Turkish Delight: The Sour Relationship Between Turkey and the United States
Turkey was once hailed as an shining example of a successful democracy in the Middle East; a beam of hope surrounded by a sea of oligarchs and brutal dictators. The United States believed that the goal of other Middle Eastern nations was to follow Turkey’s lead and become stable democracies. For decades, Turkey has been considered the go-to ally for United States actions in the Middle East. The Turkey Incirlik air base has been a vital strategic success for the United States because of its key location in the Middle East. Both nations have worked side-by-side against the Islamic State, Al Qaeda, and other radical terrorist organizations since 2001. Even before that, Turkey has been used as a strategic launch pad of for the United States’ and NATO’s missions throughout the region, once providing much-needed Cold War pressure. However, in recent years, Turkey has become less of a shining example of democracy and more similar to the frowned-upon dictatorships that surround it.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been waging a war against democracy and freedom of expression in Turkey. He has cracked down on press, with record numbers of journalists being arrested for publishing articles criticizing Erdogan’s policies of oppression and actions against the Kurds. In 2014, Erdogan seized control of the newspaper Zaman and began printing pro-government propaganda. Much like in post-Arab Spring Egypt, journalism has become a risky business in Turkey. Furthermore, the Turkish President has used the recently-failed military coup as a justification for cracking down on academics and journalists, labelling dissent on treason. The Turkish department of education has demanded the registration of over 1,500 journalist and almost 10,000 people remained detained under Turkey’s emergency imprisonment laws. Political opponents and military officials has been swept away under Erdogan’s presidency. All the while, the West has barely blinked an eye to the injustice presented before them.
Before the coup, Erdogan elevated his suppression of the Kurdish minority in Turkey. In the 2015 election cycle, the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party won more than 10% of the vote, voicing the concerns and disdain that many citizens had for the President’s policies. When this message was received, Erdogan became particularly totalitarian. In the past two years, he has both forged a ceasefire agreement with the Kurdish minority and broke it. The Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK) has consistently been seeking autonomy from Turkey, but despite their efforts, Erdogan has repeatedly denied them their independence. In February, Kurdish party officials accused Erdogan of burning over 150 Kurdish civilians alive in their homes. Both sides continue to escalate their attacks, leading to massive amounts of destruction and enormous casualties. The Turkish government has even taken the fight outside of Turkey and has actively been bombing and combating other Kurdish groups throughout Iraq and Syria. In the meantime, Turkey has launched initiatives on the diplomatic side as well. Erdogan has opposed the United States’ and NATO’s support of the Kurdish fighters in the effort to defeat the Islamic State and has been trying to undermine the United States’ alliance with Kurdish rebel groups.
Peace between the Kurds and Turkish government is ideal for all parties involved. It allows the United States to utilize both the strategic location of Turkey and the powerful ground forces of the Kurds, but peace seems less likely with each passing day. Neither the PKK nor the Turkish government wants to listen to the other. The increasingly authoritarian Erdogan refuses to acknowledge any Kurdish claims to sovereignty and has adamantly tried to undermine the faction’s efforts fighting the Islamic State by arming rebel factions to fight the Kurds. The Kurdish groups in Turkey have attacked government officials and offices, illustrating a continuous conflict with no end in sight. The fight between the Kurds and the Turkish government has become a kind of tit-for-tat warfare: one side will commit an atrocity and in return the other side will do something equally or even more atrocious. All the while, neither side is progressing nor working towards a solution. The United States has labeled the PKK a terrorist group and has traditionally taken the side of the Turkish government, but when the rivalry between the two groups is hindering the battle against the Islamic State, it might be time to take an unprecedented step.
The United States has come to a crossroads concerning its Middle Eastern policy. On one hand, Turkey is a powerful ally in the Middle East that offers a unique strategic position for U.S. and NATO troops. On the other, Turkey has abused this power, becoming an increasingly totalitarian state that has tried to undermine the United States’ support of the Kurds. It is becoming increasingly apparent that Turkey is no longer the bastion of light in a sea of enemies, but is on the verge of becoming one the United States’ political rivals in the region. The United States is going to have to make a choice, whether to continue supporting a long term ally or start looking for new ones. This choice will change the story of the Middle East and the part that the United States will play in it.
