IIn the traffic light coalition, calls were made for severe consequences for NATO member Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sought membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) with Russia and China.
“NATO and the European Union have to ask themselves how long they are going to let Erdogan dance on their noses,” foreign policy spokesman for the Greens parliamentary group, Jürgen Trittin, told the “Welt” newspaper. Turkey prevents NATO from monitoring the UN arms embargo on Libya. This is drilling in the Greek economic zone. NATO member Turkey is doing more to evade European sanctions against Russia than China. Erdogan put the brakes on Finland and Sweden joining NATO. And now he wants to join. SCO is with Iran.” It’s time for a “strong Turkey policy.” Since no one can be excluded from NATO, coercive economic measures against Turkey should be considered.
Nils Schmid, foreign policy spokesman for the parliamentary group SPD, sees Erdogan’s plan as a serious mistake and as a new attempt to distract from domestic political difficulties. “Foreign policy, this would be a symbolic step away from the West and its values - a serious political mistake for Turkey’s future.”
NATO member Turkey is already a so-called “dialogue partner” of the SCO. In addition to China and Russia, the group also includes India, Pakistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
