Joe Biden, waiting to take over the presidential duties on 20 January, US foreign policy, just as in a real crossroads in its relations with Turkey. No matter what policy Biden follows against Turkey, nothing will be the same. The USA is entering a period of great power struggle but does not want to enter a period of military conflict yet. Its main aim is to apply its own agenda and return to its former strong position while struggling with Russian and Chinese influence.
Its main aim is to apply its own agenda and return to its former strong position while struggling with Russian and Chinese influence. During his presidency, Trump ignored the US Department of Defense, Foreign Affairs, and intelligence, weakened US alliances, opened the way for his enemies, and disregarded American values. Now, fixing these mistakes has become Biden's main task.
Joe Biden becomes president at a time when the pandemic, economic collapse, racist polarization and American democracy and unity are being questioned at home. For the US, the most important difficulties in foreign policy right now; China, Russia, North Korea, Iran sanctions and climate issue. This quintet comes after Turkey as the sixth. Because Turkey is a direct impact on two of the five; Russia and Iran. Another effect is in the area of the fight against terrorism, which ranks eight or ninth. Biden, who has built his career on Turkey hostilities, is close to the Greek and Armenian lobby, and is a Kurdish sympathizer, has very unfriendly intentions regarding the United States. In this article, before and after the Biden's geopolitical game plan will examine the near future of US-Turkey relations.
Biden's personality
Biden as Obama's deputy repeatedly came to Turkey between 2011-2016. Biden's agenda on Turkey; There was the north of Syria, the fight against ISIS, and the US military and logistical support to the YPG. Biden's job was to distract Turkey. He thought he was doing important things written in secret files that he kept in a bond bag between Washington and the north of Syria. Turkey in October 2019 but was able to get approval to enter northern Syria from Trump.
According to Ankara, normalizing relations with Biden requires a transition period. Biden is a zig and zag; He apologized for the words he said about Erdogan just before in 2014 and 2016.
In the mid-2000s, Biden was in favor of the division of Iraq into three de-facto states. He was also the vice president when the US started sending weapons and vehicles to the YPG in northern Syria.
In fact, Biden had made his career on the traditional enemy groups and formations in Turkey. Let's look at the official statement titled "Vision for Greece", which he published in his election campaign in October 2020;
"Turkey's unacceptable occupation of Northern Cyprus. I support a solution that will unite the island in a bi-zonal, bi-communal, political equality federation. "
These are the individual views of the Greek side, which still sees the Turkish side as a minority society. It is aimed to engulf the Turkish population under the Greek administration on the island.
Biden, due to the Trump recently against Turkey's provocative behavior management to force Greece to pressure, including the threat had been called. Not enough, Biden is a strong supporter of the Ecumenical claim in Istanbul and the patriarch he visited in 2011. It supports Bartholomeos' requests from Ankara.
Biden has always been a friend of the Greek-American community and has received constant support from them. There is no doubt that he will take the word of Greece for developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. Trump contrast, Biden Turkey's compliance with international law, has failed to fulfill its obligations related to NATO, considering that violated Greek airspace.
Another problematic issue is the Armenian genocide allegations. In April 2020, Biden announced that if he was elected president, he would formally recognize the allegations. This issue may be the first important test day on April 24 in Turkey relationship with Biden.
The US view of Ankara's leadership can be summarized as follows; Iraq, Syria and Libya who want to return to their former Ottoman lands in the eastern Mediterranean, Greece creates tension with the military, a former Soviet weapons systems field Turkey.
During the presidential election, Ankara, which expressed its stance in favor of Trump, became the NATO country capital to congratulate Biden's presidency as the last time.