Exclusive: Why Turkey’s Erdogan Is Breaking With Biden on Ukraine and Gaza

Source:Newsweek Date:13Jul2024

In written responses shared exclusively with Newsweek as the Turkish leader arrived in Washington, D.C., for the annual NATO summit, Erdogan argued that Western powers were taking wrong and potentially dangerous approaches to the two conflicts, both of which he warned had the potential to spiral into far larger confrontations engulfing the Eastern European and Middle Eastern regions that his nation straddles.

Erdogan also spoke of his commitment to overcoming obstacles in his relationship with Biden, noting the “deep-rooted” nature of U.S.-Turkey relations that “alternates between periods of tranquility and periods of turbulence.”

The Turkish leader expressed similar concerns over an uncontrolled escalation should the current course continue in the Russia-Ukraine war, stating that “the prospect of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia is undoubtedly concerning” and “any steps that could lead to this outcome must be deliberately avoided.”

Concerns over a deteriorating international order on various fronts have also informed Erdogan’s push to look beyond the West. Erdogan has openly expressed his nation’s interest in joining BRICS and the SCO, two multilateral blocs backed by China, Russia, India, Iran and other powers seeking to establish greater multipolarity in global power structures.

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