Turkey in policy change as new president prepares to take over in US

Commenting on latest changes in the discourse of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Chairman of the Turkish Future Party Ahmet Davutoğlu said Erdoğan was a mere despot under outgoing US President Donald Trump.

He tries, however, to masquerade as a reformist as Joe Biden prepares to hold reins of power in the US, Davutoğlu said.

Davutoğlu’s remarks come in the wake of a series of statements by Erdoğan’s government, ones that attest to attempts by the Turkish president to adopt positions that contradict his traditional positions in the past four years.

Changing positions

Turkey welcomed a recent reconciliation deal between Qatar, on one hand, and moderate Arab states Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, on the other. It also made statements aiming at wooing Europe.

Ankara attaches great importance to its relations with Europe.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on January 12 that his country is aware that its future lies in Europe, echoing remarks by Erdoğan in this regard.

Çavuşoğlu said his country would introduce reforms to its policies.

He called on the European Union to back Ankara’s new policy change.

Erdoğan, for his part, cajoled Europe on Tuesday, saying that his country wanted to bring relations with the continent back to its past strengths.

Erdoğan hoped the Eastern Mediterranean would turn into a cooperation arena.

European response

Erdoğan’s entreaties have not apparently reached the ears of European leaders or decision-makers.

The Turkey rapporteur of the European Parliament, Nacho Sanchez Amor, said Europe does not need any romantic messages from Turkey, but tangible results.

He called on Turkey to abide by the policies of the European Union and adhere to the decisions of the European Court for Human Rights.