The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 14th (local time) that U.S. officials are anxiously watching the counting of the votes for the Turkish presidential election.
On the evening of the 13th, the day before the vote, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkiye emphasized to the US president, “Let’s give an answer,” saying that US President Joe Biden wanted him to lose.
This remark unusually and straightforwardly reveals the conflict between the US and the Turkiyeh government. Erdogan’s authoritarian, close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and deviant behavior in NATO have led some US lawmakers to argue that Turkiye should be excluded from NATO.
Erdogan’s expression of anger at the United States is a reference to President Biden’s statement that “the United States must make it clear that it supports the opposition leader” in relation to the Erdogan regime in 2019.
U.S. officials believe that the strategically important government change in Turkey will improve bilateral relations and induce Turkey to become pro-Western.
Erdogan has walked a tightrope between the West and Russia and has tried to maintain a working relationship with Russian President Putin, who invaded Ukraine. Turkey is not participating in sanctions against Russia.
U.S. officials say that Turkey is a channel through which sanctions-subject items, such as semiconductors, are delivered to Russia. Erdogan also bought advanced anti-aircraft missiles from Russia, drawing backlash from NATO, and the US suspended its F-35 joint production program.
Turkiye obstructed accession to NATO by Sweden and Finland, which had been agreed to by all other NATO members. In the case of Sweden, in particular, it has been opposed to the end, saying that it advocates “Kurdish terrorists”. In this regard, many US officials expect that this is electoral policy and will allow Sweden to join NATO after the election.
Opposition presidential candidate Kilitsdaroglu has a tougher line on Russia and is known for his European-style democracy.
However, it is unreasonable to expect that relations with the U.S. will improve instantly even if the Turkiye regime changes. This is because candidate Kilitzdaroglu also opposes US aid to Kurds in Syria and Iraq.
President Erdogan was enraged when the U.S. ambassador to Turkey met last month with Candidate Kilitsdaroglu, saying, “We need to teach the U.S. a lesson in this election.” This shows that the United States has no choice but to be nervous while looking at the Turkish presidential election.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.