Under Biden, US-Turkey relations face delicate balancing act
Analysts expect the Joe Biden administration to take a harder stance than the Trump administration did on diverging US-Turkey policies, while noting Washington will also need to take pains to avoid alienating the key NATO ally.
ISTANBUL — Following the inauguration of US President Joe Biden on Jan. 20, foreign policy experts expect a recalibration in US-Turkey relations, which have been marked by a long list of grievances in recent years.
As a result of diverging views on Syria, Ankara’s 2019 purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems and other policy differences, the distance between the traditional NATO allies has grown and the Biden administration faces a delicate balancing act in addressing points of discord without further alienating Ankara.
Where President Donald Trump in general had rapport with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, analysts expect the Biden team to take a harder stance toward bilateral ties in the months to come. Incoming US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underlined this notion while speaking at his confirmation hearing in Washington on Jan. 19 when he questioned Turkey’s status as a strategic partner following the S-400 acquisition.
“The idea that a strategic — so-called strategic — partner of ours would actually be in line with one of our biggest strategic competitors in Russia is not acceptable,” Blinken said, adding his team would assess the impacts of US sanctions imposed last month in response to the purchase to “determine whether [there is] more that needs to be done.”
