Washington Examiner
Biden to huddle with Turkey's Erdogan at NATO summit after calling him an 'autocrat'
John T. Bennett 5 hrs ago
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President Joe Biden will meet one on one with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO summit later this month after the two leaders have clashed repeatedly.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan wearing a suit and tie smiling and looking at the camera© Provided by Washington Examiner
Biden, a former vice president and onetime Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, is no stranger to the mercurial Turkish leader who has sometimes sided with Washington but more often become a thorn in several presidents’ sides.
During his first months in office, Biden called the Ottoman Empire's mass murder of Armenians a "genocide," escalating tensions with Ankara after numerous American presidents stopped short of using such a powerful diplomatic term.
"So far, however, the Turkish leader’s reaction has been considerably more restrained and rational than might have been expected from a politician renowned for his sharp tongue and temper," journalist Kirill Zharov wrote recently for the nonpartisan Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Erdogan, early in Biden’s term, slammed the U.S. commander in chief for agreeing with an interviewer that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “a killer.” More recently, the Turkish leader painted Biden as unable to bring about an end to deadly clashes between Israel and Hamas, suggesting he might send fighter jets and other assets to provide cover for Palestinians under fire from Israeli missiles.
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Turkey in recent years has slid toward Putin’s orbit. After first embracing his Turkish counterpart, dubbing himself a “big fan,” even former President Donald Trump grew frustrated by his actions. He urged Erdogan in a letter to avoid trying to be a “big man” when it came to intervening in Syria and his intention to target that country's Kurdish population.
Under Trump, "Washington started putting pressure on Ankara over their differences on these issues back when Donald Trump was still U.S. president," Zharov wrote. "The United States removed Turkey from the F-35 joint strike fighter program over Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems, slapped additional tariffs on Turkish imports, and introduced sanctions against some Turkish politicians and companies."
Biden, as president-elect in December, called Erdogan an “autocrat” during a media interview and called for a different policy toward Turkey.
“What I think we should be doing is taking a very different approach to him now, making it clear that we support opposition leadership,” Biden said bluntly.
The meeting comes after Biden's administration continued the pressure on Erdogan that began under Trump.
"Turkey is building its own air defense system, and has turned to Russia for help," Zharov noted, a move that continues to irk Washington. "What’s more, despite the pressure, Turkey is becoming an increasingly difficult ally for the United States. Ankara is in no rush to ask Washington for help in Syria, while actively cooperating with Russia on the peace process."
When they meet face-to-face in Brussels, Belgium, the duo will “discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues,” the White House said in a statement describing the U.S. president’s itinerary for his first foreign trip since taking office in January.
“This trip will highlight America’s commitment to restoring our alliances, revitalizing the Transatlantic relationship, and working in close cooperation with our allies and multilateral partners to address global challenges and better secure America’s interests,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in the statement.
Rebuilding partnerships was part of Biden’s 2020 campaign message. He argued Trump’s “America first” governing philosophy had alienated the United States on the global stage and eroded Washington’s decades-old standing as the world’s leading power.
Biden, who will be joined by first lady Jill Biden, will leave Washington late next week before first meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson next Thursday.
From there, the president will spend three days starting Friday at a G-7 summit in Cornwall, where the White House says he “will reinforce our commitment to multilateralism, work to advance key U.S. policy priorities on public health, economic recovery, and climate change, and demonstrate solidarity and shared values among major democracies.”
After meeting with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on June 13, the U.S. leader will be off to Belgium for a NATO summit on June 14 as the alliance stares down Putin.
“President Biden will affirm the United States’ commitment to NATO, Transatlantic security, and collective defense. NATO leaders will discuss how to orient the Alliance to future threats and ensure effective burden sharing,” Psaki said.
After huddling with alliance leaders, Biden, the following day, will participate in a U.S.-EU summit. “The leaders will discuss a common agenda to ensure global health security, stimulate global economic recovery, tackle climate change, enhance digital and trade cooperation, strengthen democracy, and address mutual foreign policy concerns,” Psaki said.
While each stop has geopolitical importance, the main event of the European jaunt will be the last meeting. That one is on June 16 with Putin.
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The rivals have a long list of differences to discuss, including several ransomware attacks on major suppliers of gasoline and beef to the U.S., Putin’s recent massing of troops along his border with Ukraine, 2016 election meddling, among other thorny matters
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