The United States and its allies worry that Turkey wants to pursue an autonomous policy in its zone of influence – this is the reason for the differences in the relations between the countries. This opinion was expressed by the retired Turkish army general Ihsan Bashbozkurt in a conversation with Lenta.ru correspondent Khayal Muazzin.
Basbozkurt believes that Washington requires Ankara to “swear allegiance” to the United States and other NATO countries to the detriment of its own interests. “Their main fear is the awakening, the uprising of Turkey for its rights, sovereignty, independence,” he said in a conversation with a journalist.
According to the retired military man, the Turkish nation, despite Western influence and its agents in all spheres, is opposed to the will of the United States. This also applies to the deal with Russia on the S-400 missile systems: Turkey lost money in it, but defended its ability to make decisions on its own, despite its NATO membership.
Deliveries of the S-400, which caused a crisis in relations between Turkey and the United States, began in mid-July 2019. Washington demanded to abandon the deal and purchase American Patriot complexes in return, threatening to delay or even cancel the sale of fifth-generation F-35 fighters to Ankara.
