Erdogan will try to pull off balancing act at NATO summit
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to be a media focal point during the NATO summit, where Turkey will find itself in a difficult position as a country both directly affected by the crises on the agenda and reluctant to take any decisive action.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan will make his international debut as president in the West this week when he attends the NATO summit in Newport, Wales.
Despite the low turnout from the United States and Europe for his Aug. 28 inauguration, Erdogan is expected to be a point of attraction for the media during the Sept. 4-5 summit. He has earned an international reputation as an abrasive leader, frequently using anti-Western rhetoric to shore up domestic support.
The leaders Erdogan plans to meet on the sidelines of the summit — including US President Barack Obama — are nevertheless aware of Turkey’s geostrategic importance, especially in view of developments in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria expected to dominate the talks in Newport.
The United States has signaled that it wants an international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, while Europe and Washington are seeking to establish a unified front against Russia to counter Moscow’s military action in Ukraine.
