International analysts are increasingly emphasizing the Turkish president’s manipulative behavior, with many arguing that in the long run it might be in NATO’s interest to resort to a λύση divorce solution with Turkey.
There is no end to the international publications that underline the tactics used by the Turkish President to take advantage of adverse global developments in order to extract as many concessions as possible from each side.
The latest post comes from Wall Street Journal and journalist Jared Malsin. The journalist points out that Recep Tayyip Erdogan is using the global effects of the invasion of Ukraine, in order to extract concessions from the West and Moscow and to achieve some of his permanent domestic goals.
With the claim how Sweden and Finland host Kurdish activiststhe Turkish President blocks countries’ accession to NATOwhile -as the article emphasizes – ο Erdogan is trying to secure, with the help of the Turkish Navy, passageways for ships carrying wheat and food from Ukraine. At the same time, despite US objections, threatens to invade Kurds in northern Syria.
According to the WSJ and journalist Jared Malsin, the Turkish president has been using a specific strategy for more than two decades, which is to take advantage of crises to create political opportunities and extract concessions from both friends and foes while at the same time it uses its role in international relations to strengthen its image inside Turkey.
However, it is worth noting that international analysts are increasingly emphasizing the manipulative behavior of the Turkish Presidentwith many of them even arguing that in the long run – although it is a difficult decision in the midst of a period of instability – perhaps it would be in NATO’s interest to resort to the λύση divorce solution with Turkey.
However, the WSJ article closes with a statement by Marc Pierini, former EU envoy to Turkey, who says: “There is a perception in NATO circles that Turkey is with us, but only in half.”
