Erdogan not going to Washington
The already difficult US-Turkey relationship has entered an even more delicate phase with the cancellation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Washington.
The underlying causes of bilateral tensions are many and well-known. Relations between the two NATO allies are increasingly characterized by mutual mistrust, if not disdain, the result of widely diverging views and policies on a range of issues from the Russian S-400 missile defense system to the Kurds in Syria, and above all, to Hamas and Israel’s war in Gaza.
The Turkish president tries to establish himself as a leader of the Islamic world, and in so doing finds it useful, especially in the domestic political scene, to attack the West and even more so, Israel.
The question in Athens is whether the latest developments will have an impact on Greek-Turkish relations.
Greece’s value as a reliable NATO ally and EU member in an unstable region might be increased, but the incremental detachment of Ankara from the West is viewed with some uneasiness.
On the bilateral front it is difficult to see why Erdogan would opt for renewed tensions with Greece. Any move in that direction would do nothing to enhance his image in the Islamic world, while it will unnecessarily add another burden to its already strained relations with the US.
Add to the mix the fact that Greece remains an integral part of the European Union-Turkey equation, at a time when the latter aims to extract numerous benefits from the EU, and it is clear what direction should Erdogan follow.
Still, having often been confronted with the unpredictability of the Turkish president, Athens will push forward with the positive agenda of the last few months, but will remain vigilant.
In any case, as good-neighborly relations with Turkey and the stability of the region remain its pronounced strategic goals, Athens will continue investing in its rapprochement with Ankara, and it is in that spirit that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will visit Turkey on May 13.
