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Trump warned Turkey punishment could 'hand Middle East to China'
DONALD TRUMP’S drastic alienation of Turkey from the US fighter jet programme is intended to limit China’s growing influence in the Middle East – but will only push the region towards Beijing, according to experts.
By KUMAIL JAFFER
PUBLISHED: 13:32, Wed, Aug 21, 2019 | UPDATED: 14:18, Wed, Aug 21, 2019
China and the US have been locked in political conflict as well as an economic trade war since Trump took office in January 2017. The two superpowers have scuffled over control of various regions around the world – but Turkey’s changing ties have put Ankara at the forefront of the diplomatic battle. Pentagon officials have now said that the Trump administration’s decision to kick Turkey out of the F-35 fighter jet programme will put other Middle Eastern nations off buying Chinese technology.
Defence official Mick Mulroy said: “The United States remains committed to improving the capacity of its partners to fight terrorism, deter regional spoilers and promote stability in the Middle East.
“But – as seen in the department’s decision to cancel Turkey’s F-35 programme – we are also prepared to make hard decisions to protect US technology.”
The US originally booted Turkey out of the strategic programme due to President Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 missiles over US Patriot ones.
Mr Mulroy continued: “If it means that if the purchase of Russian or Chinese weapons threatens the operational security of our weapons, we will have no choice but to pull ours.”
There are significant concerns that Ankara could be shifting ever closer to Beijing, losing Washington a valuable geopolitical ally.
Security experts Oded Iran and Galia Lindenstrauss claim that Turkey’s ties with China will only continue to warm.
Erdogan’s meeting with Xi Jinping last month was a new stage in “strategic cooperation” between the two nations, they told Breaking Defense.
They added that there is a shared drive to promote their interests in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Bloomberg revealed last Friday that $1billion worth of funds was transferred from China to Turkey during the June mayoral election in Istanbul.
Erdogan’s growing alliance with Russia and, by proxy, China, has also had the Pentagon on edge due to fears over a powerful anti-Washington alliance.
Strategists are keen to prevent other Middle Eastern nations from following the same route and joining the team.
China reportedly sold $10billion of arms to the Middle East between 2013 and 2017, sparking fears that Beijing could use the trade to get closer to traditional US allies (and adversaries) in the region.
They have already done this in the South China Sea with the likes of Cambodia, where a $40million arms deal was recently agreed.
China and Russia have worked together in a number of countries, including Syria and Iran.
Analyst Alexey Muraviev claims that, until one poses a danger to the other, the anti-Western alliance is likely to continue – and perhaps recruit more powerful members like Turkey.
He added: “The deepening of strategic ties between Russia and China may prove key in shaping the western Pacific's geopolitical and geostrategic landscape over the next two decades.
“At this stage it is unlikely that Russia and China will enter a formal alliance – both nations are keen to retain some independence.
“But Western observers are sceptical about how long this will remain the case.”
Washington officials fear that, alongside Russia, Beijing is exerting its soft and military power around the Middle East – as well as South America and the South China Sea – in order to negate US global hegemony.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/worl...trade-war-turkey-erdogan-Iran-Middle-East-spt
DONALD TRUMP’S drastic alienation of Turkey from the US fighter jet programme is intended to limit China’s growing influence in the Middle East – but will only push the region towards Beijing, according to experts.
By KUMAIL JAFFER
PUBLISHED: 13:32, Wed, Aug 21, 2019 | UPDATED: 14:18, Wed, Aug 21, 2019
China and the US have been locked in political conflict as well as an economic trade war since Trump took office in January 2017. The two superpowers have scuffled over control of various regions around the world – but Turkey’s changing ties have put Ankara at the forefront of the diplomatic battle. Pentagon officials have now said that the Trump administration’s decision to kick Turkey out of the F-35 fighter jet programme will put other Middle Eastern nations off buying Chinese technology.
Defence official Mick Mulroy said: “The United States remains committed to improving the capacity of its partners to fight terrorism, deter regional spoilers and promote stability in the Middle East.
“But – as seen in the department’s decision to cancel Turkey’s F-35 programme – we are also prepared to make hard decisions to protect US technology.”
The US originally booted Turkey out of the strategic programme due to President Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 missiles over US Patriot ones.
Mr Mulroy continued: “If it means that if the purchase of Russian or Chinese weapons threatens the operational security of our weapons, we will have no choice but to pull ours.”
There are significant concerns that Ankara could be shifting ever closer to Beijing, losing Washington a valuable geopolitical ally.
Security experts Oded Iran and Galia Lindenstrauss claim that Turkey’s ties with China will only continue to warm.
Erdogan’s meeting with Xi Jinping last month was a new stage in “strategic cooperation” between the two nations, they told Breaking Defense.
They added that there is a shared drive to promote their interests in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Bloomberg revealed last Friday that $1billion worth of funds was transferred from China to Turkey during the June mayoral election in Istanbul.
Erdogan’s growing alliance with Russia and, by proxy, China, has also had the Pentagon on edge due to fears over a powerful anti-Washington alliance.
Strategists are keen to prevent other Middle Eastern nations from following the same route and joining the team.
China reportedly sold $10billion of arms to the Middle East between 2013 and 2017, sparking fears that Beijing could use the trade to get closer to traditional US allies (and adversaries) in the region.
They have already done this in the South China Sea with the likes of Cambodia, where a $40million arms deal was recently agreed.
China and Russia have worked together in a number of countries, including Syria and Iran.
Analyst Alexey Muraviev claims that, until one poses a danger to the other, the anti-Western alliance is likely to continue – and perhaps recruit more powerful members like Turkey.
He added: “The deepening of strategic ties between Russia and China may prove key in shaping the western Pacific's geopolitical and geostrategic landscape over the next two decades.
“At this stage it is unlikely that Russia and China will enter a formal alliance – both nations are keen to retain some independence.
“But Western observers are sceptical about how long this will remain the case.”
Washington officials fear that, alongside Russia, Beijing is exerting its soft and military power around the Middle East – as well as South America and the South China Sea – in order to negate US global hegemony.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/worl...trade-war-turkey-erdogan-Iran-Middle-East-spt
It's funny that you make your ideas look like the Chinese government's official statement.
