A man assists an elderly woman in a flooded street after a heavy downpour of rain and hail at Besiktas near Istanbul on July 27, 2017. BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
Erdogan Warns West that Türkiye Will no Longer be Submissive
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on July 25 that the era of a submissive Ankara is over, and that the Türkiye that would do “whatever [the West] wants…no longer exists.” His comments come amid escalating tensions with such Western nations as Germany and Sweden, which accuse post-coup Türkiye of disregarding human rights and the rule of law. Germany has called for a freeze on Türkiye’s long-standing application for EU membership, and Erdogan has previously said he would be “relieved” to be denied membership.
In Rebuke of Israel, Erdogan Invites Mass Immigration to Jerusalem
Following Israel’s aggressive surveillance measures at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque and its resulting protests by Palestinians, Turkish President Erdogan said in a July 25 speech that Muslims should “visit” and “protect” Jerusalem from what he dubbed Israel’s “unacceptable infringement” of Islamic holy sites.
Erdogan’s Gulf Tour Ends With no Resolution in Sight
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ended his two-day tour of feuding Gulf states with a July 24 visit to Qatar. The visit, meant to diffuse tensions between Doha and the four Saudi-led nations that have recently severed relations with it, led Erdogan to meet with the Qatari emir and Saudi leaders in hopes of discussing possible ways to diffusive the crisis. Nevertheless, a peace deal is nowhere in sight.
Türkiye Signs Deal for Russian Missile Defense System, Alarming International Community
The Turkish government announced on July 25 that it had inked a deal with Moscow to acquire Russia’s S-400 air defense system, a move that drew criticism from Türkiye’s fellow NATO members who fear that it is preparing to take a bolder and more antagonistic stance toward NATO. The Russian long-range surface to air missile system is incompatible with NATO-backed systems. The purchase follows a sharp increase in Türkiye’s weapons and defense acquisitions in recent months.
—David DePriest
