ANKARA. Under thunder and hail he swore his oath.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has now officially started his term as president of Turkey – again.
But can Sweden’s envoy fix the tricky relations between Turkey and Sweden?
The heavens opened just in time for Erdogan to get out of the car – strewn with red flowers as if it were a wedding – to take his oath.
He has sworn it before. For over 20 years he has been both Prime Minister and President of Turkey. Reasonably, he knows the words as fluently as the rain and hail over his giant umbrella.
78 different countries were represented at the ceremony. The guest list is interesting. Among those present were Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, Uzbekistan’s Shevket Mirziyoyev and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Şahbaz Şerif and various other dignitaries from different parts of the world. However, not so many from the West. At the bottom of the list was Sweden’s former prime minister and foreign minister Carl Bildt.
“Simple explanation”
Of course, sending him in particular has a simple explanation. Ulf Kristersson does not want to go home – again – without a handshake and welcome to NATO. Instead, the Swedish government is sending the person who once advocated expanding the EU, including with Turkey, and who has good relations both in Ankara and among Ankara’s friends.
Does it help the Swedish NATO application?
It certainly doesn’t hurt, it sends clear signals that Sweden wants to be friends with Turkey. But that is not necessarily enough. First of all, it is a different Turkey than when Bildt was minister once upon a time. Erdogan’s power has grown enormously, the country has developed at rocket speed and he has turned his eyes to the East and the Gulf instead of Europe. Bowing and bowing to the EU is not Erdogan’s favorite branch anymore.
In addition, the demonstrations against NATO on Saturday and Sunday can be recorded. It is not decisive, but if it is full of red flags with a round yellow circle with a red star in it – well, then Turkey will probably sit a little longer on the approval. Maybe we’ll know more after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s meeting with Erdogan over the weekend, maybe not.