On Thursday, Council on Foreign Relations scholar Steven Cook published an op-ed in Politico scorching President Donald Trump for his unwillingness to hold Turkish President Recep Erdogan accountable for his regime's atrocities.
"Even in the bitter and bilious place that Washington has become in the Trump era, the annual White House turkey pardon remains a heartwarming tradition. Every year, a few days before Thanksgiving, the president appears in the Rose Garden and pardons two birds — this year’s were wholesomely dubbed 'Bread' and 'Butter' — thus sparing them from slaughter, and delighting children and families in attendance," wrote Cook. "But as a scholar of the Middle East, I can’t help but think of President Donald Trump’s other recent Turkey pardoning — yes, Turkey the country."
"For a time, it seemed that Trump was breaking with U.S. precedent by applying significant diplomatic and economic pressure on Turkey," wrote Cook. "The fact that he secured the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who had been imprisoned in Turkey on made-up charges, seemed to vindicate Trump’s tough approach. But over the past year, he has fallen into a familiar pattern of issuing threats to punish Turkey for a variety of transgressions only to back off time and again. This has reinforced for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he can undercut American policy with impunity, and with potentially dangerous global consequences."
"Trump’s deference to Erdogan was on full display when the Turkish leader visited the Oval Office on November 13, at a time when several serious issues bedeviled the U.S.-Turkey relationship," wrote Cook. "First, there was Turkey’s purchase over the summer of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, which is designed to bring down NATO aircraft. Second: Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria this fall, which has killed hundreds of people and displaced hundreds of thousands. Trump gave Erdogan the greenlight for the incursion, but it complicates American efforts to fight the remnants of the Islamic State; the Turkish military and its allies are targeting Kurdish units that have been important U.S. partners. Then, in mid-October, there was the indictment by a federal grand jury in New York of Turkey’s state-controlled Halkbank, for helping Iran to evade United Nations sanctions."
"Yet, in his joint news conference with Erdogan, Trump went out of his way to praise Turkey as a 'great NATO ally' and 'strategic partner,'" wrote Cook. "Even though Turkey has worked with affiliates of al-Qaida throughout much of the Syria conflict and has deployed extremist groups to fight in its recent push into Syria, Trump also declared, 'We’re grateful to President Erdogan and to the citizens of Turkey for their cooperation in the constant struggle against terrorism. He fights it like we do.' Trump then repeated Turkish talking points about the Syria invasion, while also promising to complete a $100 billion U.S.-Turkish trade agreement ... In other words: a full exoneration."
"There are people in the foreign policy community — in and outside government — who bend over backward for Turkey, arguing it is an important U.S. ally in the region. Trump seemed at first to resist this impulse but now has given Erdogan reprieve," concluded Cook. "Neither turkeys (mean as they are), nor Turkey deserves it."
