Washington Kurdish Institute
May 28, 2018
Any time Turkey is mentioned in debates, policy papers, or media coverage, U.S. officials or policy experts in Washington almost always immediately state that Turkey is a fellow NATO member and “ally”. This term is used in a seemingly perfunctory or reflexive matter, with little thought devoted to its validity or the actual role Turkey plays in the region. In light of ongoing regional instability and volatility within Turkey itself, it is important to review some of Turkey’s policy positions and rhetoric, which, along with the central ideology of the country, have changed drastically since the Islamist ruling party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) headed by current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, rose to power in 2002. That rise of AKP marked the beginning of a new era for Turkey, one which rejected the staunch secularism of the republic and increasingly embraced anti-American rhetoric, despite continuing to receive billions of dollars in aid from the U.S.
AKP: Anti-American from Day 1
Just months after a groundbreaking victory in Turkey’s 2002 general elections, the Turkey’s parliament, now dominated by the AKP, voted on March 1, 2003 to rejecting a request by the U.S. to operate from bases and ports in Turkey in the impending military campaign against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. This vote reflected Turkish national sentiment, which was strongly opposed to U.S. intervention in Iraq, and reflected the start contrast between the AKP’s Turkey and that of 1991, when Turkey’s President Turgut Özal had little trouble rallying the necessary votes to allow support for U.S. military operations in Iraq.
Soon after Erdogan became Turkey’s Prime Minister in late March 2003, anti-Americanism became commonplace. Erdogan described America as “State of Terror”, while other AKP figures promoted Islamism throughout various Turkish institutions, carrying anti-western and often specifically anti-American sentiment, including conspiracy theories. During U.S. battle in Fallujah, Iraq against al-Qaeda terrorists in 2005, Erdogan proclaimed al-Qaeda members killed by the U.S. to be “martyrs”. Meanwhile, the staunchly pro-AKP newspaper Yeni Safak described the operation in Fallujah as “genocide.” To this day, pro-AKP media outlets continue to take this approach in describing U.S. policies. During his successive terms as Prime Minister, Erdogan presided over the creation and growth of the AKP empire, which includes a vast number of media and other business operations, and after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, anti-Americanism was pushed to new levels, as the AKP targeted the U.S. government and military as coup plotters, presenting no evidence to support this inflammatory accusation against a top contributor of foreign aid.
After first establishing a close friendship with the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, following the outbreak of anti-regime protests, Erdogan radically changed his policies toward Syria and embraced rebel groups aiming to topple the Assad regime in 2011. The AKP quickly established Turkey as a base of operations for anti-Assad groups, and provided support to various extremist groups, including elements linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, aiming to topple Syria’s dictator. When the Kurdish minority in Syria liberated their areas from Assad and jihadist groups and established a self-administration structure, the AKP primarily focused its rhetoric and resources on the Kurds, aiming to prevent them from holding onto any power within the now fractured country of Syria.
While the U.S.-led coalition to this day works hand in hand with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which Syrian Kurdish fighters are a main component, Turkey has labelled the SDF as an enemy, and has attacked the Syrian Kurds on many occasions and occupied their land for years, introducing another element of instability into Syria and prolonging and magnifying bloodshed. The AKP has used varied of jihadist groups, including some counting former ISIS fighters among their ranks, to invade Kurdish regions including Afrin, distracting the Syrian Kurds from their the war on ISIS. Turkey has repeatedly attacked and killed Syrian Kurds who were fighting ISIS. While the top priority of the U.S. in Syria is to degrade and destroy ISIS, Turkey’s primary aim is to eliminate the presence of the Kurds in Syria who are the most effective force combating ISIS. For two years, Turkey refused to allow the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS to use Turkish bases to launch strikes against ISIS positions in Syria.
When the U.S.-led coalition was the verge of defeating ISIS in Syria, Erdogan put his previous disagreements with Iran and Russia aside and agreed with them to hold a tripartite “peace” talks over Syria, ignoring previous U.S. initiatives. Erdogan’s agreement with Russia and Iran was aimed at decreasing the U.S. influence in the region. Turkey constantly labelled America’s support for Kurdish fighters in Syria as support for “terrorism,” considering the Syrian fighters to be a branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish party which has been fighting for the rights of the Kurds in Turkey for decades.
In July 2017, the AKP government’s media mouthpiece, Anadolu Agency, revealed secret US military locations in Syria, posing obvious risks to American and allied military personnel. The AKP continues to support extremists groups who are involved with displacement, terror, and death of civilians in Syria, acting in direct opposition to the U.S. and Europe, who seek to eliminate the jihadists in Syria and stabilize the country. At the same time, Erdogan has been personally involved with a scheme to help Iran evade international sanctions. Recently the United Nations also opened an investigation against the Turkish government for selling Iran electronics which violate the international sanctions.
The AKP’s links with the Muslim Brotherhood and common and consistent approach to terror groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda have played a significant role in further destabilizing the Middle East, and specifically Syria. Animosity against America within Turkey has reached new highs, and is manifested in the targeting of U.S. Embassy and Consulate Turkish staff by Erdogan, as well as the imprisonment of Christian Pastor Andrew Brunson, a U.S. citizen accused of being an agent of an exiled Muslim cleric.
Erdogan’s animosity towards the U.S., and his government’s anti-American policies, are not simply a reaction to America’s support for the Kurdish fighter in Syria (who have never initiated any hostile action against Turkey). The AKP’s support for terror groups working against U.S. interests in the Middle East began a decade before the Syrian civil war, and is reflective of the AKP’s ideology. For example, the AKP caused great outrage by hosting Hamas leader Khalid Mashal in 2006, and, since then, has repeatedly and openly supported the group in various ways.
While Erdogan and the AKP consistently work against the U.S. and American interests in the Middle East, and even threaten U.S. citizens, reactions from Washington have been muted – and Turkey even has a number of staunch defenders in D.C. Turkey was important ally of the U.S. during the Korean War and stood with America against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but is long passed and Turkey has transformed significantly since then. Today’s Turkey controlled by Erdogan and his Islamist AKP, and is deeply inimical toward the U.S. Therefore, the policy makers, experts, and bureaucrats in Washington need to accept that reality that the Cold War is long over and Turkey’s role as dependable “NATO ally” is also a thing of the past. Jihadist terror organizations are now a major threat to U.S. security, and Turkey stands with them firmly. The U.S. must adapt to the new reality and choose new partners to address today’s security concerns.