Erdogan Warns America: Our Relations and Partnership Are at Risk

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, warned the Donald Trump administration on Saturday, August 11, that "unilateral actions against Turkey" would harm U.S. interests and encourage Ankara to seek new allies. In an op-ed published on Saturday in the American newspaper The New York Times, Erdogan cautioned that Washington should not jeopardize its relations with Ankara. According to the Turkish President, in such a case, his country would find "new friends and allies." The relations between the United States and Turkey, both NATO members, have notably deteriorated in recent months over several issues, including the detention of an American pastor in Turkey and his accusation of terrorism. The worsening situation and the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from Turkey have caused the Turkish currency, the lira, to lose its value unprecedentedly. According to AFP, on Friday alone, the Turkish lira fell 16% against the U.S. dollar, a drop accelerated by Trump's tweet announcing the tariff increase. Reuters reported that the lira's value against the dollar has dropped 40% this year, but on Friday it even fell by 18% in one day, a record since 2001. In his tweet, Trump also confirmed that the relations between the two countries have never been this bad in recent years. In response to this situation, Erdogan wrote in his article: "Our partnership will be at risk unless the United States respects Turkey's territorial integrity and independence and shows that it understands the dangers our nation faces." He reminded that the U.S. and Turkey have been "strategic partners" for decades. Erdogan further warned: "The failure [of the U.S.] to change this unilateralism and disrespect will compel us to seek new friends and allies." Alongside his efforts in the U.S. with this article, Erdogan tried to reassure the Turkish people on Friday that there is no need for concern. He urged the citizens to convert their gold and dollars into lira and assured them that Turkey has options beyond the U.S.: "From Iran to Russia and China and several European countries." American pastor Andrew Brunson was detained on charges of "espionage" and "terrorism" following the failed coup in 2016, with alleged connections to the Fethullah Gülen network and Kurdish insurgent groups. In his article, the Turkish President once again referred to all these issues, from the coup to the Kurdish matter, accusing the U.S. of not being responsive to the "concerns of the Turkish people."