Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Opinion
  • Columns
  • Op-Ed
  • Reader's Corner
  • Editorial

The winds of 'normalization' over Turkey, US, Middle East

by Burhanettin Duran

Sep 18, 2021 - 12:05 am GMT+3
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (L) and his counterpart from Egypt, Sameh Shoukry (R) arrive for a group photo during the Second Berlin Conference on Libya at the foreign office in Berlin, Germany, June 23, 2021. (AP Photo)
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (L) and his counterpart from Egypt, Sameh Shoukry (R) arrive for a group photo during the Second Berlin Conference on Libya at the foreign office in Berlin, Germany, June 23, 2021. (AP Photo)
by Burhanettin Duran Sep 18, 2021 12:05 am
RECOMMENDED
Heads of the six opposition parties making up the "table for six" during their meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, Jan. 26, 2023. (EPA Photo)

Tough test for the 'table for six'

TURKISH-ELECTIONS

The recent uptick in Russian airstrikes in Idlib, paired with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Bashar Assad last week, turned all eyes to Syria. Obviously, the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan has raised questions about that country’s military presence in Syria and Iraq as well. There were speculations that Washington was going to abandon its local allies, starting with the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist organization.

End of endless wars

At this point, it is no secret that the Biden administration is following in former U.S. President Donald Trump’s footsteps by subscribing to a policy of “realignment” in the Middle East. Of course, ending “endless wars” does not mean a total U.S. retreat from the region. Instead, Washington, which has enough military bases around to defend its military and intelligence interests, lets regional players take over costly operations. For example, Afghanistan could pose serious risks for Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran after the U.S. departure.

Aerial porters work with maintainers to load a CH-47 Chinook helicopter into a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III during the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, June 16, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
Aerial porters work with maintainers to load a CH-47 Chinook helicopter into a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III during the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, June 16, 2021. (Reuters Photo)

Is it reasonable, though, to expect Washington to take similar steps in Syria and Iraq? For the record, the U.S. military presence in those countries is incomparably smaller than its former size in Afghanistan – and comes with an unmistakably lower price tag. As such, it remains unlikely for the U.S. to abandon the YPG, a terrorist entity, which Congress and some U.S. agencies support because the group was used to fight Daesh terrorists. Yet that entity will inevitably lose U.S. protection in the long term.

The Biden administration’s Middle East policy encouraged regional players to take fresh steps. Those nations, whose leaders gathered around the infamous orb with Trump, concluded that they could not reshape the region. That realization motivated those stakeholders, which had been experiencing tensions, to normalize their relations.

Fresh steps

The Gulf states, which ended the Qatar blockade, proceeded to overhaul their ties with Iran and Turkey. The UAE, which disagrees with Saudi Arabia over Yemen and oil production, has been the most ambitious country in terms of normalization. Constantly monitoring its relations with Tehran, Abu Dhabi knows that the Biden administration has distanced itself from the UAE and Riyadh. That Washington wants to sign a nuclear deal with Iran, even after the conservative victory in that country’s presidential election, is not lost on anyone.

As such, the UAE’s decision to normalize its relations with Turkey, after seven or eight years of hostility, is directly linked to its interpretation of geopolitical changes on a regional scale. Moreover, the UAE, which faced serious problems in Yemen, was compelled to push for a compromise in Libya, where Turkey proved to be a game-changer. To sum up, the UAE realized that it could not become more powerful in the region by picking fights with Turkey.

Over the past year, Turkey, too, has been trying to turn over a fresh leaf in its troubled relationships. Normalization with the United States, the European Union, Egypt, Greece, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel is on the Turkish government’s policy agenda. Afghanistan turned out to be an area of cooperation between Ankara and Washington, as U.S. policymakers began to describe Turkey as “an invaluable partner in the region” – instead of “our so-called ally.” There may have been slight softening here, but we are still at the beginning of normalization between those two countries.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Sedat Onal, seated (2-R), meets with Hamdi Sanad Loza, Egyptian deputy foreign minister, (4-L), and their delegations, at the Foreign Ministry in Cairo, Egypt, May 5, 2021. (AP Photo)
Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Sedat Onal, seated (2-R), meets with Hamdi Sanad Loza, Egyptian deputy foreign minister, (4-L), and their delegations, at the Foreign Ministry in Cairo, Egypt, May 5, 2021. (AP Photo)

Again, de-escalation in the Eastern Mediterranean resulted in rapprochement with the EU, with a focus on trade and migration. There is, however, plenty of room for improvement. Specifically, Turkey and the EU must commit to the goals of updating the customs union and facilitating visa liberalization.

The influx of Afghan migrants, too, stresses the need for Brussels and Ankara to work together. At the same time, Turkey’s normalization talks with Egypt continued last week with a second meeting in Ankara, as the two nations are encouraged to repair their ties with an eye on the balance of power in Libya and mutual interests regarding the demarcation of maritime jurisdictions in the Eastern Mediterranean. In contrast, normalization with Saudi Arabia is still limited to talks between official delegations.

Normalization with the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel may serve as catalysts for each other and expedite that process. The million-dollar question, obviously, is when normalization will reach Syria – which I will try to answer on Monday.

About the author
Burhanettin Duran is General Coordinator of SETA Foundation and a professor at Social Sciences University of Ankara. He is also a member of Turkish Presidency Security and Foreign Policies Council.
RECOMMENDED
Heads of the six opposition parties making up the "table for six" during their meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, Jan. 26, 2023. (EPA Photo)

Tough test for the 'table for six'

TURKISH-ELECTIONS
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states’ early diplomatic maneuvering occurred in the broader context of the nations’ strategic interests and should not be confused with unequivocal support for Russia. (Shutterstock Photo)

    Gulf states changing the face of Ukraine war

    gulf-states
    Leader of the far-right Danish political party Stram Kurs, Rasmus Paludan, stands outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023. (AP Photo)

    Far-right politician Paludan to burn Quran in Denmark

    ISLAMOPHOBIA

    7 killed in armed attack on synagogue in East Jerusalem

    ISRAEL

    US tells Türkiye, Sweden, Finland to solve issues among themselves

    TÜRKIYE-US-RELATIONS
    No Image
    Eruption, Çanakkale and sandstorms: Top pictures of the week
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021