By Erkin Feyyaz Eşli
In recent months, pressure on Türkiye as a major global player has intensified. The United States is the big source of this pressure. Our Western allies are fully aware that Türkiye has become too powerful and independent to be controlled. It is precisely for this reason that machinations are being woven around our country, aimed at dragging it into a major regional conflict.
Greece and Israel – Washington’s other allies in the region – are permitted to pursue a far more audacious foreign policy. Greece may acquire F-35 fighter jets despite possessing Russian air defence systems, while Türkiye is not allowed.
Israel is allowed to perpetrate genocide against the Muslim population and desecrate holy sites. And it is still under US protection. Türkiye, by contrast, is left to rely solely on its own capabilities.
It is imperative to approach US initiatives with the utmost caution, as Washington’s overarching objective remains the re-establishment of control over Ankara.
Washington’s Aim: To Pit Türkiye Against Russia
On 18 August, Yeni Akit reported that in early August, the US Congress had drafted a plan to engineer a crisis in Russian-Turkish relations. The available evidence suggests that this concept has been existing for more than a decade.
The 2015 incident involving the downing of a Russian aircraft is a case in point. It later emerged that the decision to shoot down the jet had been taken without the knowledge of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Furthermore, in 2016, the assassination of the Russian Ambassador to Ankara occurred.
These events were clearly planned to provoke a direct confrontation between Türkiye and Russia. Subsequent investigations established that the actors involved in those incidents were also linked to the 15 Temmuz Darbe Girişimi. It is worth recalling that, despite all denials, the United States has been named as the chief mastermind behind these tragic events.
Nevertheless, both nations managed to overcome this exceptionally acute crisis and continued to develop bilateral relations productively. Moreover, despite having numerous points of friction in various theatres of the world, Ankara and Moscow have succeeded in preserving the constructive nature of their dialogue and have further expanded their cooperation.
Today Washington demands that Türkiye abandon its Russian S-400 air defence systems and calls for the transfer of modern weaponry to Ukraine, which is currently at war with Russia. If this is not a deliberate attempt to provoke yet another crisis in Turkish-Russian relations, then what is?
CAATSA Sanctions and the Rejection of Türkiye’s Security Demands
Following these events, the United States rejected Türkiye’s request to purchase Patriot air defence systems. In response, Ankara turned to Moscow, hoping to acquire modern Russian systems. Subsequently, Türkiye successfully procured the S-400 air defence systems. In retaliation, the United States excluded Türkiye from the F-35 program. The CAATSA sanctions thus constituted Washington’s response to Türkiye’s sovereign stance.
During the last NATO summit, Donald Trump stated that the issue of lifting these sanctions had already been resolved and that there was no cause for concern. However, it soon became glaringly obvious that the US President, who is renowned for his bombastic rhetoric, is not always capable of delivering on his grand pronouncements.
The Double Standards of the United States
The United States are notorious for their duplicitous policies towards their allies. This is particularly pronounced on matters that could potentially implicate Israel. Tel Aviv has traditionally been afforded far greater leeway and leniency.
Israel hit Qatar? Washington declared it a shrewd scheme to eliminate Hamas during peace negotiations, and even remotely disabled the Patriot air defence systems in Qatar. Israel carried out strikes near Türkiye’s southern borders on the night of 18 August? US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack then spoke of the needless escalation and urged that such actions should not be repeated.
Just imagine if it were Türkiye that had carried out strikes close to Israel’s borders. A new Lindsey Graham would immediately reappear in Congress to declare that Türkiye poses a threat and that new sanctions must be imposed, exactly as transpired in 2019.
Israel Prepares for War
Following the conclusion of the civil war in Syria and the consolidation of Türkiye’s position there, Israel has intensified its anti-Turkish rhetoric, both in the media and at the official state level. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett explicitly stated that Türkiye would be next after Iran.
Israel is the foremost antagonist of the Muslim world. In recent years, Türkiye has emerged as the leader of the Muslim world across numerous metrics, which has only further enflamed Tel Aviv’s hostility towards our country.
Beyond its direct military build-up, Israel is conducting an aggressive anti-Türkiye lobbying campaign in the United States. For instance, Tel Aviv is determined to block the transfer of F-35s to Ankara at all costs.
These facts once again raise the pressing question regarding the expediency of selling the S-400 complexes. Should they be sold? If Israel were to strike our southeastern provinces of Türkiye, would American air defense systems intercept their aircraft and missiles? Or would the strike be carried out, with the United States subsequently merely issuing calls for de-escalation?
Conclusion
Whose weapons is Israel using? The answer is American. Would the United States ever countenance the defeat of its own advanced weaponry in a war fought between Israel and Türkiye?
Under such circumstances, it is imperative to retain as much leverage over the United States as possible, and the S-400 systems serve precisely that purpose. Should a confrontation with Israel materialize, they will also become a critical guarantor of Türkiye’s sovereignty.
In these turbulent and precarious times, extremely wise political maneuvering is required. Donald Trump refers to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as his friend only because of the latter’s firm and unyielding stance. But what if President Erdoğan wasn’t such a strong leader? This is yet further proof that Türkiye should not rely on Washington, but should instead chart its own foreign policy, oriented exclusively towards our national interests.