The Juggling act of Erdogan Poses New Obstacles in the Biden Age

Here’s something interesting about what I read today. Erdogan would be hesitant to pick between the US and Russia, but instead will attempt to switch between them by the repetitive brinkmanship plays that have characterized his diplomacy in recent years. His trump card is the geopolitical importance of his region, straddling Europe and Asia, its place in the transit of East-West oil, its dominant position along the Mediterranean coastline, and its oceanic reach to Libya.

The vast scale of the domestic market of Turkey, both commercial and military, and its civilizational stature as the successor of the Ottoman Empire still remain. These considerations give Erdogan the trust that Turkey’s priorities and positions will remain sensitive to both the US and Russia