- Статьи
- World
- Multi-guard on the verge of a foul: It's time for Turkey to choose between the Global South and the West
Multi-guard on the verge of a foul: It's time for Turkey to choose between the Global South and the West
Turkey is preparing to host the annual NATO summit, which will open in Ankara on July 7. On the eve of the forum, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for developing new approaches to regional and international security, as well as resolving the Ukrainian conflict through negotiations. The alliance is experiencing a severe split on both sides of the Atlantic. At the same time, the EU and the United States are trying to draw Ankara into a new security system against the Russian Federation. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Erdogan holds the key to the unity of the alliance.
The Turkish authorities are calling the NATO summit, which will be held in Ankara on July 7-8, a historically important meeting. His task is to prevent a transatlantic rift. As Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday, his country "best understands the spirit of the new era."
Turkey plans to use the high-level platform to strengthen the unity of its allies, which has been shaken by the aggravation of contradictions between the United States and the EU, and promote its role in the defense of Europe.
The main intrigue of the upcoming meeting is whether the Turkish president will be able to reconcile US President Donald Trump, who is offended by the European Union, with his allies. Despite the American leader's reluctance to participate in multilateral meetings, he plans to visit Ankara "out of personal respect for President Erdogan," whom he considers "a tough nut to crack who built a strong country and a strong army."
— The NATO summit in Ankara is not just a meeting, it is a demonstration of Ankara's strength. Erdogan is the master of the situation, he controls the straits, influences the Middle East, and balances between Russia and the West. Turkey definitely uses crises to strengthen its position," Vladimir Avatkov, Head of the Department of the Middle and Post—Soviet East at the INION RAS, Professor of the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy at MGLU, explained in an interview with Izvestia.
In the meantime, the bloc is feverish from political squabbles. The American leader criticizes European allies in the alliance for refusing to support the military campaign against Iran, calling NATO a paper tiger and publicly admitting the possibility of leaving the bloc.
President Donald Trump
Trump is particularly annoyed by the "unwillingness of Europeans to pay for their own security" — the way the allies fulfill their financial obligations to NATO.
Last year, at the Hague summit, the states agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. The NATO leadership hopes that under the chairmanship of Turkey, the alliance countries will agree on concrete steps to increase their defense capabilities, as well as "make important decisions regarding further support for Ukraine."
Home on Weapons
Just like at the previous NATO summit in The Hague, a separate discussion on the defense industry is planned at this meeting.
Turkey, which has made the defense industry the flagship of its technological development, has been able to achieve a high degree of localization and has recently been actively promoting its own developments on the world market, from UAVs to air defense systems.
Against the background of the Ukrainian conflict, NATO decided to review the supply chain. The role of Ankara, which has always been considered only a junior partner in the EU and the United States, has increased significantly.
At the same time, Canada, Britain and the leading countries of the European Union, according to Western media, began to actively discuss the contours of a "European NATO" — a structure in which the Europeans can assume the usual functions of the United States in logistics and intelligence. Ankara has a special role to play in this.
During the escalation in the Middle East, Turkey's role as the defender of the alliance's southern flank has greatly increased. The country's air defense systems have repeatedly shot down ballistic missiles from Iran. The Turkish Defense Ministry supports the creation of a new multinational NATO headquarters in Adana. This is not just about expanding infrastructure, the Turkish Republic is trying to send a clear signal to the alliance about its plans to become an indispensable outpost in dialogue with the Gulf countries.
Recently, Western leaders have been meeting with Erdogan more often, and Ankara has begun to dictate its terms. One of the complaints is that as a NATO country outside the European Union, it does not receive access to the association's defense initiatives. In particular, we are talking about the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) defense investment assistance fund. President Erdogan complained about this at a meeting with the Secretary General of the alliance Mark Rutte.
And Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has already voiced Ankara's package of wishes to Brussels: the complete abolition of decisions restricting dialogue between Turkey and the European Union, visa liberalization, the renewal of the Customs Union and joining the Single European Payment Area as part of phased integration into the EU.
Turkey dreams of full membership in the European Union and wants equality from it. However, this is unlikely to happen, there are clearly no plans to recognize the republic as "one of our own" in the EU.
It's time to make a choice
— The Republic of Turkey wants a lot, it feels Europe's need for its weapons and "strength", which the European Union so often reminds. And Brussels, of course, will promise this, but will not do it, as always. For the West, Turkey will never be Europe, no matter how much it wants it, all its ambitions for European integration are encouraged, in return it only needs to "gift" its sovereignty and become a vassal again, Vladimir Avatkov believes.
According to the political scientist, Western countries are now seeking to draw Ankara into an alliance against Russia, which is "being formed in the European Union with Ukraine."
— The United States is interested in the military potential of Turkey, which has the second largest NATO army, as well as in the country's geopolitical position. This gives Washington access to regions where Turkey itself speaks a more understandable political and cultural language, from the Caucasus and Central Asia to Russia and the Middle East. But the Turkish multi—shark policy is good until the threat of war looms over the country, which cannot be ignored," the expert explains.
The expert is sure that "the United States does not need an independent Turkish republic, they need a country either controlled, or provoking chaos, or as part of an arc of instability."
— For now, Turkey is trying not to become part of someone else's war, but the escalation itself is gradually pushing it to choose a side: remain itself or go over to the side of the West and the old world — that is, send its sons to war with Russia, as it has happened more than once in history, and give resources, as modern Europe does. — the analyst notes.
As a result, Ankara will have to make a serious and painful choice, Avatkov believes. In his opinion, Turkey will need to decide whether it will remain an independent player in the new world or will be "a puppet of the Anglo-Saxons that will be swept away at any moment."
— Turkey's famous "multi-shark" will end anyway. Although Ankara stands for the peaceful resolution of disputes, peace and prosperity in the region, it is aware that war is on its doorstep," the Izvestia interlocutor sums up.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
