Mass Turkish protests against the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza "Getty Images"
It seems that the US administration has made up its mind, and decided to proceed with its hostile policy against Turkey as an ungrateful ally that has gone outside the framework of the role assigned to it, and seeks to deal with it with the logic of peerage, which the Biden administration does not accept and does not accept, which necessitates - from its point of view - the need to punish Ankara severely and firmly until it realizes its mistake, returns to its senses, and enters with full will into the fold of complete loyalty to US policies, obeying its orders, and implementing its instructions, as was the case previously, especially during the period of Cold War.
Turkey was then a good schoolgirl who meticulously implemented the American strategy that was drawn for it since joining NATO in 1952.
It was indeed the best bulwark, the first line of defense against Russia, and succeeded in reducing its capabilities and limiting the impact of its attempts to impose its influence in Central Asia and some regions of the Caucasus.
Washington and the stick policy with Ankara
However, the divergence of interests, the difference of visions, and the widening gap of disagreement between the two countries made Washington insist on following an arm-twisting policy and applying the saying: "The stick is for those who disobey" in its dealings with Turkey.
This trend was evident in its continued pursuit of imposing new economic sanctions whenever the political views between them differed on files and issues of common interest regionally or internationally, without the slightest regard for common interests and strategic relations that have linked them for decades.
It is noticeable that when any dispute arises with Ankara, Washington rushes to impose a new package of sanctions on Turkish economic entities and public figures, without considering what this may cause to increase tension in the relations of the two countries, or the resulting divergence that may lead in the future to turning the compass of Turkish alliances into directions and destinations that would actually harm US interests in the region.
Seeking to drive a wedge between Turkey and Hamas
US threats to impose more economic sanctions on Turkey come this time under the pretext that Ankara has allowed a number of civil society organizations and charities to collect funds from inside Turkey and transfer them to Hamas.
This increases its financial liquidity, increases its ability to confront Israel, and enables it to prolong its operations against Tel Aviv, which causes serious damage to the economy of the occupying power, which will not be able to withstand long if this war continues any longer.
In an attempt to urge Turkey to align itself with the United States – as this is in favor of Israel's plans to suffocate and eliminate Hamas not only militarily but also economically – Brian Nelson, US Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, was sent to discuss the matter with officials within the Turkish government, warning them of the possibility of Hamas leaders violating local laws governing fundraising and transfers, even if they treat them as a political legitimate. inside the Gaza Strip.
He stressed that they still have the opportunity to address this matter in accordance with the laws prevailing in them, regardless of their participation or non-participation in the application of US sanctions imposed on these leaders and their collaborators.
US warnings to Turkey
Nelson not only sought to drive a wedge between Hamas and Turkey, but also sought to warn them of the consequences of continuing to allow Hamas to be financially supported, through what he called "his country's deep concern about allowing Hamas to raise funds inside Turkey."
He then hinted that Turkey has a direct precedent in raising funds for Hamas from donors, investment portfolios, civil society organizations, and charities, noting that Hamas's portfolio of investments estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars includes companies and various economic entities operating inside Turkey and a number of other countries in the region.
Turkish officials, for their part, reiterated to their ears that their country does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization, but rather an elected authority inside the Gaza Strip, and has the right to have financial transactions outside its borders, yet they will not allow any attempt aimed at violating local financial laws, whether money laundering or direct financing of violence.
U.S. Sanctions
Following the outbreak of the "Al-Aqsa Flood", Washington imposed sanctions on several entities and nine people, including four in Turkey, according to a list announced on the official website of the Treasury Department, with the aim of limiting Hamas' financial capabilities and preventing the flow of funds to it, especially those that come through cryptocurrency markets, some charities, companies, and investments in Turkey or in Iran.
As Israel's first ally, the Biden administration sought to meet the desire of Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of the occupation state, to eliminate Hamas financially by blocking all outlets through which money flows to it, as the Treasury Department issued an important report, in which it pointed out that there is a loophole in the Turkish banking system that gives Hamas the ability to avoid US sanctions imposed on it and its leaders, through a package of administrative complications taken when conducting financial transactions between it and all countries of the world.
Accusations against Turkish banks
Both Washington and Tel Aviv have accused certain banks inside Turkey of storing Hamas deposits and funds, including several major Islamic banks, which Turkey has repeatedly denied on various occasions over the past years.
However, the continuation of Israeli and US accusations called on the Group of Seven Financial Action Supervisory Authority in 2021 to place Turkey on the grey list of countries that condone the freezing of assets of organizations and entities labeled as terrorists.
Turkey pays the price for supporting Hamas
Since the accusations of Turkey supporting Hamas are not born today, nor are they a product of the "Al-Aqsa flood", it remains natural that the issue is directly related to Turkey's position in general in support of Hamas, and its rejection of all brutal operations, systematic targeting, and genocide war carried out by the occupation army on the instructions of its leaders, whom Ankara decided to prosecute and seek to try before the International Criminal Court on charges of causing a war of extermination against civilians, women and children in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip.
Turkish warning to the Mossad
This Turkish position fueled the anger of both the Biden administration and Israel, as it fired a mercy bullet on all the efforts made during the past two years to heal the rift in Turkish-Israeli relations, prompting the latter to declare its intention to pursue Hamas leaders in all countries of the world as soon as the liquidation of the movement inside the Gaza Strip is completed.
Ankara took this threat seriously, warning the Israeli Mossad against any attempt aimed at harming any Hamas leaders on its territory, especially since the Israeli ambassador had previously called on the Turkish government to close Hamas' office.
The imposition of US sanctions on Turkey is no longer surprising for Turkish politicians, who have decided to move forward in determining the paths of their country's policies, in a way that serves its interests, and to align themselves with what they see as consistent with their moral convictions, regardless of the losses they may suffer as a result of these sanctions, which have become the only pressure card - apparently - in the hands of the Biden administration.
So they try to exploit them to the maximum extent that they may one day bear fruit, which seems difficult to achieve with the current political elite continuing to rule the country.