ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan toned down his anti-Western and anti-US rhetoric in an apparent effort to restart the rocky relationship with his NATO allies, but so far he has been welcomed by the silence of US President Joe Biden.
Almost two months after his presidency, Biden has yet to call Erdogan, which some in Turkey see as a worrying signal. In contrast, former President Donald Trump and Erdogan spoke just days after the 2016 election.
The ties between Ankara and Washington – previously considered strategic partners – have deteriorated in recent years due to differences in Syria, Turkey’s cooperation with Russia and, more recently, Turkish naval interventions in the eastern Mediterranean, which the American authorities described as destabilizing.
Despite the tensions, many in Erdogan’s government were looking forward to another four years of government led by Trump, who had a personal relationship with Erdogan and did not give him a lecture on Turkey’s human rights record.
Biden sparked the ire of Turkish officials after an interview with the New York Times in which he talked about supporting Turkey’s opposition to “autocrat” Erdogan.
In public statements, Turkish officials downplayed the lack of a call from the White House, noting that the talks are taking place at other levels, but a senior Turkish government official told the Associated Press that Erdogan’s office “is not enthusiastic” about this. . The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the delicacy of the issue.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said last week that there were many world leaders that Biden had not yet spoken to and that she was sure he would call Erdogan “at some point”.
Left with few friends due to a flurry of assertive foreign policy, anti-Western rhetoric and growing authoritarianism, Turkey is now looking to attract foreign investment to rescue its troubled economy. Erdogan has sought out the United States, European nations and other former allies in an attempt to fix troubled relationships and end their international isolation.
Biden, who spoke about restoring international alliances and traditional ties, as well as strengthening NATO, would be interested in rebuilding ties and trying to get Turkey out of Russia’s sphere of influence.
But analysts say it will be very difficult to restart the relationship, given the range of issues on which the two countries disagree, including Turkey’s decision to acquire the advanced Russian anti-aircraft system S-400, which Washington says poses a threat to NATO and for the US F-35 fighter jet program. Washington expelled Turkey from the F-35’s production program and last year imposed sanctions on top officials in the Turkish defense industry, as well as bans on military export licenses.
Turkey argues that the Russian system, which cost the country $ 2.5 billion, is not a threat to the NATO alliance and has repeatedly called for dialogue to resolve the issue. Washington insists that sanctions cannot be lifted as long as the Russian system remains on Turkish soil.
During a Senate hearing before his confirmation as US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken described Turkey as an “alleged strategic partner” and said it is “unacceptable” for Turkey to be “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 pull back on the S-400 “because he did a great deal on the purchase and what it would mean for Turkey’s geopolitical independence”.
American military support for Syrian Kurdish fighters to fight the Islamic State group is another point of contention. Turkey argues that they are inextricably linked to a decades-old Kurdish insurgency and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said ties cannot improve unless Washington interrupts its cooperation with the Syrian Kurdish group.
In 2019, Biden accused Trump of betraying U.S. allies following the latter’s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria, which paved the way for a Turkish military offensive against the Syrian Kurdish group.
The Biden government is expected to put pressure on Turkey in its energy dispute with Greece in the eastern Mediterranean, which has led to a tense standoff between two NATO members. Since then, Turkey has halted its search for energy reserves in disputed waters, while Erdogan has softened his fiery rhetoric.
Gonul Tol, director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute, said that Turkey cannot make concessions in the eastern Mediterranean “because it is considered a national cause by a wide segment of Turkish society”.
The Biden government is expected to place more emphasis on democracy and human rights than Trump. During a phone call with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Blinken stressed the “importance of democratic institutions, inclusive 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 make a big impact or lead to the release from prison of leading figures like activist Osman Kavala, who is accused of links with anti government protests in 2013, as well as a failed coup attempt in 2016.
“For a real restart to take place, the Biden government needs to see yet another democratization process … which may come in the form of major judicial reforms or the release of some of the most contentious political figures,” said Tahiroglu.
Turkey is also seeking to extradite US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara accused of orchestrating a failed military coup in 2016. American officials say Ankara has not been able to produce documents that would allow his extradition. Turkey accuses Washington of giving him shelter.
It also threatens to disrupt ties to a trial against Turkish state bank Halkbank, accused of helping Iran escape US $ 20 billion sanctions.
“If the court sentences Halkbank, it will be devastating to the Turkish economy and I don’t see how you can reboot after that,” said Tol.