Since 2005, Turkey has been negotiating a possible accession with the EU.
The relationship was badly shattered recently - but Recep Tayyip Erdogan sounds different after Trump was voted out.
On January 25, 2021, Turkey and Greece will discuss the settlement of the dispute over gas drilling in the Mediterranean Sea.
President Erdogan thanks Chancellor Angela Merkel for her efforts.
Turkey is looking for a new position in the international power structure.
Istanbul - Nazi comparisons, verbal attacks against French President Emmanuel Macron and the
dispute over gas reserves in the Mediterranean:
To describe the
relationship between the
EU states and Turkey
as broken would be expressed diplomatically.
Poison arrows have
repeatedly
flown
from Ankara to Berlin, Paris and Brussels
in recent years
.
It was not until December that the EU member states announced
sanctions
against Turkish companies and their managers because of the simmering
tensions over gas reserves
in the Mediterranean.
Greece and Cyprus
on the one hand, Turkey on the other, claim sea areas in the
eastern Mediterranean
that are characterized by their rich gas deposits.
To reinforce their ambitions, Ankara and Athens even sent
warships
into the region.
Erdogan on a cuddle course with the EU?
Switching from Trump to Biden could be a reason
Good exchange with Turkish President @RTErdogan.
We exchanged on the # COVID19 situation, the economic recovery and the implementation of tasking of the European Council of December 2020. pic.twitter.com/uiWY5g58Nx
- Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 9, 2021
But the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suddenly strikes a more conciliatory tone.
“Turkey wants to open a new page in its relations with the EU,” the Turkish President recently announced after a video conference with
Chancellor Angela Merkel
.
A tweet by
Ursula von der Leyens
also fits in with Turkey's new rapprochement
.
The President of the European Commission recorded a
good exchange
at the weekend
after a video conversation with Erdogan.
But why the sudden change?
The
US election may
have something to do with it: relations between the US and Turkey had improved under Trump.
Ankara was spared, among other things, tightened US sanctions during Trump's presidency.
With the
new President Joe Biden
, the starting position for Turkey, which is plagued by severe economic problems, changes noticeably.
Erdogan under pressure: Trump leaves - Biden called the Turkish president an autocrat
Even before the election, Biden had repeatedly
spoken to
Turkey
with clear words
: The
Democrat told the
New York Times
at the end of 2020 that Erdogan was an “autocrat” who “had to pay a price”.
Greece and Cyprus, on the other hand, are hoping for new support from Washington.
The magazine Foreign Policy recently smugly quoted an episode in which Biden introduced himself as “Joe Bidenopoulos” in a conversation with Americans of Greek origin.
So now maybe a new look at the EU.
The Turkish President is optimistic: "The uncertainty that was exacerbated by the UK's exit can only be eliminated if Turkey takes its
deserved place in the European family
." It remains to be seen how the
"European friends"
will
do in the
medium term respond to Erdogan's offer.
The relationship between the European states and Turkey has been marked by misunderstandings and insults in recent years.
EU sanctions imposed on Turkey
In December 2020, the EU member states
imposed sanctions on
Turkish companies for “unilateral and provocative activities”
.
The turnaround is now all the more surprising: Greece and Turkey will be
discussing how to proceed in the Mediterranean
on
January 25th
.
Also
exclusive trade areas
between the two countries are to the end of January will be discussed.
A ray of hope in the
complicated relationship
between the two countries.
Ankara and Athens announced in September 2020 that they wanted to start negotiations, but hopes of relaxation were dashed after Turkey extended the controversial
gas exploration mission of
a research vessel in the eastern Mediterranean.
As a result, Ankara was threatened with tightening.
If they gave in, the heads of state and government of the EU held out the prospect of expanding economic relations.
Erdogan: Turkey is looking for allies after Trump is voted out
However, there are still plenty of areas of conflict: due to
interference in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
, the relationship between Turkey and the EU has recently deteriorated.
The most recent war between
Armenia
and Turkey-backed
Azerbaijan
over Nagorno-Karabakh began in late September and lasted until November.
More than
4,600 people were
killed
on both sides in the fighting,
and Azerbaijan reclaimed large parts of the territory it had lost in the early 1990s.
Turkey is not only deviating from the EU line in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Turkish government also supports
the UN-recognized unity government in Tripoli
during the
Libyan civil war
.
Contrary to the
UN arms embargo
, it also supplies war material.
The EU therefore
imposed sanctions on
two Turkish shipping companies
in September
.
Turkey has recently moved further and further away from the EU.
Far-reaching
cuts in the freedom of the press
and the
imprisonment of Turkish journalists are also
putting a strain on relations with European neighbors.
Erdogan's
new
change of course
seems to be aimed at bringing Turkey closer to the EU.
The negotiations with Greece on January 25, 2021 will also show whether this will succeed.
(
AFP / dpa / jf
) *
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