Erdogan wages war on the West and Israel; NATO must not ignore it

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's upcoming hosting of NATO leaders in Ankara is met with sharp criticism, as the author argues that Erdogan is waging a war against the West and Israel. The article condemns the prospect of American and European leaders engaging in cooperation with what it describes as a "radical, antisemitic, viciously anti-Western and anti-Israeli dictator."

Despite Turkey's expulsion from the F-35 jet program in 2019 due to its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems, the U.S. is reportedly considering shipping engines worth over $700 million for Turkey's homegrown fighter jet and potentially readmitting Turkey to the F-35 program. Simultaneously, the EU is seeking major economic and energy contracts with Turkey, positioning it centrally in energy networks that bypass traditional routes. This cooperation is deemed "astonishingly unwise and infuriating" given Erdogan's perceived efforts to undermine Western values and interests and "obliterate Israel."

The article highlights Erdogan's consistent anti-American rhetoric, branding the U.S. a "declining hegemon" and "imperialist sponsor of terrorism." It points to Turkey's alignment with Russia, its support for Iran's economy and war effort, and its hosting of Hamas military headquarters. Reports from the Middle East Forum suggest Erdogan is pursuing a "Turkish-led regional order with clearly expressed Ottoman and Islamist-jihadist aspirations," driving toward strategic autonomy in a post-American Middle East.

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Turkey is an adversary that occasionally cooperates, and the US is now preparing to subsidize the machine built to replace it.

Gregg Roman, director of the Middle East Forum, is quoted warning that the U.S. is "financing its own containment and calling the down-payment an alliance." He states, "American hardware is the rented ladder Turkey needs to climb out of its current vulnerability. The new Turkey is using the hegemon’s tools to build the machine that will one day render the hegemon irrelevant." The piece also notes Turkey's formation of a Sunni alliance with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, and Qatar, which it characterizes as having an "anti-American scent," and mentions a drafted model constitution for an Islamic confederation intended to replace NATO.

The author concludes that while NATO cannot afford a complete rupture with Turkey due to its control of the Turkish Straits and hosting of U.S. nuclear weapons, a "reciprocity standard" must be applied. Contracts with Turkey should be contingent on its conduct, and the West should not subsidize a nation actively working to diminish its influence.

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American hardware is the rented ladder Turkey needs to climb out of its current vulnerability. The new Turkey is using the hegemon’s tools to build the machine that will one day render the hegemon irrelevant.