ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has toned down his anti-Western and anti-American rhetoric in an apparent effort to restore shaky relations with his NATO allies, but so far he has been met with silence from the US. President Joe Biden.
Nearly two months after his presidency, Biden Erdogan still hasn’t called, which some in Turkey see as a disturbing sign. By contrast, former President Donald Trump and Erdogan spoke just days after the 2016 election.
Ties between Ankara and Washington – who once viewed each other as strategic partners – have steadily deteriorated in recent years due to differences in Syria, Turkey’s cooperation with Russia and more recently over Turkish naval interventions in the Eastern Mediterranean, reported by US officials. described as destabilizing.
Despite tensions, many within the Erdogan administration were hoping for four more years of the Trump-led administration, which had a personal connection with Erdogan and failed to lecture him on the human rights record in Turkey.
Biden was angry with Turkish officials after an interview with the New York Times in which he spoke of supporting Turkish opposition to “autocrat” Erdogan.
In public statements, Turkish officials have downplayed the lack of a call from the White House, noting that talks are taking place at other levels, but a senior Turkish government official told The Associated Press that Erdogan’s office is “not happy” about it. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said last week that there were many world leaders that Biden had still not spoken to and that she was sure he would call Erdogan “ someday. ”
Left with few friends due to a wave of assertive foreign policy, anti-Western rhetoric and growing authoritarianism, Turkey is now seeking to attract foreign investment to save its troubled economy. Erdogan has reached out to the US, European nations and other former allies in an effort to mend troubled relations and end international isolation.
Biden, who has spoken of re-establishing international alliances and traditional ties and strengthening NATO, would have an interest in rebuilding ties and trying to pull Turkey out of Russia’s sphere of influence.
But analysts say it will be very difficult to reset the relationship, given the series of issues the two countries disagree on, including Turkey’s decision to purchase Russia’s advanced S-400 anti-aircraft system, which Washington says. threatens NATO and the US F-35 fighter jet program. Washington kicked Turkey out of the F-35 production program and last year imposed sanctions on senior officials in the Turkish defense industry, as well as a ban on military export permits.
Turkey argues that the Russian system, which cost the country $ 2.5 billion, does not pose a threat to the NATO alliance and has repeatedly called for dialogue to resolve the problem. Washington insists that the sanctions cannot be lifted as long as the Russian system remains on Turkish soil.
At a Senate hearing prior to his confirmation as US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken described Turkey as a “so-called strategic partner” and called it “unacceptable” that Turkey “is” aligned with one of our biggest strategic competitors in Russia. “.
Merve Tahiroglu of the Washington-based Project on Middle East Democracy said it would be difficult for Erdogan to get back on the S-400 “because he made such a big deal on the purchase and what it would mean for geopolitics. independence from Turkey. “
US military support for Syrian Kurdish fighters to fight the Islamic State group is another point of contention. Turkey says they are inextricably linked to a decades-long Kurdish uprising, and Defense Secretary Hulusi Akar has said that ties cannot improve unless Washington ends its cooperation with the Syrian Kurdish group.
In 2019, Biden accused Trump of betraying US allies following the latter’s decision to withdraw troops from Northern Syria, paving the way for a Turkish military offensive against the Syrian Kurdish group.
The Biden government is likely to put pressure on Turkey over its energy dispute with Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean, which led to a tense standoff between two NATO members. Turkey has since halted its quest for energy reserves in disputed waters, while Erdogan has toned down his fiery rhetoric.
Gonul Tol, director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies, said Turkey cannot make concessions in the Eastern Mediterranean “because it is considered a national matter by much of Turkish society.”
The Biden administration is expected to place more emphasis on democracy and human rights than Trump. During a telephone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Blinken underlined the “importance of democratic institutions, including governance and respect for human rights” for Turkey, according to a US reading of the conversation.
Last week, Erdogan promised a series of reforms to improve human rights, but analysts said they were unlikely to have a huge impact or lead to the release from prison of high-profile figures such as activist Osman Kavala, who is accused of having links with government anti-protests in 2013 and a failed coup attempt in 2016.
“For a real reset, the Biden administration needs to see more of a democratization process … that could come in the form of major judicial reforms or the release of some of the most controversial political figures,” said Tahiroglu.
Turkey is also seeking to extradite US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, who accuses Ankara of orchestrating a failed military coup in 2016. US officials say Ankara has been unable to provide documents that would allow his extradition. Turkey accuses Washington of sheltering him.
Ties are also in danger of being severed by a lawsuit against Turkey’s state-owned bank, Halkbank, accused of helping Iran evade US sanctions worth $ 20 billion.
“If the court convicts Halkbank, it will be devastating for the Turkish economy and I don’t see how you can reset after that,” said Tol.