Hulusi Akar has assumed the duties of defense minister, foreign minister, interior minister and intelligence chief in the process of setting up a safe zone along Syrian border with the cooperation of the United States. It did not escape notice that all the bargaining with the US officials for the safe zone was conducted not by the Turkish Foreign Ministry but by the Defense Ministry. The negotiations led by Akar resulted in a somewhat cryptic and open-ended road map.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu took a hawkish stance toward the United States, voicing harsh comments while Akar appeared to be trying to find a middle ground to continue negotiations. Some observers described the tactic as good cop-bad cop strategy. Regardless, if it had not been for Akar and his diplomatic skills, we wouldn’t be talking of cooperation with the United States east of the Euphrates River and for a safe zone.
