Pompeo’s unusual visit to Turkey
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Turkey this week as part of his seven-nation tour of Europe and the Middle East. The nature of the visit and his remarks ahead of it had caused intense debate. Throughout his regional tour, Pompeo has met with top officials, but Turkey, a NATO ally, has been the only exception. No meeting took place between Pompeo and any Turkish official during his visit to the country. This was not the first time Pompeo had skipped Turkey while on a visit to the region. In September, Pompeo visited Cyprus on the heels of the US lifting its arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration. He then visited Greece two weeks later. On both trips, Turkey was not included on his itinerary. Top US diplomats have traditionally visited Turkey and Greece on the same tour, but Pompeo abandoned this balanced policy with his recent trip. So this week’s stopover in Turkey with no official meetings was unprecedented in TurkishAmerican diplomatic history. In Istanbul, Pompeo met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the leader of roughly 300 million Orthodox Christians, who he said in a tweet was “a key partner” in efforts
“to champion religious freedom around the globe.” He also met with the apostolic nuncio to Turkey, Archbishop Paul Russell. Interestingly, religious freedom was the only issue on his agenda despite the simmering disputes between Ankara and Washington on several issues, ranging from Syria to the eastern Mediterranean. The US side stated that Pompeo’s tight travel itinerary prevented him from meeting Turkish state officials in Ankara, but he “was open to seeing any Turkish officials” in Istanbul. From the Turkish side, according to diplomatic customs, Pompeo had to make an official visit to Ankara for bilateral talks to take place. It is quite unusual in Turkish diplomatic culture for a top official to receive a foreign guest in any other way. From the Turkish officials’ cold shoulder to Pompeo after he allegedly refused to travel to the capital, it can be clearly understood that there was no will from the Turkish side to have any dialogue with him.
In fact, it would not be wrong to consider Pompeo’s failure to meet with any Turkish official during his trip as a loss in Turkey-US relations. Given the deep differences of opinion between the two countries on almost any issue, it would be unrealistic to expect a positive outcome from any possible meeting. And it seems the Turkish side did not want to waste a minute with an outgoing American official known for his anti-Turkey rhetoric. On the other side, Pompeo also did not shy away from making clear his stance toward Turkey’s role in the region. His thoughts on Turkey came out ahead of his visit. In Paris, which has also been at odds with Ankara in recent months, Pompeo called on Europe to work jointly with the US against Turkey’s actions in the region. What we understand from Pompeo’s unusual visit, his meetings, and Ankara’s snub is that relations between the two NATO allies have hit rock-bottom and the next US administration is going to inherit this legacy.
Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkey’s relations with the Middle East.