[ad_1]
From: TT
Published:
February 1 | Photo: Turkish Presidential Office via AP / TT
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a live speech to his party colleagues in the AK Party.
Donald Trump is coming out and Turkey’s economy is collapsing. Then President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to a reluctant Europe with new lures.
– In any case, it signals some kind of opening for diplomacy, says Turkey expert Paul T Levin to TT.
In recent days, Erdogan has stated in various contexts that Turkey is an obvious part of Europe and that he sees his country building a future together with the EU. The contrast is stark to the often harsh words he has addressed to the Union in the past.
– Everyone is likely to be careful about pulling too large gears out of individual returns. Turkey has acted so aggressively and the rhetoric of Erdogan and other prominent politicians has been so fiercely critical for so long that it will probably take quite a while to get it to speak up, says Paul T Levin, who heads the Institute for Turkey Studies at the University. from Stockholm. .
“Turning before Biden”
Levin sees several possible reasons for Erdogan’s move. One is that there have been internal political unrest in which a more aggressive government phalanx has been sidelined. Another is that Turkey’s economy is in free fall and that relations with the country’s largest trading partner, the EU, must be lubricated.
– Another is that you will no longer have Donald Trump as a kind of lifeline. During his campaign and even before, Joe Biden has been much tougher on Turkey and has even been described as the best friend of the Kurds. He has said that he will push for democracy and those issues, says Levin, who notes that public opinion on Turkey has fluctuated in official United States in general.
– It could be seen as something of a turnaround for a future Biden administration, for Erdogan to realize that he can no longer act anyway.
“Inseparable part”
However, Turkish flirtation is not without its reservations. Turkey is an “inseparable part of Europe,” Erdogan said in a speech to his fellow party members on Sunday, but continued:
– This does not mean that we will bow to open attacks on our country and nation, covert injustices and double standards.
The timing is, in a way, even more unexpected. Just a week ago, Erdogan was in Turkish-backed northern Cyprus, pushing for a controversial two-state solution on the island.
In recent months, the arms race has echoed in the eastern Mediterranean as Turkey’s prospects for gas extraction in disputed waters.
When EU leaders hold a summit in mid-December, Turkey will be at the top of the agenda. There has been talk of new sanctions, and the Union’s Foreign Secretary Josep Borrell said earlier this week that Ankara is only moving further and further away from Europe and that the relationship is facing a decisive turning point.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has hinted that patience is wearing thin and the French ditto, Jean-Yves Le Drian, is demanding that Erdogan add action to his beautiful words.
Erdogan said in his party’s speech that he sees no problems “with other countries or institutions that cannot be resolved through politics, dialogue or negotiations.”
Unbelievable ambitions
On paper, Turkey is a candidate for EU membership, despite Erdogan’s ambitions for power and the mass arrests of dissidents. Since 2015, it has an agreement with the EU that Turkey will host about four million refugees heading west.
“The agreement, or rather the EU’s reluctance to accept refugees, has meant that Erdogan has had a kind of control over the EU,” says Levin.
TT: A Turkish membership in the EU then, in the long term?
– It is very difficult to imagine, at least under the Erdogan regime. Even if regime change occurs, I think it would be difficult for many in the EU to dare to trust that Turkey is moving in a stable democratic direction, says Levin, who still believes that membership could benefit both sides, from the right way.
– But I don’t think it’s likely in any kind of foreseeable future.
Published:
