Erdogaland

ERDOGALAND

 

This is a language Erdogan understands, as Russia demonstrated in the Syrian war.

in #Dutch#Turkish Conflict on Twitter

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan is consumed by an uncontrolled lust for power. The growing intolerance, the ruthless persecution of opponents, the massive purges conducted after the coup d’état of July 2016, the hunt for Kurds, the military incursions violating the territorial sovereignty of Iraq and Syria and the parliamentary approval of a constitutional revision tailored to Erdogan’s wishes and ambitions, are transforming Turkey beyond recognition.

The recent show of gross disrespect for the sovereignty of The Netherlands and Germany followed by the typical Erdogan slurring, threatening and chest-thumping, compounds the evolution of both Turkey and Erdogan: more aggressive, more uncompromising, more intolerant, more repressive, more totalitarian, more rude and more paranoid. Given the symbiosis of the evolution of man and country, which will be deeper if the constitutional revolution is approved in the referendum, one could easily devise man and country morphing into a single ugly creature named Erdogaland.

There is obviously very little outside countries can and should do to lead Turkey to change course. However, it is past the time to abandon the soft stance on Turkey. I understand that several European countries, especially Germany, feel beholden to Turkey, because of the agreement to staunch the immigrant/refugee flood.

One cannot forget, though, that the European countries have significant leverage over Turkey. Just imagine, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Austria, the United Kingdom, France, drastically reducing economic ties with Ankara. Just think that next time Erdogan threatens to unleash a refugee wave upon Europe, the European countries would respond by severing the customs union with Turkey. Trying to nurture close ties with Erdogaland is a bad idea. Cowing when confronted with is unravelling behaviour is even worse.

However, when the going gets tough, as Russia did when she literally froze Turkey out of the Syrian War, it took barely 6 months for Erdogan to rush to Moscow apologising and begging Vladimir Putin for mercy. That is the right route: be tough and uncompromising with Erdogan.