Türkiye’s view on developments in the Red Sea; Searching for opportunity from the heart of threat – Part 1

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, important developments that occurred after Al-Aqsa storm has happened in the world and in the region, it has brought a chain of new events. One of the new areas whose developments have attracted the attention of international relations experts is the increase in the defense capacity of Ansar Allah in Yemen and its impact on the security area of ​​the Red Sea. This issue has attracted the attention of the media and political circles of Turkey.

Analysis Newspaper of Ankara has paid attention to the developments in the Red Sea in the headline and front page photo. : “Can Turkey turn the crisis in the Red Sea into an opportunity?” This question has been highlighted while in the past few years, Erdogan’s government has paid special attention to Turkey’s maritime capabilities and in this field, it has sought to demonstrate its power and many demonstrative actions.

The emerging government From the Justice and Development Party, many times in the Mediterranean Sea, the exercises launched and the security agreement between Turkey and Libya in the Mediterranean, the maritime tension between Turkey and France, Turkey’s exploratory and drilling operations on the coast of Cyprus and several other issues, from the important margins of Turkey in the area It has been a maritime policy.

Furthermore, Turkey is also seeking to increase its influence in the Black Sea and now it wants to try its luck in the Red Sea as well.

In order to have a clearer understanding of Turkey’s goals in the Red Sea and other water areas, it is necessary to take a look at the change in Turkey’s military approach to the issue of increasing naval power in the past few years.

From the Sultan Selim ship to the series Captain Barbaros

Turkey, as a member of the NATO military alliance, has always had a powerful and large army, and of course, the ground force of this army has always been more important. Because since the 19th century, the naval power of the Ottoman Empire decreased, and in the field of air force, it has never played a role as one of the important powers of NATO. But the evidence shows that now, Turkey wants to look at the sea in a more serious way.

After the failed coup in 2016 in Turkey, Erdogan’s government is gradually thinking about strengthening the navy. fell and took actions in theoretical and practical fields. One of these measures was the plan of a theme called the Blue Homeland and the effort to show power in the Mediterranean.

In Turkey’s defense doctrine, a concept called “Blue Homeland” or Mavi Watan is highlighted, which aims The main reason is Turkey’s possession of fossil fuel resources located in the fields of the Mediterranean Sea. To appreciate this policy, Erdoğan ordered to purchase some advanced exploration and drilling ships and to name them after Ottoman kings such as Sultan Muhammad Fatih, Sultan Suleiman, Sultan Yavuz and Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan, and in addition to the issue of submarine and aircraft carrier construction. should also be taken into account. >

One ​​of the media groups close to Justice and Development Party, by making a TV series called Barbaros Khairuddin, the life of one of the Ottoman admirals from the state TV channel T.R. T on the air and in this series, in an exaggerated way, the Ottoman Sultan is presented as the only ruler of the seas.

Nationalist is about governing the world of open waters. Of course, along with important factors such as trade and energy, we cannot ignore the fact that the tangible increase in the strength of the navy of the army and the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as the two blue arms of the Islamic Republic has led the Erdogan government to the conclusion that Along with the extensive activities of a powerful competitor called Iran, Turkey must also show that it pays special attention to the sea area.

Gaza, Ansarullah and Turkey

One ​​of the amazing and surprising aspects of the events after the Al-Aqsa storm, the prominence of the defense capacity of Yemen’s Ansarullah against America and the regime It was Zionist. Not only Turkey, but also Western countries did not think that they could act so bravely and effectively and affect the security and commercial equations of the Red Sea.

Greece Also, as one of the competitors and neighbors of Turkey, it has a special analytical attitude towards the Red Sea, and in recent days, they have repeatedly pointed out that Turkey can have a new trump card in its hands in the future.

The Turkish media are also excited about this topic in Athens newspapers and fuel the idea that the continuation of the tension in the Red Sea is ultimately in the interest of Turkey and makes it within the framework of the so-called project “Development route”, Turkey can establish a vital transmission line from the Iraqi port of Basra to Istanbul and from there through Bulgaria to Europe.

Can Turkey take revenge?

Perhaps only Athens newspapers can get the attention of think tanks by talking about a historical revenge. and quickly attract the political circles of Turkey to them.

In one of the newspapers of Athens, once again the issue of roads and channels from the distant history was raised and to this Turkey’s role is also mentioned: “Turkey is taking revenge on history.” Because the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the loss of the former importance of the Silk Road accelerated the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But now there is a new opportunity for Turkey to take over a powerful channel for trade and energy”.

In continuation of the report of the Greek newspaper that was published in several Turkish news sites, including Khabar 7, to this The figure deals with the relationship between the recent tensions and Ankara’s interests: “The tension in the Suez Canal affected the supply chain and the international logistics network. Some countries changed their trade route from the Red Sea. This caused the price of transportation to increase. The only country that has found a new opportunity in this crisis is Turkey. Turkey has a secure logistics route and should turn the Red Sea crisis into an opportunity, but for this it should work at the international level. Perhaps, in some ways, Turkey has been affected as much as European countries by the tension in the Red Sea. But it can gain new benefits by relying on its international trade relations, including energy supply outside the Suez Canal and relying on the nearby geography”.

In the next part of the report, We will discuss the attitude of Turkish specialists and experts to Turkey’s maritime capabilities, the tension in the Red Sea and the goals of the Turkey-Iraq joint project.

Continues…

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