Turkish commentary questions whether Ankara is relying too much on Trump
Amid an increasing deterioration of US-Turkey relations, a commentary published in Turkey’s Hurriyet has raised the question whether Ankara is relying too much on American President Donald Trump to save ties.
Referring to the current tension between the two NATO allies that traditionally enjoyed close ties, the commentary said that few in Washington circles share optimism about the prospect of a solution to the thorny issue of Turkey's decision to purchase S-400s, which led to US threats to suspend the delivery of F-35 fighter jets.
“That raises the question of whether too much confidence is placed on the good chemistry between Trump and (Turkish President) Erdogan to resolve the S-400 disagreement,” the commentary said.
“While good relations between the two presidents is an asset, it can also be a liability in view of the Congress’s negative outlook towards Trump,” it added, noting that Trump’s positive stance on certain issues pertaining to Turkey “might have a counterproductive effect, as it might further irritate a Congress controlled by Democrats who are highly critical of both Trump and the Turkish government.”
It also noted that a group of businesspeople who held talks with congressional staffers this week were told that there is bipartisan criticism of Turkey in US Congress.
