Erdogan assigns son-in-law to improve Turkey’s image abroad

Ahmed Lamlom

Without any considerations to all presidential protocols of any country, Turkey’s Finance and Treasury Minister Berat Albayrak met with U.S. President Donald Trump on April 15 and conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s messages, including Turkey’s decision to purchase the Russian-made S-400 anti-ballistic missile systems.

Such tasks are supposed to be assigned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, however, Erdogan insisted on sending Albayrak, his eldest son-in-law. He submitted a message that was different from the tone Erdogan used to follow in his speeches.

Albayrak said he first had a meeting at the White House with Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on how to reach the target set by the two countries’ presidents to reach a $75 billion trade volume. Albayrak said he later met the U.S. president at the White House.

“I conveyed the messages of the president [Erdoğan] and we had a positive and constructive meeting,” he said. “I have had positive feedback [from Trump] and I will convey the necessary messages to the president when I get back to Turkey.”

“Concerning the S-400 process based on Turkey’s needs, I witnessed a constructive view and positive approach at the presidential level,” he told the press.

The U.S. president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was also at the meeting.

Turkey’s decision to purchase the Russian-made S-400s had met reaction in the U.S., which threatens to suspend the delivery of the F-35 fighter jets along with additional sanctions.

According to Bloomberg, Erdogan may be expecting more from Donald Trump than he’s ready to deliver as the Turkish president tries to defuse his biggest diplomatic spat yet and prevent the economy from unraveling.

He is seeking to persuade U.S. officials this week that Turkey should not be a target for American sanctions over its planned purchase of an air defense system from Russia. The goal was also to calm U.S. investors concerned about the Middle East’s largest economy and the prospect of more political turmoil.

This is not the first time that Erdogan decided to send his son-in-law abroad to improve Turkey’s image with another country, as in last September, the 40-year-old minister was sent to Berlin to announce a “new era” between Turkey, Germany and the European Union. He also contributed in improving the relations between Turkey and Israel through signing energy deals with the Israel Ministry of Energy.

Reports have also pointed out to tensions within the Turkish government because of Albayrak, and especially with Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, who is known for his fiery rhetoric unlike Albayrak. He posted a video on the internet in which Soylu appeared at a ceremony pumping into Albayrak’s shoulder  as they walked in opposite directions, then turned his head smiling.