Erdogan failing, both inside and outside his country

Hossam al-Haddad

Ottoman dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan is coming under fire for his moves in the East Mediterranean and African regions.

Erdogan is also trying to expand his influence in the Balkans, in a desperate attempt to gloss over his failed policies inside his country.

The Turkish despot does not have a coherent policy or strategy. This is why he makes contradictory moves every now and then.

Turkey’s suspension of drilling for oil in the East Mediterranean is a clear case in point. This suspension came after a rise in tensions between Ankara and Athens.

The Turkish Presidency Spokesman said on July 28 that his country would suspend drilling for energy in the East Mediterranean.

The drilling, he added, would resume after the conclusion of talks with Greece.

Ankara is locked in a legal dispute with Athens over drilling rights in the region.

The presidency spokesman added in an interview with CNN that Erdogan had ordered the suspension of drilling operations, in a positive gesture that could contribute to the success of the negotiations with Greece.

Each country has the right to work within its continental shelf, the presidency spokesman said.

He added that disputes with Greece ought to be resolved through dialogue, not through threats as far as Turkey’s bid to join the European Union was concerned.

Greek authorities said, meanwhile, that Turkey had reduced the number of ships drilling for energy in the East Mediterranean.

They added that the Greek navy would continue to be on alert for any emergency in the future.

Turkey is pulling its ships out of the region, the spokesman for the Greek government said.

Athens, he added, is still ready to start negotiations with Ankara within the bounds of international law and good neighborliness relations.