Turkey continues to heal its wounds, remove the rubble of what was scattered by the earthquake, and try to move to the stage of construction and get out quickly from the shock, but it needs neighbors, partners and allies to stand by it as well. We are talking about numbers that may reach 50,000 dead, 100,000 wounded, tens of thousands of damaged buildings, and billions of dollars in losses. …first healing, then reconstruction, and then making the most of the earthquake’s social, legal, humanitarian and economic lessons. In addition to discussing all these issues, there is a political entitlement and another sensitive transitional phase awaiting Turkey, which is the presidential and parliamentary elections next May. Who will win is an important issue, of course, but the most important thing is his ability to deal with the requirements of the next stage and get the country out of its crises.
The Turks did not stingy or hesitate to stand by dozens of countries that have been subjected to many crises and disasters in recent decades. Turkey is the largest refugee-hosting country in the world, and it ranks second in terms of funds provided to the needy after the United States, and dozens of countries continue to return the favor to Turkey. The possibility that things will go towards opening the doors to a political opportunity that Ankara will invest in to review its tense relations with many capitals also exists. But the most difficult question relates to knowing who will continue to stand by Turkey in the transitional period, while it is trying to build its cities and villages? Or will the matter stop for some of them at the turning point of participating in extracting the victims from under the rubble, treating them, providing temporary accommodation for the afflicted, and providing them with first aid in field hospitals?
The Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, described the earthquake in Turkey as the deadliest and most horrific disaster on the territory of the alliance since its founding. “Military aircraft from the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States are working day and night to deliver international aid to the region, in addition to transporting the wounded who need to be evacuated,” he said. However, Ankara is still waiting for a lot from its partners and allies in the West, specifically from America, compared to what others have offered and pledged to provide.
The list of countries that stood by Turkey in the early days of the catastrophe exceeded one hundred. Azerbaijan, Qatar, Israel and Greece may be among the fastest to provide aid and rescue those under the rubble, just as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and many Islamic and Western countries did not leave Turkey alone. Including that, since the earthquake occurred, 16 Arab countries have announced the establishment of air bridges and the provision of urgent relief and medical aid to support Turkey. In the first days of the disaster, the numbers of this aid exceeded one billion dollars in the form of direct financial support, shipments, medical equipment, tents and field hospitals.
The news of the air breaches of the sea border lines between Turkey and Greece suddenly stopped, with the spread of the news of the earthquake disaster, and it is still the same. The Turkish political leaders also expressed their gratitude to Israel, and for what it provided to Ankara in its ordeal. “Israel’s position will move Turkish-Israeli relations to a new level,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
US President Joe Biden did not open his Oval Office to Minister Cavusoglu during his visit to Washington last January, as Turkish President Erdogan did with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian for an hour and a half in Ankara. Maybe Biden was angry at the time. .. Was the earthquake what prompted Erdogan to receive the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, this time at Ankara airport, in a hurry and for more than an hour? Will the Turkish president back down from his accusations that Washington and the West are trying to interfere in the upcoming elections in his country, as a result of the supportive American positions in the ordeal of the earthquake?
The US ambassador to Turkey, Jeff Flake, says that Ankara has fulfilled its duty towards the countries of the world for many years, and today the world must return the favor to it in its ordeal, but the statements of Cavusoglu and Blinken, in the joint press conference during the latter’s visit to Ankara a few days ago, cut off the path early on Opportunities for optimism about a breakthrough in the strained relations in more than one bilateral and regional file. The divergence remains as it is, and there are no indications or signs of a dissolution, as it appeared clearly, despite all that was said and written about the possibility of turning the earthquake disaster into a means of convergence and softness in the positions between the two parties. As much as Turkey is waiting for the work of the donor countries’ summit organized by Sweden on behalf of the European Community in Brussels, to find out the amount of international financial support for it to absorb the calamity of the earthquakes, Washington is waiting for the outcome of the upcoming NATO summit next July to know the fate of the expansion plan and the possibility of Ankara changing its position regarding membership Sweden and Finland.
Washington wants to bargain and make deals with Ankara, taking advantage of the current situation in Turkey: Atlantic expansion as soon as possible, by removing the Turkish veto on the membership of Sweden and Finland. A new Turkish-Syrian policy takes into account what America says and wants on the issue of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), ISIS and the regime in Damascus. Reducing the Turkish enthusiasm and rush towards Russia and Iran in the region. Ankara’s review of its policies in the Caucasus, the Black Sea, the eastern Mediterranean, and the tension files with Cyprus and Greece. However, the first and biggest loser from the Turkish turn will be the American partner, if the Biden administration does not move to review its Turkish positions and policy.
Washington says that it stands by Ankara in these critical circumstances it is going through, with 200 million dollars in aid and American support for Turkey to get out of its ordeal and pull the rope on the tractor. Washington has spent more than eight billion dollars on arming the Kurdish Autonomous Administration in the east of the Euphrates, training it and supporting its construction, according to Ankara figures. Washington has reservations about one billion and 400 million dollars three years ago, which Turkey paid as a contribution to the F-35 fighter project, and decided to seize it and expel Ankara from the project because of the deal.
