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[NEWS ANALYSIS] Intersection of axes in Washington
The essence of the messages Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave to the American people in outdoor and indoor venues was the same: Turkey is not shifting axes; continue to observe our multi-axis policy and consider our foreign policy engagements an opportunity.
President Obama’s statement that “Turkey is increasing its influence in the world” explains why the US president made one of his first official international visits to Ankara in April and why he welcomed Erdoğan to Washington the same year.
Sources from both sides note that the meetings took place in a very positive atmosphere (not that they would tell newspapers about any negative atmosphere, though those kinds of situations come out later).
Sources also say the Turkish delegation fully revived American confidence in Turkish foreign policy and received strong encouragement and support for the counterterrorism dimension of its democratic initiative, a move on the part of the Turkish government to improve democracy and extend further rights to all citizens”.
As for Iran, one of the most pressing issues before the White House, sources indicate that Ankara delivered various messages related to Tehran that were welcomed by the American side.
On the matter of Afghanistan, President Obama barely brought up the topic of sending additional combat troops there, towards which Turkey has repeatedly expressed disinclination.
In relation to rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey, the two sides discussed formulas that would increase the probability of the protocols of normalization being approved in the Armenian and Turkish parliaments. Of course the Turkish side believes it would be beneficial if the Minsk Group, which consists of the US, Russia and France, intensified its work and made progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, whose invasion by Armenia led Turkey to close its border with the country.
One of the most visible results of the summit is the establishment of a senior-level study group that will work to improve the currently insufficient economic and trade relations between Turkey and the US.
Despite internal and external opposition lobbying efforts against Turkey, the warm welcome and compliments Prime Minister Erdoğan received at the White House strengthened the government’s position both in Turkey and in the international arena. Of course, these compliments were not only related to the prime minister but address expectations that Turkey will increase its activities as a 21st century actor.
Turkey is no longer a country that the US values solely due to its geopolitical importance and military. There is now a pragmatic and confident Turkey that is pursuing its national interests in ways that may not always please Americans. The Obama-Erdoğan meeting, both in terms of its symbolic meaning and content, is a testament to Turkey’s importance.
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