Former national security adviser to ex-President Donald Trump, John Bolton, caused a stir with a guest commentary in the Wall Street Journal. Bolton accused the Turkish government of not behaving like a NATO partner. The republican politician recommended a suspension or even expulsion of Turkey from NATO. Nerves are on edge in Ankara.
As is well known, Turkey is blocking NATO’s expansion to the north. Among other things, Ankara accuses Sweden of supporting “terrorist organisations” and demanding the extradition of a number of people considered terrorists. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently spoke of a list of about 130 people.
The fact that activists hung a doll resembling Erdogan from his feet during a protest in central Stockholm has recently sparked another rift between the two countries. As a result, Turkey canceled a visit by the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Andreas Norlén.
But not only this behavior was criticized by Bolton. He described Erdogan’s foreign and security policy as “belligerent”. According to Bolton, the Turkish president has neo-Ottoman claims to hegemony, especially over the Kurds. In addition, Erdogan “blackmailed” the Europeans in the refugee policy. But “the worst insult” was when the Turkish government decided to buy Russia’s S-400 air defense system.
Influencing Turkish elections?
Although no exclusion is actually foreseen in the founding treaty of the defense alliance, Bolton has now called on member states – especially the US – to step up the pressure on Erdogan. The president should also be reminded that “free and fair elections” are a criterion. Especially for this year’s parliamentary elections, “Turkish voters must be given the opportunity to decide about their country”.
In Ankara, this is seen as a call for “US intervention in Turkey’s domestic politics”. “Bolton, who has admitted involvement in previous coup attempts abroad, has now called on NATO to interfere in Turkey’s elections,” Erdogan spokesman Ibrahim Kalin grumbled Thursday.
Bolton and His “US Coup Plans”
Kalin referred to a CNN interview last year in which Bolton was asked about the events surrounding the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. When asked if the coup was a long-planned coup attempt, Bolton said no because he knew how it had to work. He says that “as someone who has helped plan coups (coups, take note), not here, but other places,” the 73-year-old said in an interview with moderator Jake Tapper. The international indignation following these ill-considered statements was of course very great.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
