Flashpoints in U.S.-Turkish relations
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After being protected by Donald Trump, NATO ally Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan faces potential U.S. sanctions from Joe Biden’s incoming administration
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1. RUSSIAN ARMS: Turkey faces sanctions under Countering America’s Adversaries
Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) over Ankara’s decision to buy Russian-made S-400 missile systems. Trump avoided imposing sanctions under CAATSA
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2. GOLD-FOR-OIL: Between 2012 and 2013 Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank allegedly helped Iran evade U.S. sanctions by providing some $13 billion worth of gold in exchange for Iranian natural gas and oil. Iran exchanged gold for foreign cash. Scam allegedly carried out with help of several Erdoğan-government ministers
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3. HUMAN RIGHTS: Following July 2016 coup attempt, Erdoğan’s government imprisons around 50,000 people. Prisoners include opposition politicians, journalists, academics and lawyers – targeted for alleged links to outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party or U.S.-based Islamist cleric Fethullah Gülen
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4. SYRIA: Erdoğan’s Syrian jihadist proxies have launched three cross-border operations attacking Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces – U.S. allies – since 2016
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5. Energy exploration: Turkey and EU members Cyprus and Greece are locked in escalating tensions over Turkish oil and gas exploration in waters claimed as Cypriot and Greek exclusive economic zones
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Sources: Begin-Sadat Center, Reuters, The Atlantic Pictures: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS