Turkey’s malign actions against the Senator of New Jersey, Robert Menendez: Coercive, Covert, and Corrupting

ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ

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By Alexander Drivas, Strategic Analyst

Maybe a part of the title’s article is similar to another title that the U.S. Department of State used to describe the Chinese sharp power that is spreading all over the world. But what about other countries?

Is only China that uses malign tools to boost its aggressive policies? Turkish policy towards the U.S. has been malicious for a long time, but it seems that a part of the U.S. bureaucracy doesn’t throw even a glimpse of that. China is the devil you know for the U.S. foreign policy, but Turkey is still an “ally” of Washington in NATO.

The main issue is that an American “ally” adopted malicious attacks against a U.S. Senator who is also the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Is it proper for the U.S. to give in to the coercive policies of Turkey? Not at all. Turkey should be further sanctioned under CAATSA and FARA laws.

The U.S. Senator of New Jersey slammed Erdogan for every malicious policy that he has been adopting for years in front of the Senate. His speech was based on Woodrow Wilson’s values that the U.S. desperately needs to conduct a sober and coherent international policy.

During his speech, the Senator of New Jersey had on his right side an unholy picture that shows the inconvenient truth for the few Turkey supporters in the State Department. Erdogan is standing side by side with Putin and the Iranian leader. Erdogan’s brutal behavior never ends and to change the negative context in the U.S. Congress, he is trying to invent scandals against Senator Menendez.

The question is loud and sound and brings embarrassment in Washington; How a brutal dictator like Erdogan could launch malicious attacks against an American Senator? This is not the first time that the Turkish president shows total disrespect for American institutions.

The clashes of May 16th, 2017, which were provoked by Erdogan’s bodyguards nearby the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, proved that Turkey has become a dull regime that doesn’t hesitate to violate fundamental rights of the U.S. democracy such as the First Amendment.

The depressive performance of Turkey regarding human rights is not the only issue that the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee constantly repeats when it comes to Turkey. The AKP’s Turkey has been fully transformed into a regional rogue state which has been acting hostile against Greece, Cyprus, Syria, Northern Iraq, Israel, and Egypt.

The Turkish blacklist is endless. The War in Ukraine has already shown the special relationship between Russia and Turkey. After the failed coup that took place in the middle of the summer of 2016, Turkey and Russia boosted their relationship. Ankara and Moscow are strategic partners and they both subvert the cohesion and interoperability of NATO. The major problem here is that Turkey is a NATO member, so it undermines the North Atlantic Treaty from within.

The purchase of the S-400 was a milestone for the strategic alliance between Russia and Turkey. Ever since, and despite CAATSA sanctions against the Turkish military industry, no progress has been noted. American interests are exposed to substantial risk in Syria and Libya because of Turkish coercive policies and at the same time, it appears to be the black hole for the western sanctions against Russia. Erdogan’s latest statement in front of the Turkish people was that Turkish missiles would hit Athens.

This direct threat against Greece, which is a critical American ally, is targeting not only Greece but also the U.S. vital interests. It would be essential for the U. S Department of State to take into severe consideration the Senator’s Menendez speech than expressing its sadness for Turkish animosity.

However, the Turkish volatile policies never stop because, at the core of Erdogan’s mindset, the U.S. is so weak to further sanction him and his authoritarian regime further potential candidates for the 2023 Turkish elections have recently been convicted. Now, Erdogan is shaping his eventual plan and threatening everyone outside Turkey to avoid making free elections.

Blackmailing the U.S. is a substantial ingredient for its subversive agenda and the acquisition of the F-16 and their kits would boost his campaign to keep the Turkish parties that strongly oppose Erdogan as hostages just a few months before the elections. Should the U.S. kneel to Erdogan by selling him the F-16 jets?

The answer is quite simple; Turkey should be further sanctioned not only for all the aforementioned issues but also because the U.S. needs to emit the proper signal to Turkish people that they won’t support an oppressive regime before the elections. Senator Menendez is showing the U.S. Department of State another path to make Erdogan change his policies. This path is not by the appeasement that made Erdogan so ruthless.

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