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Turkey Has No Illusions About West, Dependency on US Keeps it Away From Russia, Says Analyst
Turkey Has No Illusions About West, Dependency on US Keeps it Away From Russia, Says Analyst
Sputnik International
In recent years, Washington and a number of European states have become Ankara’s leading trade partners. Turkey also maintains various military and defence... 08.06.2022, Sputnik International
2022-06-08T08:05+0000
2022-06-08T08:05+0000
2022-06-08T08:35+0000
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Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to arrive in Turkey on Wednesday, where he will be accompanied by officials from Russia's Defence Ministry.Two issues are on the agenda. The first is Turkey's potential operation in Tel Rifaat and Mannix, northern Syria, where Turkish forces are conducting operations against Kurdish militias with links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara. The second is the situation around Ukraine and the struggle to unblock food supplies that are currently stranded at Black Sea ports which are mined by the Ukrainians.Since Finland and Sweden first expressed their willingness to join NATO, President Erdogan has exercised his veto right. He made his approval conditional upon the two Nordic countries moving to extradite PKK members who are wanted in Turkey. He demanded that the two states recognised the YPG and its political wing, the Democratic Union Party, as terrorist groups.No IllusionsBut Soner says Turkey has no illusions. "NATO is dominated by the US. And they are the ones who are pushing for the admission of Sweden and Finland. If Turkey objects, Washington will try to exclude it from the organisation. It will largely depend on the voices of other countries whether Ankara will be able to sustain its veto right."This is not the first time that Washington has acted against the interests of Turkey. In 2020, for example, the US imposed sanctions on Ankara following its purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. It has also suspended Turkey from the global F-35 Joint Strike Fighter partnership and threatened to remove it from the cooperation altogether, if the Turkish authorities didn't drop their military dealings with Moscow.The reason for this, believes the political analyst, stems from several factors. One of them is an array of defence agreements between the West and Ankara that generate billions of dollars in revenue. Such is the case with their armoured amphibious rigs, their antitank vehicles, as well as a wide range of turret solutions that are used by multiple NATO members.Another is the vast trade with the US and the European states, which are regarded as Turkey's leading partners. Finally a combination of political interests tie the Turkish government to the West.However, it is not always about interests, and Soner says Turkey has been pushed to the fold of the West because of the reluctance of some of Turkish eastern partners, including China and Russia, to ignore its concerns.Some voices within Turkey, including the leader of Nationalist Movement Party Devlet Bahceli, have already expressed their desire to scrap their dependence on the US and NATO. Reports and studies showed that Turkey might now be reorienting itself towards Russia and the East. Soner says that if such a scenario takes place, it will be to the benefit of his country and the region.
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Turkey Has No Illusions About West, Dependency on US Keeps it Away From Russia, Says Analyst
08:05 GMT 08.06.2022 (Updated: 08:35 GMT 08.06.2022) In recent years, Washington and a number of European states have become Ankara’s leading trade partners. Turkey also maintains various military and defence agreements with the West and maintains a variety of political interests beyond the Atlantic.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to arrive in Turkey on Wednesday, where he will be accompanied by officials from Russia's Defence Ministry.
Two issues are on the agenda. The first is Turkey's potential operation in Tel Rifaat and Mannix, northern Syria, where Turkish forces are conducting operations against Kurdish militias with links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara.
The second is the
situation around Ukraine and the struggle to unblock food supplies that are currently stranded at Black Sea ports which are mined by the Ukrainians.
"Lavrov is also expected to talk about sanctions and the potential inclusion of Finland and Sweden into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation," said Yunus Soner, a political analyst and a former deputy chairman of Vatan, a socialist party in Turkey. "For Turkey, their acceptance is problematic and it will mean that Ankara's own membership in the organisation has been cancelled and its rights have been ignored," he added.
Since Finland and Sweden first expressed their willingness to join NATO, President Erdogan has exercised his veto right. He made his approval conditional upon the two Nordic countries moving to extradite PKK members who are wanted in Turkey. He demanded that the two states recognised the YPG and its political wing, the Democratic Union Party, as terrorist groups.
But Soner says Turkey has no illusions. "NATO is dominated by the US. And they are the ones who are pushing for the admission of Sweden and Finland. If Turkey objects, Washington will try to exclude it from the organisation. It will largely depend on the voices of other countries whether Ankara will be able to sustain its veto right."
This is not the first time that Washington has acted against the interests of Turkey. In 2020, for example, the US imposed sanctions on Ankara following its purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. It has also
suspended Turkey from the global F-35 Joint Strike Fighter partnership and threatened to remove it from the cooperation altogether, if the Turkish authorities didn't drop their military dealings with Moscow.
"Our government knows that the West throws its support behind some terror groups [that threaten Turkish stability - ed.] They also suspect that the West was behind the 2016 coup [that aimed at overthrowing President Erdogan - ed.]. But breaking away from the West is going to be very difficult."
The reason for this, believes the political analyst, stems from several factors. One of them is an array of
defence agreements between the West and Ankara that generate billions of dollars in revenue. Such is the case with their armoured amphibious rigs, their antitank vehicles, as well as a wide range of turret solutions that are used by multiple NATO members.
Another is the vast trade with the US and the European states, which are regarded as Turkey's leading partners. Finally a combination of political interests tie the Turkish government to the West.
However, it is not always about interests, and Soner says Turkey has been pushed to the fold of the West because of the reluctance of some of Turkish eastern partners, including China and Russia, to ignore its concerns.
"Turkish neighbours have been suspicious of Turkey because of its long NATO membership and its West oriented past. So what they do is that they refrain from involving the country in various projects and regional organisations," said Soner. "So if Russia and the East want to see a change in Turkish policies, they need to make sure to encourage it by involving Ankara".
Some voices within Turkey, including the leader of Nationalist Movement Party Devlet Bahceli, have already expressed their desire to
scrap their dependence on the US and NATO. Reports and studies showed that Turkey might now be
reorienting itself towards Russia and the East. Soner says that if such a scenario takes place, it will be to the benefit of his country and the region.
"Sticking with the West has bankrupted Turkey economically. It brought in millions of refugees. It put us on the edge of terror threats and insecurity. We need to take another route. It won't be easy. We will have conflict because of this transition but tilting towards the East might end up being better for Turkey."
