[TURKEY] Crafting The Ties That Bind

[Retroliser]

@NagandEmerald
Hakim Usta, the special ambassador of Turkey, picked up the telephone and, after requesting that the call be scrambled to ensure security and privacy, put a call through to the German Foreign Minister, Karsten Jürke.

 

[NagandEmerald]

Upon the phone call being received by Karsten, after encryption and scrambling was done by the Federal Intelligence Service, he answered it. It was in a tone that wasn't at all tired; since taking Doctor Mason's advice on getting a daybed for his office, he had certainly gotten better sleep.

"Good afternoon, this is the office of Karsten Jürke, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs for the German Reich. What can I help you with today?"

 

[Retroliser]

"It most certainly is a good afternoon, Mr. Jürke," Hakim replied, while looking out of the window of the Turkish embassy in Berlin. "My name is Hakim Usta, I am sure that you are aware of who I am due to my interactions with His Majesty, The Kaiser, and your envoy to The Global Assembly. I have travelled to Berlin to speak to you about a matter that, even with measures taken to protect the integrity of this call, can only be discussed in person. When will it be convenient for you to speak with me?"

 

[NagandEmerald]

Upon hearing of a matter that required Hakim to speak with him in person, the Foreign Minister took a moment to place Mr. Usta on hold before setting up a direct, encrypted line to the Reich Chancellery. Even if Chancellor Nahles was not present, she would still get the message, directly to her voicemail. After taking Usta on hold, the Foreign Minister spoke softly, and gave clear instructions to Usta.

"Alright...if we have something important to discuss that can't be done over the phone, then you wouldn't mind discussing it at the Reich Chancellery, would you? I would rather I not be the only person with knowledge here in the government on what it is you wish to talk about."

 

[Retroliser]

"That is actually most helpful," Hakim admitted. "I initially planned to request that I speak to yourself, Defence Minister Peter Nickel, His Majesty, and The Chancellor, simultaneously, but I considered that a bit too demanding. However, getting half of the desired individuals in one place is excellent."

 

[NagandEmerald]

"I would not consider that too much of a hassle...though, I assume that His Majesty is busy as of the moment, so we can substitute him with the Federal Minister for the Royal Household. Defence Minister Nickel, however, I am uncertain of. He has been working harder than I have, given that he's been dealing with the rearmament and retraining of German military personnel. Regardless, if you can come by the Reich Chancellery by around 7:30 this evening, I can get you what you desire. But, before I do that, I want only a basic explanation as to what is going to be discussed."

 

[Retroliser]

"Basic..." Hakim repeated, while mulling over what he could reveal. After a few moments, he finally responded. "International politics and relations."

 

[NagandEmerald]

The German Foreign Minister scratched his chin in thought. International politics was his niche, his whole career at the moment...if it was that important, he could've spoke about it over the phone or by email.

"Interesting...that doesn't reveal enough...what kind of International politics? You needn't give me a full rundown, but I expect something important that I can relay to the Reich Chancellor."

 

[Retroliser]

Sighing, Hakim scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"It will ensure peace, prosperity and cooperation among nations indefinitely," He explained. "And, as a result, protect Germany's stability, position and wealth on the global stage."

 

[NagandEmerald]

With an idea now in mind, the Foreign Minister cleared his throat and nodded as he started again.

"Okay...well, I thank you for the hint. I'll make sure to pass this along to the Chancellery and Royal Household. Remember: 7:30 this evening, and I would prefer it to be 7:30 sharp, if it's that important." Karsten's tone could've been taken as perhaps a little rude, but something that important to Germany could not be understated. If it required His Majesty's and the Chancellor's attention at the same time, it was certainly of immense importance.

 

[Retroliser]

After saying farewell, and hanging up, Hakim chuckled to himself.

"So impatient." He murmured quietly, before preparing himself for the meeting. At 19:30, on the dot, Hakim exited the chauffeur-driven car he had taken to The Reich Chancellery and swiftly entered the building with a briefcase in his hand.

 

[NagandEmerald]

Upon entering the Reich Chancellery, one could see that the hustle and bustle was far less than what it would be in the middle of the day. In the main lobby, Foreign Affairs Minister Karsten Jürke was waiting patiently, and upon seeing Mr. Usta, he walked over with a smile and outstretched his hand.

"Good evening. Right on the dot, just as I hoped," the minister commented, his expression seeming much more friendly and patient than what Hakim had heard over the phone. Perhaps it was because the man was busier in the middle of the day, with a full schedule, or perhaps it was just the way he spoke on the phone.

 

[Retroliser]

Hakim looked down at the hand for a moment, before reaching out with a gloved hand and giving it a shake.

"Good evening," He replied. "Are the others present?"

 

[NagandEmerald]

"Of course," Karsten acknowledged, tone far different from the man on the phone. If it weren't for the same voice, Hakim would've thought that they were two different people.

"Please, follow me." The minister turned on the spot and began walking over to the elevators. When Hakim followed, the two stepped into one of them and went up to the third floor, taking a left and heading towards one of the meeting rooms of the Cabinet. Inside, Chancellor Nahles was talking with Defence Minister Nickel and Celina Kästner quietly bided her time by preparing a notebook with the Kaiser's seal on it. Upon the pair entering, Nahles turned, excusing herself from the conversation with Minister Nickel and looking to Hakim with a cold, steely gaze.

"You must be Hakim Usta. Please, take a seat, and we can begin whenever you're ready." Straight to the point, not even giving herself an introduction. Were it not for the Kaiser being responsible primarily for final conclusions on foreign relations, people could see her as a rather insulting politician...but that was not a matter for now. Now was the time for whatever it was Hakim had to present to her, and her colleagues.

