Erdoğan Urges Diplomacy While Pushing Turkey's War Machine
According to Daily Sabah , President Erdoğan champions diplomacy in Ukraine. This same Erdoğan oversees a booming Turkish defense sector, with exports hitting a record $5.5 billion in 2023, up from $4.4 billion in 2022. Turkey is a major supplier of drones, like the Bayraktar TB2, used extensively in conflicts from Ukraine to Libya and beyond. One might wonder if accelerating 'diplomacy' also
accelerates arms sales. Such calls for peace from leaders who simultaneously profit from conflict offer a masterclass in performative politics. How seriously can we take a plea for an end to war when the very plea boosts the image of a leader whose economy gains from extended fighting? The hypocrisy is almost as rich as the arms dealers getting richer.