In the midst of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced difficult meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders as he embarked on a challenging Middle East tour. His aim was to ease regional tensions, but his efforts were met with strained encounters and limited support.
Blinken recently met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara for two and a half hours. However, he was snubbed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, indicating the challenging nature of his mission. According to Tamer Qarmoot, a professor in public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Blinken’s main mission was to buy more time for Israel. The Turkish government was aware of this intention, leading to the cold reception Blinken received.
Prior to his visit to Turkey, Blinken had already faced frustration from Arab leaders in Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan. These leaders expressed their discontent with Washington’s unwavering support for Israel, which has led to a month-long assault on Gaza resulting in the deaths of nearly 10,000 people, including many children. While the US has called for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting, it has not joined other nations in demanding a full truce.
Blinken’s attempts to contain the fallout of the conflict have found limited success. Israel has rejected the US push for a pause in the fighting, while Arab and Muslim nations have insisted on an immediate ceasefire to mitigate the rising casualties in Gaza. The meeting between Blinken and Fidan yielded few points of agreement. The US side urged Turkey to pressure Hamas into releasing captives, while Turkey emphasized the need for an unconditional ceasefire and an international mechanism to observe it.
Turkey, despite its foreign policy differences with the US, remains a strategic ally. However, its criticism of Israel during the war has been fierce, with President Erdogan accusing Israel of acting as a “war criminal” and committing a “massacre.” Turkey’s frustration towards Western powers supporting Israel has been evident. Erdogan has drawn parallels between the Gaza war and the conflict in Ukraine, criticizing those who mourn civilian casualties in one but disregard them in the other.
During Blinken’s visit, Turkey’s discontent with Washington was on full display. Erdogan chose to travel across northeastern Turkey instead of meeting with Blinken directly, leaving the US Secretary of State to convene with the Turkish foreign minister. Demonstrators rallied outside a US airbase in southeastern Turkey prior to Blinken’s arrival, expressing their discontent and calling for an end to the Gaza war.
The strained relationship between the US and Turkey predates the Hamas-Gaza war. Disputes over foreign policy issues, including NATO and Iraq, have created tension between the two nations. Turkey is frustrated by the delay in US Congress approval for a $20 billion deal for F-16 fighter jets. Additionally, Washington is waiting for Turkey to ratify Sweden’s bid to join NATO. Both countries have imposed sanctions on each other, with the US accusing Turkish entities of aiding Russia in evading sanctions and importing war-related goods. Turkey is also angered by US support for Kurdish fighters in Syria, whom Ankara views as a part of the banned armed group Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
As the Gaza war continues, Erdogan has positioned Turkey as a potential mediator to halt the violence and work towards an independent Palestinian state. He has emphasized Turkey’s efforts to establish a humanitarian ceasefire and ensure uninterrupted humanitarian aid reaches Gaza. Erdogan’s goal is to lay the groundwork for an international peace conference that includes stakeholders from different religious backgrounds.
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