As Turkey’s relations with the European Union come below pressure over its democratic requirements, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s outspoken pro-Palestinian stance on the warfare between Israel and Hamas is additional testing ties.
After a bloody 7 October raid by Hamas fighters triggered Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza, Erdoğan initially sought to place Turkey as a mediator.
However this obvious ambition evaporated final month after the Turkish chief portrayed Hamas not as a terrorist group however as “liberators” or “mujahideen” combating for his or her land.
Turkey is technically a candidate for eventual EU membership and, even when this appears a distant prospect, Brussels would like Ankara to help somewhat than compete with its positions.
“What the president says displays badly right here in Brussels. We all the time anticipate Turkey to align with us in overseas coverage,” mentioned an EU official who wished to stay nameless.
Erdoğan, a religious Muslim and fervent advocate of Palestinian rights, toughened his criticism as civilian deaths in Gaza mounted, accusing Israel of committing warfare crimes and recalling Turkey’s ambassador to Tel Aviv.
He led a rally in Istanbul organised by his ruling celebration solely a day earlier than the celebrations marking the centenary of the Turkish republic on 29 October.
“In its report on candidate nations’ progress in direction of assembly the standards for becoming a member of the EU, revealed on Wednesday, the EU mentioned Turkey’s unilateral overseas coverage remained at odds with the bloc’s priorities.”
‘Increasingly tough’
It mentioned Ankara maintained a really low alignment charge of 10% with the EU stance on overseas and safety coverage in contrast with 8% in 2022.
“Its rhetoric in help of terrorist group Hamas following its assaults in opposition to Israel … is in full disagreement with the EU strategy,” it added.
Analysts concern that Erdoğan’s place on Israel and Gaza would possibly upend his diplomatic outreach to the West after re-election victory in Might.
“Erdoğan’s stance on Israel-Gaza provides to rising tensions between Turkey and the West over longer-standing points, together with EU accession,” mentioned Hamish Kinnear, senior Center East and North Africa analyst in danger intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.
Turkish-EU relations have been at standstill because the launch of membership talks in 2005.
EU officers say the unique enthusiasm evaporated and there was a noticeable divergence from Western values, coupled with lack of political dedication to implement reforms.
The Gaza warfare exacerbates an already tough relationship.
“When the warfare in Gaza began, many people thought Turkey might be an sincere dealer and a giant participant in diffusing tensions within the area,” mentioned one other EU official.
EU’s ‘improper place in historical past’
“We had been very inspired once we noticed the numerous function Turkey performed in resuming (Ukrainian) grain exports by way of the Black Sea,” the official added, referring to Ankara’s function in making an attempt to handle Russia’s efforts to dam Ukrainian transport.
Erdoğan’s rhetoric over Gaza put paid to those hopes.
“Europe must get engaged with Turkey but it surely’s getting increasingly more tough,” one of many European officers mentioned.
The European Parliament’s main MEP on relations with Turkey, Nacho Sanchez Amor, mentioned Erdoğan’s pro-Hamas stance didn’t go unnoticed.
“In the event you depict Hamas as freedom fighters, others will see the PKK as freedom fighters after which there’ll be drawback,” he mentioned, alluding to the outlawed Kurdistan Employees’ Get together, which is listed as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.
Turkey’s overseas ministry responded to the EU report in an announcement late on Wednesday, saying: “We take into account as a type of reward the evaluation within the textual content that criticises our nation’s stance on the Hamas-Israel warfare as solely incompatible with the EU.”
“We really feel the necessity to remind the EU, which is within the improper place in historical past, that insurance policies based mostly on common values, worldwide legislation and humanitarian ideas ought to be relevant not solely to Ukraine or one other area of Europe but in addition to your complete world, together with the Center East,” it added.
Erdoğan’s salvos at Israel are nothing new however overseas coverage skilled Serkan Demirtas mentioned that the Gaza warfare right now “exhibits that the variations in geopolitical pursuits between each side are regularly deepening”.
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