Is Erdogan’s ability to turn superpower rivalry to advantage diminishing?
The only thing Ankara can rely on is that the US-Russian conflict will grow to the point where the need to work with Turkey will override any antipathy felt for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government.
A key factor preventing a total collapse of Turkey’s foreign policy — given Ankara’s growing international isolation — has been President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ability to use Turkey’s strategic location, and the differences between regional and world powers.
Erdogan has utilized the rivalry between the United States and Russia in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean in particular with relative success as he tries to achieve Turkey’s regional ambitions.
Turkey’s continuing geostrategic value has forced both Washington and Moscow to maintain a working relationship with him despite the serious disputes they have with Ankara over multiple issues.
The personal friendships Erdogan has forged with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past have also strengthened Ankara’s hand. These have averted serious crises, which could even have escalated into direct military confrontations between Turkish and US/Russian forces, most notably in Syria.
