with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Vocabulary

Niceties: a fine detail or distinction, especially one regarded as intricate and fussy.

Example: She was never interested in the niceties of Greek and Latin

Synonyms: subtlety, fine point, nuance, refinement, detail

Discordant: disagreeing or incongruous.

Example: The principle of meritocracy is discordant with claims of inherited worth

Synonyms: different, in disagreement, at variance, at odds, divergent

Consistent: unchanging in achievement or effect over a period of time.

Example: Manufacturing processes require a consistent approach

Synonyms: constant, regular, uniform, steady, stable, even, unchanging, undeviating

Heel: the back part of the foot below the ankle.

Example: Knees are bent and held in front of the chest, with the heels positioned below the hips

Provocative: causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction, especially deliberately.

Example: A provocative article

Synonyms: annoying, irritating, exasperating, infuriating, maddening

Rapport: a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well.

Example: She was able to establish a good rapport with the children

Synonyms: affinity, close relationship, understanding, mutual understanding

Bonhomie: cheerful friendliness; geniality.

Example: He exuded good humor and bonhomie

Emanating: something abstract but perceptible issue or spread out from a source.

Example: Warmth emanated from the fireplace

Synonyms: originate, stem, derive, proceed, spring, issue, emerge

Persist: continue firmly or obstinately in an opinion or a course of action in spite of difficulty, opposition, or failure.

Example: The minority of drivers who persist in drinking