Will Erdogan’s Afghan gambit pay off in Washington?
Source:al Monitor Date:31Jul2021
A serious article by policy expert Mr Semih Idiz, which nevertheless reads as a satire of Erdogan’s myopic and convoluted thinking. He could curry favor simply by removing S-400s rather than sending Turkish soldiers to Kabul. It is not like s-400s have any use for him or the defense of Turkey?
Umar pointed out that Ankara may be expecting the decision to take on the security of Kabul airport to improve ties with Washington, but stressed that the conditions for securing such an improvement are very different.
“If it could fulfill these conditions there would be no need for Turkey to take on any extra risks,” he said. He noted that taking on such extra risks is unlikely to improve ties with the United States.
Trying to appease the Taliban by claiming that Turkey and the Taliban share similar outlooks with regard to faith is also likely to stoke American suspicions regarding Turkish intentions.
“What this translates into as far as the West is concerned is this: ‘We share the same outlook as your enemies.’ It is very difficult to understand what kind of reasoning or policy this represents,” said Umar.