Turkey's strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa is very specific. He wants to be sovereign and have complete control over the area. After all, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's vision for the revival of the Ottoman Empire was not only theoretical, as his goal is to exercise control or have a Turkish presence in the territories controlled by the Ottoman sultans for centuries. Although of course he finally added the moon as an extension of his new empire! Artfully, Turkey, reacting to the “Friendship” Forum that was organized on Thursday in Athens, turned its fire aimed at Greece and Cyprus.
On Thursday night, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a lengthy statement in order to load responsibilities on what is happening in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East in the countries that took part in the forum and mainly in Cyprus and Greece. And the already well-known group of supporters of Turkish policy on the Cyprus and regional issues hastened to justify Ankara's reaction.
SEE ALSO: Biden policy in our region is questionable
In its statement, the Turkish Foreign Minister reiterated Ankara's firm position that “no forum in which the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey, which is a key country in the region, will participate, will be able to create an effective and successful cooperation and friendship mechanism “.
“The baseless accusations and slanders against our country by the Greek Foreign Minister in the press conference at the end of the forum, which, as it was said, were not aimed at any country, in fact show that it was not a friendship initiative, as it was characterized, but a business “to cultivate hatred against Turkey”, said the Turkish Foreign Minister, trying again to appear as the wronged country and that the EU countries (such as Greece and Cyprus) are waging a “war” on it.
Addressing the seven countries participating in the forum, Ankara points out that “it is not within their bounds to criticize Turkey's humane and just policy in the region. “They are embracing coup plotters for their own maximalist demands and short-sighted interests, those who are trying to create a corridor of terrorism by dividing Syria and Iraq, and those who have been silent for years on the occupation of Azerbaijani territory.”
Finally, the Turkish Foreign Ministry is focusing its fire on Athens and Nicosia in such a way that they appear to be the causes of controversy in the region. A move aimed at a specific audience within the European Union in view of the European Council to be held on 25 and 26 March, from which Turkey hopes to receive the so-called positive agenda.
The Turkish Foreign Minister claims that “at a time when Turkey is trying to establish a sincere and comprehensive cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean with its proposal for an international conference, this attitude towards our country is hostile and undermines the EU's efforts for the Mediterranean.” . It is also alleged that the Greece-Greece duo is trying to block the EU's positive agenda with Turkey and, based on the help of others, is threatening stability, making politics by threatening peace and stability in the region. He concluded by calling on “this duo to act prudently and we call on the other countries that participated in the forum not to fall victim to the games of others.”
Turkey is investing heavily in the forthcoming European Council, especially in the economic field. Ankara hopes to persuade European leaders to approve financial aid for millions under the guise of refugees. The economic situation in Europe due to a pandemic makes any disbursement very difficult. And any reaction of member states to the so-called positive agenda is interpreted by Turkey as a hostile act as it will risk not getting the money it hopes for.
The announcement that annoyed Ankara
The statement issued by the seven countries participating in the “Friendship” Forum (Greece, Cyprus, France, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) was carefully worded and targeted. And as it turned out, the recipient received the messages that had been sent to him. And the recipient's reaction demonstrates – once again – how successful was the initiative taken by Greece and Cyprus to organize this forum.
In its reaction, Turkey referred to many things, but not to the content of the announcement (which also contains the essence of the forum). In the joint statement, the foreign ministers of the seven countries state the following:
• We met in Athens on February 11, 2021 in order to exchange views on issues of common interest in order to further strengthen our cooperation and contribute to the consolidation of peace, stability and security in the wider region.
• We reiterated our common commitment to international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, the UN Security Council Resolutions and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to which we are all parties.
• We underlined our strong commitment to the fundamental principles enshrined in them, such as respect for the sovereignty, sovereign rights, independence and territorial integrity of states, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the rejection of the threat or use of force; non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and the freedom of navigation.
We have recognized that, at this critical juncture, in the shadow of the global pandemic, the need for solidarity and coordination of our efforts to minimize the impact of the health crisis on our economies is becoming increasingly urgent.
• We expressed our readiness to promote result-oriented exchanges, as well as joint actions and initiatives in areas such as energy, innovation, digital economy, civil protection and people-to-people contacts. In the same vein, we also explored opportunities for further cooperation in the fields of science, agriculture, food safety, academic education and training, interfaith dialogue, culture and sport.
• We also exchanged views on major international and regional issues, including developments in the Middle East Peace Process, the Cyprus issue, Syria, Libya, Yemen and the Eastern Mediterranean.
• We agreed on this form of dialogue and cooperation, hereinafter referred to as the “Friendship Forum – Building Friendship, Peace and Prosperity from the Mediterranean to the Gulf”, being effective but also flexible and open to other countries in the region and beyond. , which share the same values and principles mentioned above.
Ankara's reaction shows that all of the above agreed by the seven countries are issues with which Turkey has a different perception. Both in terms of dialogue and in terms of cooperation with the countries of the region.
They are waiting for Biden
The tactics followed by the new American President, Joe Biden, are one of the issues that concern the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. The absence of any contact with regional leaders is one of the main political debates today. Already in Israel, the fact that Joe Biden did not, until last week, have any contact with the Israeli prime minister, tends to become a major political issue.
The situation as it develops in relation to the United States with the emergence of Joe Biden will be one of the issues that will be occupied bilaterally by Cyprus and Israel during today's visit of Nikos Anastasiadis to Jerusalem. The Anastasiadis-Netanyahu meeting, scheduled for 6 pm, will be preceded by talks at the level of Foreign Ministers.
As it appeared in the telephone communication that Nikos Christodoulidis and Gabi Ashkenazi had earlier this week, the developments in the region in relation to the new United States government will be one of the main issues that will concern them when they meet today in the Israeli capital.
Until now, there has been a clear picture on the part of Israel of US policy in the Middle East and beyond. And the current US presidents made sure that by starting their cycle of contacts with regional leaders, they always had the Israeli prime minister in the first group. Something that does not seem to be happening now and is an issue that is widely discussed in the neighboring country.
Although it is difficult to change the US policy in the region so far, the dynamics that existed until recently seem to have been lost. A clearer picture may emerge after the Israeli elections in late March. Elections in which Washington shows that it wants to keep its distance and as noted by several analysts, Biden's non-phone call may have to do with the fact that Israel is in the pre-election period.
He is trembling IN order not to lose the petrodollars of Qatar
Turkey's economic dependence on Qatar is such that it trembles at the mere idea of losing petrodollars from the Gulf country. The fraternal relations between Turkey and Qatar, as they characterize them in Ankara, as well as their military cooperation do not seem to be enough. That is why Ankara did not hide its anxiety regarding the resurgence of Qatar's relations with the other Gulf countries and with Saudi Arabia. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu's visit to Kuwait, Qatar and Oman earlier this week shows both the Turkish leadership's anxiety and a willingness to maintain differences between countries in the region. Besides, Ankara had invested a lot in the conflict climate between the Gulf countries but also in the controversies on the African continent. And the moves for reconciliation and co-operation are something that seems – from the Turkish reaction – to thwart Ankara's plans. The moves towards Europe by Turkey were not accidental. It was a sign of her concern about developments in the Gulf region and the possible closure of the Qatari cannula.
