its possible that erdogan might betray the united states. recent intense talks with tehran suggest he may allow iran to maintain its influence in syria. if erdogan takes control of syria, he could reverse assads orders for iran to withdraw. theres even speculation of a turkish-iranian rapprochement, potentially involving an alternative route connecting turkey and azerbaijan via the caucasus, bypassing armenia. since 2019, the arab states had moved closer to iran, but now theyre being outmaneuvered by erdogan, who seems willing to defy the u.s. at every turn. this creates a growing challenge for trump. his new administration has brought in several hardliners with little fondness for turkey, viewing it more critically than even iran. theres a noticeable bipartisan skepticism toward erdogan, fueled by his relentless lobbying and disruptive tendencies during past u.s. administrations. for example, erdogans constant demands during the 2020 final offensive by putin and assad left him ignored by washington and ultimately sidelined. at that time, erdogans behavior was seen as out of control, forcing putin to pause his plans, while trumps team offered only limited support and stern reprimands. with turkey repeatedly re-electing erdogan, the country is now directly accountable for his actions. its becoming evident that the eu, eea, and the u.s. must eventually confront turkey. erdogan has disrupted a critical u.s.-arab strategy that could have curtailed iranian influence in the levant and created strategic opportunities for israel to counter irans aggressive moves, including its nuclear ambitions.
Norway