Quick thread / update on the still unfolding consequences of Trump’s appeasing Erdogan while asking for absolutely nothing in return. Two weeks ago, recall, Trump feted Erdogan at the WH for no apparent reason. Since then, what's happened?
1. Erdogan again threatened to repopulate the border region in NE Syria with over one million Syrians not native to the area (a process that has reportedly already begun).
reuters.com/article/us-syr…
reuters.com/article/us-syr…
2. Erdogan called on Muslims to “unite against the west” at the very moment Turkey is hosting US-designated-terrorist Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas in Istanbul. jpost.com/Middle-East/Er…
3. Turkey concluded a Mediterranean "sea grab" with the beleaguered GNA of Libya absent any consultation and in direct conflict with NATO ally Greece and U.S. allies Israel and Egypt.
reuters.com/article/us-tur…
reuters.com/article/us-tur…
4. Erdogan provided an immediate briefing on NATO meetings to Vladimir Putin. (Kremlin readout: “The Turkish president briefed Vladimir Putin on his meetings at the recent NATO summit in London.”)
5. After which, Turkey denied it had approved NATO defensive plans for eastern Europe, plans Turkey has held hostage until NATO's 28 other allies declare the Kurdish YPG a terrorist organization (which NATO won’t do).
stripes.com/news/europe/tu…
stripes.com/news/europe/tu…
6. Erdogan announced the Turkstream gas pipeline will be inaugurated with Putin on January 8 in Turkey. (Congress in the NDAA just voted to sanction this project.)
7. Turkey together with Iran and Russia through its "Astana process" condemned Israel's defensive measures in Syria and what it called "illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenue" by US-backed forces. (Trump has unforutnately invited the latter point.) mid.ru/en/foreign_pol…
8. And … Turkey once again threatened to kick the U.S. out of Incirlik airbase in the event Washington chooses to push back on Turkey's purchase of Russian missiles and longstanding pattern of conduct SECDEF rightly calls "spinning out of NATO's orbit."
dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2019…
dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2019…
This is what happens when the United States abandons principled diplomacy. Trump’s relationship with Erdogan has undercut any serious effort to nudge Turkey in a more constructive direction. As in most other areas of foreign policy at the moment, it’s only getting worse.
