‘US to lose region if it loses Turkey,’ says expert

By Gulsum Incekaya

ISTANBUL

The U.S. is trying to damage Turkey's prestige, said a Turkish expert on Wednesday.

“The U.S. is acting on a policy to sideline Turkey and damage Turkey’s prestige,” said Mesut Hakki Casin, department head at Istanbul Istinye University's department of international relations.

Relations between Ankara and Washington have been tense in recent months over the detention of U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson in Turkey over terror-related charges.

According to Casin, the Trump administration is trying to capitalize on the Brunson issue domestically for the upcoming midterm Congress elections to be held in November.

“[U.S. President Donald] Trump was aiming to conduct election propaganda by welcoming the pastor from the airplane before the midterm House and Senate elections,” Casin said.

Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system and the U.S. threat to withhold F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets from Ankara have also strained ties between the two NATO allies.

Casin said Ankara would find alternate suppliers and resort to judicial proceedings against Washington if the U.S. failed to deliver the jointly produced fighter jets.

"Turkey, along with its $40 billion defense budget and control over NATO’s southern flank as well as three continents, will have been lost to the U.S.," said Casin, adding that the U.S. would be unable to remain in the region without Turkish support.

Another danger to relations between the two countries is the U.S.'s provision of large amounts of military equipment to terrorist groups in Syria, such as the YPG/PKK, which threaten Turkish interests and security, Casin said.

“Images showing the U.S. deployment of advanced air defense systems for PYD/PKK terrorists in Syria constitute a flagrant violation of the 5th and 6th articles of [the] NATO [Treaty]. These [systems] will block Turkey in its fight against terrorist elements in the region,” said Casin.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including many women and children.

Exploration and extraction of energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean is also an issue of contention for Turkey and its neighbors.

According to Casin, the U.S. is conducting maneuvers through its military bases in the region in order to block Turkish exploration of hydrocarbons in the area, ultimately aiming to “eliminate" Turkey’s exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean.

Casin explained that failure by the U.S. to improve relations would lead it to “lose Turkey and cause Turkey to leave NATO”.