 

[Retroliser]

Ignoring the tone, and lack of introduction, Hakim placed his briefcase on the table and opened it.

"Ladies, gentlemen," He began with a glance towards each of them. "As you are no doubt aware, The Global Assembly has had some disturbing resolutions presented, which to seek to turn the supranational organisation into a pseudo-world government. It is clear that there are nations out there with sinister designs for The Assembly, and will take advantage of the legal obligations placed upon its members to subjugate those who wish to dare defy their suggestions.

Suffice to say, I am here to broach the possibility of an alternative organisation that encourages dialogue, cooperation and friendship among its members, while ensuring that sovereignty is not encroached."

With the opening statement complete, Hakim retrieved a set of papers and handed one to each of the ministers.

"This is a copy of the basic framework for the initiative," He explained. "In essence, it requires the signatories to ensure permanent contact between each other at a high enough level to allow meaningful, effective and efficient cooperation between them, in the event that one nation triggers article 3 and obligates all signatories to discuss the crisis they wish to receive assistance for."

---

International Cooperation Accord​

Recognising the need for mechanisms that enable easier cooperation and communication than the orthodox method of utilising ones diplomatic missions situated within other nations, His Imperial and Royal Majesty, The German Emperor & King of Prussia, and His Imperial Majesty, Sultan Süleyman III, henceforth referred to as Germany and Turkey respectively, have agreed to the following framework that will create the aforementioned mechanisms with that common purpose in mind. As such, Germany and Turkey, through properly accredited diplomat officials, have agreed to the following terms:

1. The signatories of this document will remain in permanent contact with each other, in order to come to ensure ease of communication regarding common interests.
2. A location will be selected on by the signatories that will be the agreed location for all meetings of the signatories, or delegates, engaging in matters mentioned in Article 1.
   1. In the event that no single location can be agreed on by all parties, each signatory may select a location within their own borders that will be utilised as a meeting place the other signatories, or their delegates, will use in the event that the host country requires the attention of the others. The official meeting place under this arrangement will rotate on a bi-annual basis in alphabetical order derived from the locations name.
3. In the event that the interests of a signatory are threatened by foreign or international influences, they can consult the remaining signatories regarding measures that will be enacted to protect the aforementioned interests as a unified group.
4. Any amendment to the obligations and text of this document may only occur if all signatories at the time of the amendment being suggested agree unanimously.
5. Signatories may craft optional protocols, which supplement the relationship created by this document.
   1. All protocols crafted as a result of Article 5 must have the option for adherents to freely withdraw from them.
6. Nations not mentioned in the preamble may be permitted to become official adherents, making them equal to the original signatories, to the terms written in this document with the unanimous consent of the current signatories at the time of the request.

Signed And Ratified By:

Hakim Usta, Ambassador & Plenipotentiary For Turkey​

__________​

__________​

---

"Any questions?"

 

[NagandEmerald]

Each member of the Cabinet took a look through the document several times, with Miss Kästner taking more read-throughs than the others. Upon finishing, the Federal Foreign Minister turned back to Hakim and cleared his throat.

"If I may, this accord states the crafting of "protocols". What exactly do these entail? Alliances? Economic agreements? I am very confused by the terminology here."

"And what of International Law?" Chancellor Nahles questioned, "Certainly you do not intend to break obvious treaties of international law through this organization, do you? How will we ensure that countries are not joining us to drag us into a war of aggression or deal in shady financial practices?"

 

[Retroliser]

"If you read Article 3 again," Hakim replied. "It only guarantees that the signatories will discuss the crisis with the intent of finding a unified solution. However, there is no legal obligation for an agreement to be found. Indeed, it may be the case that only some of the signatories agree on a course of action, while others remain neutral.

As for the query regarding protocols, they can, theoretically, be about anything, as long as they allow signatories to withdraw from them freely. To provide an example, Nation A puts forward a potential protocol that seeks to create a visa-free zone among all signatories of this framework. Nation C accepts the idea, but Nation B doesn't. Instead of the entire idea being scrapped, the protocol would be enacted, but only Nations A and C will be adhering to the obligations. If, after its passage, Nation D joins the framework, they won't automatically become a signatory of the protocol, they will have to seek the approval of the other signatories to that protocol before joining.

The intention is that, over time, a variety of protocols can be crafted that bind members on certain topics, such as trade, alliances, military cooperation and so forth. However, the beauty of it is that members can tailor their membership to their specific needs. As such, the organisation maintains its basic premise of ensuring that the nation state remains sovereign, but facilitates cooperation and dialogue. Naturally, members can create bilateral agreements on their own without having to use the framework laid down in the document you have just read, but this provides a focal point for discussion."

 

[NagandEmerald]

"I think you misunderstand me," Chancellor Nahles stated bluntly, "I am asking in regards to whether or not we will adhere to international law as set by the Global Assembly, or if we will make our own."

 

[Retroliser]

"I would say that if we do not make our own, then The Global Assembly's law should be abided by" He replied. "Albeit, there would have to be exceptions, like the financial practices and minority languages resolutions your envoy has undoubtedly informed you of."

 

[NagandEmerald]

"Of course. This makes sense," Nahles concluded, bringing her questions to a close.

"I have a question regarding this...why Germany? Why would Germany be picked for this, out of all of the other nations?" Minister Kästner asked, this being the first time she had spoken since entering into this meeting.