Ankara about to turn away from West, Athens believes
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed, in a phone call last Monday, that the events in the Middle East will not affect bilateral efforts toward closer communication and cooperation.
But, on the events themselves, their approaches diverged. The one thing they agreed on was the need to ensure humanitarian assistance for Gaza. Otherwise, while Mitsotakis said that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, Erdogan’s approach is totally different.
Greek officials estimate that, after an effort to mend ties with the West, Erdogan is about to make relations difficult and this time, they say, this may not be a temporary development but might become permanent. This could impact relations with Washington, including Turkey’s acquisition of F-16 fighters and upgrade kits, which has stalled in Congress.
