ICC Note: The Turkish media news outlet of Hurriyet Daily has run an article asking the question if Pastor Brunson’s detention has become too costly for Turkey. Most media in Turkey is connected to Erdogan and freedom of press is greatly constricted. American Pastor Brunson has been imprisoned since October 2016 and his court hearing is expected to continue in mid-July. According to this article, diplomats in Ankara are expecting his release and deportation after the trial. However, no decision to this affect has been made official and public.  

07/03/2018 Turkey (Hurriyet Daily News) – The foreign policy of post-election Turkey signals the continuation of a multidimensional diplomacy under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rule.

In an interview with private broadcaster NTV on June 29, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu reiterated this fact but at the same time stressed Turkey would continue to try to increase the number of friends and lessen the number of foes, a motto used by Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım after he took over office from the outgoing Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in May 2016.

There were two main foreign policy areas Çavuşoğlu highlighted during the interview: Ties with the EU and the United States. On the former, as this column suggested on June 26, Ankara does not have much hope for the revival of long-suspended accession talks, particularly in the second half of this year as a Turkey-skeptic Austria will resume the term presidency.

On the latter, however, the Turkish government seems to be committed to developing ties with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration through increasing cooperation in the Syrian theater and resolving scores of bilateral problems. In this regard, there are positive signs from Washington, too.

Trump’s phone conversation with Erdoğan is reportedly very warm as the two leaders have agreed to meet on the margins of the NATO Summit in Brussels on July 11 and July 12. Furthermore, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted a much more productive diplomatic engagement with post-election Turkey.

According to Çavuşoğlu, a Turkey-U.S. working group established to resolve some bilateral consular and legal affairs will meet on July 13, right after the Erdoğan-Trump summit. Plus, Turkish and American officials will hold a separate meeting to discuss their ongoing cooperation in the fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in July amid the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) continued campaign against the terrorist group in northern Iraq.

…

For interviews with Claire Evans, ICC’s Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected].