2. Turkey’s relations with the two big European players, France and Germany,
encounter many problems. Not only Erdogan pushes the Germans of Turkish
origin towards islamism, but he also encourages them not to be absorbed by
Germany. That scares the Germans a lot, because they see Turkey’s rising
influence over global islamism.
Germany also blocks Turkey’s entry to the European Union, for which
Turkey has been begging for years. Moreover the Germans subsidized the
sale of the ultra modern Dolphin submarines to Israel, which give the Israelis
a chance to face the extremely powerful Turkish Navy, if they have to
protect their off-shore natural gas fields in the East Mediterranean Sea. Israel
has very short coastlines, and it has a very weak navy, which cannot face the
strong Turkish Navy. Israel has a stronger air force than Turkey, but a
country needs a powerful navy in order to protect its off shore fields. The
Dolphins give the Israelis a chance against the Turkish Navy.
Moreover billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas pass to Europe through
Germany, through the Baltic Sea pipelines, and that significantly reduces
Turkey’s geopolitical significance. Together with the US and the EU,
Turkey is trying to create the Southern Energy Corridor, which will provide
an alternative to the Russian natural gas, and Germany makes things harder
for the Americans, the EU and the Turks. As you can read at the following
Euractiv article, titled “No EU funding for Nabucco, says Merkel”, March
2009, Merkel said that Germany was not willing to finance the Nabucco
pipeline, which was supported by the US, the EU and Turkey, and there
3. were suspicions that Germany wanted to prevent the construction of
Nabucco. That brings Germany against the Americans and the Turks.
Turkey has an issue with the islamists with France too, given the millions of
French Muslims and Turkey’s influence over global islamism. As you can
read at the following Guardian article, titled “French Muslim women on
burqa ban ruling: All I want is to live in peace”, July 2014, France recently
banned Muslim women from covering their face, as it is required by the
Islamic law.
Moreover France does not want Turkey in the EU either, as you can read at
the following article from the state owned France 24, titled “Hollande tries
to calm France's complicated relationship with Turkey”, January 2014. At
the following article from the Telegraph, titled “Turkey 'recalls French
ambassador' over Armenian genocide bill”, December 2011, you can read
that France passed a bill which prohibits the denial of the Armenian
genocide, and Turkey responded by recalling her ambassador in Paris.
Moreover when relations between the Americans and the Saudis went sour,
due to American support to the TAPI pipeline, and the 9/11 terrorist attack,
and also due to the rising Chinese influence over Saudi Arabia, since the
Chinese are increasing their imports of Saudi oil while the Americans are
reducing theirs, the French took the role of protecting Saudi Arabia, in order
to make more energy deals with the Saudis, and also sell them more arms.
The Arabs are a traditional purchaser of French arms, and France is on the
Arab side in their fight with the Iranians.
4. But Saudi Arabia does not accept the Islamic Chaliphate with Erdogan as the
Sultan of the Muslim world. The Saudi leadership believes it is them who
are the leaders of the Chaliphate and the Muslim World, in order to keep
control of their oil, and there are big problems between Turkey and Saudi
Arabia. Therefore in their clash with the Saudis, the Turks have to face the
French too, and in their clash with the Israelis, the Turks have to face the
Germans too.
Therefore Turkey has a problematic relation with France too. When in 2011
Turkey saw France leading the attack against Muammar Qaddafi in Libya,
she was not happy at all, because that would give France an enhanced role in
the post Qaddafi Libya. France carried out the first attacks over Libya, as
you can read at the following article from Washington Post, titled “France
fires first shots against Libya after Gaddafi’s forces enter Benghazi”, March
2011.
French fighter jets streaking over Libya on Saturday bombed a military vehicle and
walled off a 600-square-mile sanctuary over the eastern city of Benghazi in the first
military engagements in support of the no-fly zone authorized two days ago by the U.N.
Security Council.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-allies-prepare-military-action-against-libya-
as-gaddafi-forces-continue-attacks/2011/03/18/ABLAOfs_story.html
Picture 1
5. Turkey insisted that the operations against Qaddafi were controlled by
NATO and not France, as you can read at the following BBC article, titled
“Libya: Turkey's troubles with Nato and no-fly zone”, March 2011.
1st
, 2nd
and 3rd
Paragraphs
At the beginning of March, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spelled out his
view of Nato-led intervention in Libya.
It would be absurd, unthinkable, he said. It should not even be discussed. Two weeks
later he repeated that view. Nato intervention would be useless, he said, and would have
dangerous consequences.
But this week, Turkish policy towards Libya appears to have done a complete U-turn.
Criticising the French government for taking the lead role in air attacks on Col
Gaddafi's forces, Turkey has insisted that command of the operation be handed over to
Nato, and Nato alone. For this to happen, the agreement of Turkey - a Nato member
since 1952 - is essential.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12864742
6. Turkey, together with Qatar, tried to provide to the Libyan rebels more
support than the French did, in order to play an enhanced role in the post
Qaddafi Libya. As expected Turkey supported the islamists in Libya. What
is interesting is that NATO countries had different motives to overturn
Qaddafi, and after Qaddafi was assassinated, they supported different
political fractions.
For Merkel’s refusal to finance Nabucco see
“No EU funding for Nabucco, says Merkel”, March 2009.
http://www.euractiv.com/energy/eu-funding-nabucco-merkel-news-221291
For the ban of wearing burkas in France see
“French Muslim women on burqa ban ruling: All I want is to live in peace”,
July 2014
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/french-muslim-women-burqa-ban-ruling
For France’s unwillingness to accept Turkey in the EU see
“Hollande tries to calm France's complicated relationship with Turkey”,
January 2014
http://www.france24.com/en/20140128-hollande-france-complicated-
relationship-turkey
For France and the Armenian genocide see “Turkey 'recalls French
ambassador' over Armenian genocide bill”, December 2011.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/8973189/Turkey
-recalls-French-ambassador-over-Armenian-genocide-bill.html
7. Turkey, together with Qatar, tried to provide to the Libyan rebels more
support than the French did, in order to play an enhanced role in the post
Qaddafi Libya. As expected Turkey supported the islamists in Libya. What
is interesting is that NATO countries had different motives to overturn
Qaddafi, and after Qaddafi was assassinated, they supported different
political fractions.
For Merkel’s refusal to finance Nabucco see
“No EU funding for Nabucco, says Merkel”, March 2009.
http://www.euractiv.com/energy/eu-funding-nabucco-merkel-news-221291
For the ban of wearing burkas in France see
“French Muslim women on burqa ban ruling: All I want is to live in peace”,
July 2014
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/french-muslim-women-burqa-ban-ruling
For France’s unwillingness to accept Turkey in the EU see
“Hollande tries to calm France's complicated relationship with Turkey”,
January 2014
http://www.france24.com/en/20140128-hollande-france-complicated-
relationship-turkey
For France and the Armenian genocide see “Turkey 'recalls French
ambassador' over Armenian genocide bill”, December 2011.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/8973189/Turkey
-recalls-French-ambassador-over-Armenian-genocide-bill.html
