May government courts Erdogan
Gonul Tol, Director for Turkish Studies
Britain is eager to cultivate close ties to Erdogan's Turkey.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began a three-day state visit to the UK on Sunday that includes a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II. The visit comes amid calls on Prime Minister Theresa May from human rights activists and British MPs not to remain quiet on the Turkish government's systematic arrest of journalists, opposition politicians and activists.
The visit comes at a time of fraying relations between Turkey and other European countries. Erdogan is in the middle of a high-stake election campaign. He said that he wanted to hold an election rally in European cities to reach out to Turkish communities there. But several European countries, including Germany, which hosts the largest Turkish expatriate community, have banned Turkish politicians from campaigning on their soil.
But Britain is eager to cultivate close ties to Erdogan's Turkey. Due to the economic uncertainties of Brexit, developing stronger economic ties is particularly crucial for London and May is eyeing lucrative contracts in Turkey's arms industry. In 2017, the two countries signed a contract for BAE Systems to develop a new Turkish fighter jet.
For Erdogan, a photo op with the queen at a time when his international image as an autocratic president is stronger than ever, is priceless. The UK was also one of the first countries to express solidarity with Erdogan in the aftermath of the failed coup and remained quiet on post-coup surges. London also remained silent on Turkey's military operation against Kurdish militants in northern Syria. What else could Erdogan ask for?
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