"The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Syria, the European Union, Russia: this year was a difficult one for Turkey. The next will hardly be easier," Thomas Seibert wrote for Tagesspiegel.
In December, it became known that the Turkish authorities convicted three journalists of the Turkish newspaper Birgün for their article in which they called Erdogan a murderer and a thief.
Seibert also stressed that the possibility of an escalation of the conflict between the Turks and the Kurds is very high.
With regard to the Syrian conflict, he argued, Turkey will have to recognize that its original purpose, namely, the overthrow of the Assad regime, is causing distrust among many parties involved: not only Russia and Iran, which support the Syrian government, but also Turkey's Western partners, whose position on the matter does not correspond with the objectives of Ankara.
According to the journalist, difficulties are awaiting Ankara in its relations with the European Union as well. Brussels admitted that the EU needs Turkey to deal with the refugee crisis, but Ankara seeks to get much more in return, including a visa-free regime with Europe and assurances of their future membership in the union.
In the long run, the goals of the EU and Turkey may become incompatible and result in the deteriorating relations between both parties, Seibert wrote.
