Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the undisputed master of making deals on the international arena, writes Politico on Saturday, commenting on the NATO summit in Vilnius and the recent visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Istanbul.
Anyone who thought the length of Erdogan’s rule had weakened his ability to surprise must have been shocked to see his display of strength at the recent NATO summit in Vilnius.
Turkey’s president shook up Western allies – and Vladimir Putin – when he openly supported Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO. Shortly after, he announced a new impossible condition for overriding the veto on Sweden’s NATO membership: European Union it must first speed up Turkey’s bid to join the Community, reminds Politico.
On the same day, Erdogan suddenly did a pirouette: after months of blocking, surprising everyone, he gave up his veto and agreed to Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Earlier, the Turkish leader – during a meeting with the President of Ukraine in Istanbul – freed the commanders of the Ukrainian Azov Regimentwho were supposed to stay in Turkey until the end according to previous agreements war in Ukraine.
Meeting between Zelensky and ErdoganTOLGA BOZOGLU/PAP/EPA
“Ritual of haggling in the Istanbul bazaar”
“At first glance, all this looks chaotic, but Erdogan’s behavior bears all the hallmarks of Ottoman etiquette and the ritual of haggling in the Istanbul bazaar,” notes Politico. According to Rich Outzen of the Atlantic Council think tank, “the president was playing all sides, whimsically haggling to get what he wanted.”
“I think Erdogan always played with the fact that he would eventually agree to Sweden’s inclusion in the back of his mind. He just wanted – knowing about the upcoming NATO summit – to get the best deal for himself,” Outzen assesses.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO Summit in VilniusAytac Unal/Abaca/PAP
One of these concessions is the sale of 40 American F-16s to Turkey. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan he rejected suggestions that there was a link between veto withdrawal and aircraft sales. But US congressmen – who oppose the sale – have recently come under pressure from the presidential administration Joe Bidenwhich intensified before the summit organized in Lithuania, Politico points out.
In addition, in a document published after Erdogan meeting with NATO Secretary General and Prime Minister of Sweden it said that the allies “agree that there should be no room between partners for barriers and sanctions on arms sales.” The functioning embargo was imposed on Turkey in response to Ankara’s purchase of Russian arms and military interventions in neighboring Syria.
The Atlantic Council expert believes that despite the signaled turn to the West, Erdogan will continue to “play on two fronts”, continuing the tradition of Turkish foreign policy.
Main photo source: Aytac Unal/Abaca/PAP