A new era will begin with new president Joe Biden, who will be sworn in and take office in the US on January 20, 2021. Experts state that a new period will be entered in relations between Turkey and the US with Biden and his team taking office, and draw attention to the fact that the US could be more influential in the international arena. Experts comment, “It should be taken into account that the slogan “America is back,” which signals the US’s tendency to return to the field after having relatively withdrawn from the international arena during the Trump era, embodies a desire for a more effective foreign policy.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Department of Political Science and International Relations Faculty Member Dr. Gökser Gökçay evaluated Turkey-US relations in the new era after the US presidential election.
Reminding that the US presidential elections concluded with Joe Biden winning the election, Dr. Gökser Gökçay stated, “Poll results had long provided data reinforcing the prediction that Biden would win. It was considered highly probable that Biden would surpass Trump by at least 7-8 percent in the total popular vote and win the presidency by securing Electoral College votes. Although these expectations seemed to be thwarted when the initial ballot results were announced, it became clear after counting the mailed-in ballots that Biden won the election by a 4 percent margin and with over 6 million more votes.”
How will Turkey-US relations progress in the new era?
Dr. Gökser Gökçay said, “The candidates chosen by new president Biden for his cabinet, who will be sworn in and take office on January 20, 2021, consist of individuals close to the traditional US State Department line. Based on this situation, along with other indicators, a return to the ‘traditional’ American foreign policy line and the US’s role as the protector of the ‘international liberal order’ can be expected. These developments might not be very encouraging for Turkey’s current foreign policy. This is because Turkey’s tensions with neighboring countries in recent years and its approaches that reject international mediation had been criticized by diplomats advocating the traditional American foreign policy line.”
The S-400 issue may come to the agenda
Reminding that the S-400 issue is at the forefront of criticisms directed at Turkey from the US, Dr. Gökser Gökçay stated, “According to the sanctions laws adopted by the US Congress in 2017, Turkey’s acquisition of S-400 missile systems from Russia requires the US to impose sanctions on Turkey. However, these sanctions were being delayed by the Trump administration despite protests from members of Congress. After the testing of the S-400 missiles, Congress had begun to intensify its pressure. The Biden administration will not be as willing to prevent or postpone pressures from Congress on this issue.” he said.
The first 100 days will focus on domestic policy issues
“Therefore, it is likely that the new administration will issue a warning to Turkey to avoid sanctions in the coming period,” said Dr. Gökser Gökçay, adding: “However, it can also be predicted that the Biden administration’s first 100 days will be spent cleaning up the wreckage left by the Trump administration, thus focusing its attention on domestic policy issues and trying to avoid burning bridges directly with Turkey.”
Is “America back”?
Dr. Gökser Gökçay stated, “It should be taken into account that the slogan “Amerika geri dönüyor/America is back,” which indicates the US’s tendency to return to the international arena after a relative withdrawal during the Trump era, embodies a desire for a more effective foreign policy. Although it may be difficult to happen immediately, if Biden receives strong support from both Democrats and Republicans, he could start taking surprising steps to refresh the country’s image.”