Monday, October 22, 2018

Turkey is set for direct conflict with the US over Iran’s advance in Syria | Financial Times

Turkey is set for direct conflict with the US over Iran’s advance in Syria
From Robert Ellis, Birkerod, Denmark

The optimism of your editorial “ A chance for Turkey and America to rebuild ties” (October 15) is based on a false assumption: a mutuality of ties between the US and Turkey. But this is far from being the case.

The driving force behind US pressure on Turkey to secure the release of pastor Andrew Brunson was the looming midterm elections and President Donald Trump’s dependence on the evangelical vote, which helped him secure the presidency. As far as Turkey is concerned, it is the current economic crisis and tumbling lira that threaten to overwhelm Turkey.

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