Rubio "Concerned" About Turkey Crisis

State Secretary Marco Rubio recently expressed concern over the developing internal crisis in Turkey following government crackdowns on protesters manifesting against the arrest of a major leader from the political opposition. 

The protests erupted after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested for alleged corruption.

Protestors claim Mayor Imamoglu was arrested because of his potential to defeat current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming Presidential elections. 

Following Imamoglu’s arrest, the Turkish government took forceful measures to repress protestors, arresting dozens and even detaining and deporting journalists reporting the protests. 

“We don’t like to see the direction that’s going,” said Secretary Rubio. “It’s an ally.  It’s a partner in NATO.  Anytime you have instability on the ground, you don’t like to see it.”

President Erdogan accused protestors and deported journalists of “provocativeness under the mask of civil society.”

“As long as it remains the stronghold of those who make noise under the mask of journalism, it can never become the party of this country,” said Erdogan. 

While President Donald Trump and Erdogan had a friendly relationship during the former’s first term, Erdogan’s decisions during the past years have not sat comfortably with some American lawmakers. 

For example, Republican and Democrat lawmakers recently submitted the Turkey Diplomatic Realignment Act, which designates Turkey as a Middle Eastern country for diplomatic purposes due to Erdogan’s alleged recent alignment with Iran and Hamas.

Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) is leading the bipartisan bill, claiming the Turks under Erdogan have strengthened ties with Russia, China, and Iran, sympathized with Hamas, expressed belligerence towards Greece and Cyprus, and disputed control of the Aegean Sea.

In October 2023, shortly after the October 7th terror attack in Israel, Erdogan called Hamas "a liberation group" and "mujahideen waging a battle to protect its lands and people."

The lawmakers condemned Erdogan's remarks as "appalling" and that they "continue the deeply concerning trend of Turkey under President Erdogan's leadership undermining the peace and security of its democratic neighbors."

Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL), the bill’s cosponsor, added, "Turkey is at a crossroads, but Erdogan has made his choice. His government harbors Hamas operatives, props up Putin's war machine, and obstructs NATO unity—while still demanding the privileges of a Western ally. It's time for American diplomacy to stop pretending that Turkey is still part of Europe."