On January 20, 2025, Trump will officially handle his responsibility as President of the United States. It seems like the second presidency of Donald Trump will be different from his first term. In his first presidential era, Trump received strong criticism from the military-civilian bureaucracy that slowed down his ability to make significant changes. Furthermore, the media also showed his negative role and opposed him strongly. His ability to make decisions was less effective due to not getting full support from his party members.
But his second term will present a new set of circumstances. Now he has more experience as compared to the first term and deeply knows how to handle the challenges that come in politics. At this time, the media is also a great supporter of Trump. This is due to the strong partnership with Elon Musk, who is the right hand of Trump and strongly influences the various media platforms. In his second term of the presidency, Trump will receive strong favoritism from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the Republican Party stands united behind him. Trump makes radical changes easily without any opposition from the military or other parties.
Trump has aimed to make major changes in the United States’ foreign policy, particularly within NATO. According to him, the United States is shouldering too much of NATO’s burden. Turkey has the 2nd largest army in the nation. It plays an important role in defending the southeastern border.
It meets NATO’s defense spending target, yet it faces restrictions on key military rights, such as access to F-35 jets, F-16 upgrades, and air defense systems. Despite its contributions, Türkiye feels excluded from important decisions within NATO.
Although it satisfies NATO’s defense budget goal, it is denied access to vital military capabilities like air defense systems, F-35 aircraft, and F-16 upgrades. Despite its contributions, Türkiye feels left out of key NATO decision-making processes.
Trump’s plan to make significant changes in NATO could impact US-Turkey relations. If these changes occur in Turkey’s favor it may result in a stronger partnership between the US-Turkey. However, the real concern is for NATO’s officials as they don’t know how these modifications will impact the current balance. Shifting US policies towards NATO may prove beneficial for Turkey but negatively impact other NATO members. So, this step by the US will alter the dynamics of international relations.
Donald Trump’s perception of the European Union (EU) as a burden is one of the issues the EU faces. He feels that working with individual nations will simplify problem-solving and cut down on bureaucracy more than multilateral agreements. Trump’s strategy might present Turkey with an opportunity rather than a challenge. Trump’s emphasis on personal ties may assist Turkey in advancing its relationship with some EU members, as Turkey’s EU admission has been blocked for decades.
Trump’s stance on US policy in Syria differs from that of past administrations. He chastised Obama for inventing ISIS and gave his generals strict orders to swiftly withdraw American forces from Syria. Trump may decide that there is no use in keeping U.S. forces in Syria given the developments there. Turkey, which has been battling ISIS on the ground, may gain from this change. To protect its interests and preserve regional stability, Turkey may forge closer connections with the United States under the new circumstances.
It is critical to acknowledge the likelihood of difficulties in the US-Turkey relationship under Donald Trump’s presidency. As has been seen in the past, Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are both committed to advancing their nations, which occasionally results in competing objectives. Israel, which is a source of conflict between Washington and Ankara, is among the most complicated issues that are expected to come up.
Nonetheless, any disputes may probably be settled as long as Erdoğan and Trump continue to communicate, as both have demonstrated a sincere desire to engage in diplomatic relations. For the future to be fruitful and to avoid any problems, this diplomatic interaction is still essential.
