Biden Visit Highlights Anti-US Views In Turkey

While the main focus of US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Turkey on Nov. 22 was the ongoing Syrian civil war and Turkey-US cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the trip also cast light on anti-American sentiment within Turkey, as a group of protesters demonstrated against aspects of US foreign policy in the region.

Meeting at İstanbul's Tünel Square in the Beyoğlu district and walking to Galatasaray High School, a group identified with the left-wing nationalist Youth Union of Turkey (TGB) marched under banners showing Biden's face and the motto "Yankee go home!"

The TGB, whose beliefs are considered marginal in Turkey, had previously staged a protest against three members of the US Navy from the USS Ross, docked in the Bosporus, on Nov. 12, by attempting to place sacks over the sailors' heads and throwing red paint on them. According to statements from the group, the paint was supposed to symbolize blood, while the sacks were a reference to a 2003 incident in which US soldiers captured members of the Turkish military in Iraq.

In light of tensions over the conflict in Ukraine, the RT (Russia Today) news outlet focused heavily on the anti-US demonstration, also noting that Biden encouraged Turkey to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies by diversifying its energy sources. Meeting with Turkish officials, Biden said on Saturday: "Now, now, now is the time to act. We have been aware that this single source of energy has been a problem for a long time. … But my message is not that Europe can or should do away with Russian imports." The RT report further noted US-Russia tensions over Syria, a topic Biden also discussed with Turkish officials, as Russia has been backing the embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Although the kind of protest staged by the TGB is not mainstream, opinion polls suggest that the message has some resonance with the public. The German Marshall Fund's 2014 Transatlantic Trends Survey states, "Turks remained firmly displeased with the role the United States plays on the international stage," noting that 71 percent of respondents believed that the US should not lead international affairs, a slight increase from 69 percent in 2013.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)