Russian-Turkish détente making US angry

Ahmed Sami Abdelfattah

The ramifications of the Turkish purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system still linger, especially after the US Congress approved a new law that allows the US administration to impose sanctions on Turkey.

US President Donald Trump held former president Barack Obama responsible for Turkey’s purchase of the Russian system. He said Obama had failed to recognize threats to Turkish security with the situation in Syria moving from bad to worse.

He said Obama’s administration also turned down a Turkish request for buying the American MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system.

Trump also noted that Turkey also bought the Russian system in reaction to its exclusion from the US F35 project.

Nevertheless, the Turkish move is surrounded by risks.

Sanctions

Trump’s administration will be obliged to impose sanctions on Ankara in case the later scraps F35 fighter jets for the Russian Sukhoi Su-57 or Sukhoi Su-57 multirole jets.

Trump asked Trump during the G20 summit which was held in Japan a few months ago to buy more US arms, including the MIM-104 Patriot system. This means that evolving military trade links between Turkey and Russia will anger the Republicans in the US.

Edging eastwards

The Justice and Development Party has been trying to pursue a balanced policy between Russia and the West since coming to power in Turkey in 2002. The Europeans used to ask about the side Turkey will take in case war erupted between NATO, on one hand, and Russia, on the other.

Nonetheless, the purchase by Turkey of fifth generation jets from Russia draws it closer to Moscow and increases the gap between it and Western countries.

The Turkish news site, Zaman, had earlier revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had threatened to pull out of NATO and shut down the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, if the US had imposed sanctions on his country.

Weak economy

The Turkish economy suffered a lot when the US imposed economic sanctions on Turkey, against the background of the jailing in Turkey of an American pastor in 2018.

The sanctions led to a weakening of the Turkish lira and the flight of foreign investments from Turkey. This is why some analysts believe that Turkey has to strike a balance in relations with both the US and Russia.

A Turkish rapprochement with Moscow will not only strain Turkish-Western relations, but also give Russia the chance to increase its leverage in Turkey and undermine it in the Balkans, the Black Sea and in Syria, they add.

Real problem

Turkish affairs specialist Mohamed Hamed said the ruling Justice and Development Party puts Turkey right in the middle of the conflict between Russia and the US.

“Turkey wants to overhaul its military industries,” Hamed told The Reference. “This is a favorable drive for decision-makers in Russia.”

Nevertheless, he added, the same drive worries Westerners.