Breaking the law in Washington

President Trump's reckless decisions and tariffs push Turkey and the U.S. into a detrimental political crisis



U.S. President Donald Trump's noncompliant behavior and decisions prompted new crises in international relations and this has had negative reverberations in all countries alongside Turkey. For instance, the reimposition of the sanctions on Iran spurred serious reaction from European Union countries. Ignoring all the agreements signed by the preceding U.S. presidents, Trump is "acting like a bully and engaging in a street fight by racketeering and intimidating," according to a review covered in Chinese media.

The global economy, which is already going through a phase of volatility, confronted a grim atmosphere of crisis due to the trade wars ignited by Trump's "America First" slogan and protective policies. As a consequence of this atmosphere, Turkey's balance of foreign payments was unsettled following the climb in petroleum prices and the Turkish lira hit a new low against the U.S. dollar. So, not only the companies in debt but the whole economy is required to be restructured in the current period.Going through tough times recently due to the crisis of evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson, Turkey-U.S. relations might deteriorate further depending on Turkey's level of compliance with the U.S. sanctions on Iran. Having withdrawn from the nuclear deal signed on Jan. 16, 2016 between Iran and the U.S., China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany, Trump is now confronting not only Iran, but the EU as well.

A joint statement released on Aug. 6 by EU foreign ministers expressed the European Union's concerns about the United States' withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the reimposition of the sanctions.

The statement reads, "We are determined to protect European economic operators engaged in legitimate business with Iran, in accordance with EU law and with U.N. Security Council resolution 2231." It was also stressed that the EU's updated Blocking Statute would enter into force on Aug. 7 to protect EU companies from the impact of the sanctions.

According to many, people who cause trouble in daily life are generally called troublemakers or bullies. Trump has been acting in a similar fashion and may as well deserve such a label or categorization in the international arena with his relentlessly flippant actions, bullying attempts and the hate speech he has introduced to American politics. If the Democrats hold a majority in the U.S. Senate in the upcoming midterm election, Trump might face impeachment for violating the rules.