Years of Wrath: Erdogan wooing Biden (3 – 5)

Mahmud al-Batakoshi

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan races against time to avoid being listed as an enemy of the United States.

This was why Erdogan announced a package of internal and external reforms as soon as Joe Biden won the presidential election in his country.

Picking up the pieces

In this this third episode of our series “Years of Wrath”, we will focus on Erdogan’s attempts to pick up the pieces of his rule.

He has recently opened channels of communication with French President Emmanuel Macron in his bid to mend fences with the French leader.

Erdogan agreed with Macron to resume dialogue to get over tensions between their two countries.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Erdogan was the first head of state to call Macron and congratulate him on the New Year.

Cavusoglu said the Turkish president also condoled with Macron on the death of French citizens in the attacks that hit France in the autumn last year.

Erdogan also called German Chancellor Angela Merkel in December last year and told her that he wants to open a new chapter in relations with the European Union.

There is a good chance, he said, for enhancing relations between Turkey and the EU.

Some countries, however, want to create tensions and sabotage positive agendas between the two sides, the Turkish president said.

These moves give impressions that Turkey is embarking on a new foreign policy course.

Erdogan also said his country would resume its dialogue with Greece, especially on disputes between the two countries over their territorial waters. The same disputes were close to causing war between the two countries.

We need to stop turning the Mediterranean into an arena for rivalry, Erdogan said.

We need to work to serve our long-term interests, he added.