PodcastLondon Summit an endurance test for Turkey's relations with the West
Murat Yetkin writes: The upcoming London Summit of the NATO will be a true test of endurance for Turkey's relations with the West. Despite the rapprochement with Russia, there’s no alteration in Turkey’s strategic choice and no attempt to break away from the West. But beyond Erdoğan’s political and ideological stance, Ankara wants to re-define Turkey’s relations with the West on an egalitarian basis. Erdoğan’s persistence to include Turkey’s fight against terrorism into NATO’s defence doctrine is a part of this perspective.
Duvar English
Turkish journalist Murat Yetkin has penned an analysis on why the upcoming London Summit of the NATO will be a true test of endurance for Turkey's relations with the West.
In his piece, Yetkin points at a verbal duel between Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and French President Emmanuel Macron as a major factor for tensions ahead of the gathering of the leaders in London. Erdoğan accuses Macron of “supporting terrorism” by legitimizing the presence of the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, and Macron accuses Erdoğan to use fighting against terrorism as a justification for his military operations and presence in Syria.
According to Yetkin that polemic led to a deadlock not only on a bilateral level but among all 29 members of the NATO as Turkey blocked NATO’s defence plans to protect its Baltic members such as Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Latvia against Russia, as long as NATO doesn’t designate the YPG as a terrorist organization like the PKK.
"The 'Let’s throw Turkey out' frenzy that’s taken some American and European politicians have no political or legal foundation, as a quick look to the NATO Charter would tell. Besides, Merkel and some other European politicians who bear in mind the importance of a joint defense against Russia have begun to form a 'we cannot lose Turkey' front," Yetkin wrote.
Yetkin's article in full can be read here