The fight against US hegemony


The tensions in the relations between Turkey and the United States have recently been on the agenda not only in domestic politics, but also across the whole international community. What trajectory this will follow is an object of curiosity. The strife kicked-off after U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial tweets, threatening to impose sanctions against Turkey with the excuse of pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who is under house arrest in Turkey on charges of being involved in the secretive activities of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and the PKK. The exchange rate manipulation and speculation on the Turkish lira the followed have pushed bilateral relations into an irreparable impasse. Even though the diplomatic channels have not been closed yet, it is unlikely that the relations, once based on a strong strategic partnership, will be like they used to be.

In fact, the United States has long demonstrated a firm stance against Turkey by backing members of FETÖ – the perpetrator of the July 15 bloody coup attempt – and supplying military arms support to the outlawed PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed militia the People's Protection Units (YPG), which would break out at some point. This is exactly what is happening now… The crisis between Washington and Ankara does not have any direct relation with the election of Donald Trump as the U.S. president or the use of the Brunson case as an excuse. Moreover, it can also be said that Trump postponed the current deep crisis a little bit. Had not Trump, but his rival Democrat Hillary Clinton been chosen, the crisis would have broken out much earlier. This is because Clinton, who is hand in glove with FETÖ henchmen, wouldW follow a much tougher policy on Turkey and I am sure she overtly supported the July 15 coup attempt.

Now some people, more precisely those who associate the pressure of Turkey with exchange rate manipulation to domestic politics, say, "Those who had been delighted with Trump coming to power want him to go now. [Mike] Pence is more dangerous. What will you do then?" For one thing, the interests and positions of nations might change over time. Besides, it does not mean that a political player that has served you for a period of time will serve you all the time.

Those who make analyses without seeing this fact are unfortunately making special efforts to hide what Turkey has been experiencing. Now we need to see the truth that what's done cannot be undone. The result will not change whether the U.S. is administrated by Trump, Pence or his other man, or even Clinton. This is because the global and regional interests of Turkey and the U.S. do not match, that's all. While Turkey under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wants to pursue autonomous politics and object to global injustice, the U.S. does not want and accept this and attacks.

Political players like Donald Trump will either decelerate it with their discourse or accelerate it using domestic politics, that's it.