Editorial: Tug-of-war

In international relations there is always a danger that an actor will pull the rope so tautly that it will break.

That danger is clear in our region due to the stance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He is pushing the envelope in his relations with the US, in contrast to his predecessors who were dedicated allies of the American superpower.

It is equally clear that President Erdogan is operating under a political and personal emotional charge.

It is indicative that although he places huge importance on the repeat Istanbul mayoral election (which is being held pursuant to a dubious judicial ruling) that will take place in 10 days, Erdogan canceled dozens of stump speeches in order to call an emergency cabinet meeting regarding Ankara’s purchase of F-35 fighter jets from the US.

No one can be certain how tautly Erdogan will pull the rope.

One can safely assume, however, that Turkey’s tactics – which include sabre-rattling and provocations – will not easily come to a halt.

On the contrary, it is likely that the sabre-rattling and provocations will escalate in the immediate future.

In such a tug-of-war one must take care to position oneself on the right side of the rope.