After the violent confrontation between the U.S. and China in Alaska, the U.S. and Europe have embarked on diplomacy to consolidate their allies, and the Chinese Communist Party is also pulling in some countries. Turkey, located at the gateway to Europe and Asia, is facing not only the olive branch from the U.S. and Europe, but also the lure of the Chinese Communist Party.
Jean-Pierre Cabestan, head of the Department of Politics and International Relations at Hong Kong Baptist University, was quoted by AFP as saying that the world is moving toward a dichotomy between good and evil, with “good (the Western democratic camp) on one side and evil (authoritarian states such as the Chinese Communist Party and Russia) on the other.
EU chief to visit Turkey to develop positive ties
European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Turkey on April 6 to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an EU spokesman said on Monday (March 29).
During a videoconference between EU leaders and U.S. President Joe Biden last Thursday, March 25, the leaders said the European Commission would “continue to fund Syrian refugees in Turkey” after already spending 6 billion euros.
They praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for not escalating the situation, and “we welcome the recent de-escalation (of the situation) in the Eastern Mediterranean, including the cessation of illegal drilling activities, the resumption of bilateral talks between Turkey and Greece, and the upcoming talks with Cyprus.”
The EU decided at the same day’s meeting to engage with Turkey in a “phased, proportional and reversible” manner, referring to the modernization of the EU-Turkey customs union. The so-called “reversible” engagement refers to the EU’s “available tools and options to defend its interests” if Erdogan acts badly again, including sanctions against Turkish officials, entities or economic projects.
European Council President Michel said on the 25th that the EU is keen to improve relations with Turkey, but “at the same Time, it is important that Turkey maintains a positive and moderate behavior”. Both Michel and von der Leyen pledged to restore relations with Turkey for strategic reasons, while stressing the importance of human rights. “The rule of law and democracy are absolutely both key to any dialogue we have with Turkey.” Michel said.
According to a March 27 analysis by Turkish media outlet Daily Sabah, the U.S. needs to improve relations with Turkey in particular in order to meet the challenge of the Chinese Communist Party, which is the main barrier to its expansion into the West, so the article suggests that the Biden Administration should prioritize good relations with Ankara and support Turkey’s efforts to become a more democratic country.
China’s Communist Party Draws Turkey in Search of Opportunities to Warm Up
The Voice of America reports that the Chinese Communist Party is now one of Turkey’s largest investors and that Beijing has increased its financial assistance to Ankara in an effort to prop up the depreciating Turkish currency, in addition to being the country’s largest supplier of vaccine for the New Coronavirus Hox News (New Coronavirus).
The Chinese Communist Party recently bought out an Italian company’s stake in the new No. 3 bridge in Istanbul, a local landmark. Earlier this month, Xiaomi Mobile opened a factory in Istanbul.
Turkey has been largely silent on the Communist Party’s crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang because of its economic dependence on China, but there are dissenting voices within the Turkish government, such as Turkish presidential adviser Mesut Kashin, who believes the Communist Party “hurts us all, and you can look at their human rights record, they are killing Uighurs.
After the Communist Party’s alarming “War Wolf” rhetoric to the United States in Alaska, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Russian counterpart and then visited six Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman, intensively from March 24 onward. Last Saturday (March 27), Wang Yi and Iranian Foreign Minister signed a 25-year so-called “China-Iran Trade Long-Term Strategic Cooperation Agreement” in Tehran.
Voice of America quoted David Pollock, an expert at the Washington Institute, as saying that Wang’s trip was an attempt by the Chinese Communist Party to show everyone that it is “one of the great powers. On the other hand (it can be seen) that the Middle East is important in the ‘Belt and Road’ project, and another aspect is China’s dependence on oil resources in the Middle East.
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