4th – Turkey knows the US stands behind Israel. Turkey is in NATO but is not supported by the US. So it’s likely better to make this type of arrangement in advance from a realpolitik perspective, even if just from a public relations point of view- Though I suspect this is more than just PR.
Speaking to Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on April 7, Trump told the Israeli leader, “Any problem that you have with Turkey, I think I can solve. I mean, as long as you’re reasonable, you have to be reasonable. We have to be reasonable.” Even if Trump can hold Erdogan at bay, however, the military capabilities Erdogan may acquire in these four years could forever change the region.
Accordingly, it is time for Congress to set parameters for peace and security and reformulate the QME to account for the security calculus of Israel and Greece. Turkey should neither have missiles nor aircraft capable of outperforming those belonging to the Israel Defense Forces or Hellenic Armed Forces. This means no F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for Turkey. If France proceeds with its immoral and cynical sale of Meteor missiles with which to equip the Rafale jets it sold Ankara, then the U.S. should ensure both Athens and Jerusalem have access to even more precise, lethal, and long-range missiles capable of ensuring continued Israeli and Greek dominance over Turkey and its new proxy Syria.
Trump may see himself in Erdogan and believe he can deal with the Turkish despot, but neither Republicans nor Democrats should respond with deference. Rather, it is past time for Congress to establish the legal guardrails to prevent Trump from doing the equivalent of arming a serial killer.