U.S.-Turkey relations, which have been strained due to Pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been living in Turkey for quite a long time and, as stated in the attorney general's bill of indictment, has links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terror group and Fetullah Terror Organization (FETÖ), actually gives us a great opportunity to interpret the new period of the world. Because as the Brunson incident is not a standalone one, it is also not a part of the U.S. domestic policy only either. We have clear information on this subject. Let's briefly summarize it. Although it seems like tensions started with U.S. President Donald Trump's tweet, there is a very critical meeting that took place before that and is being overlooked: the "International Religious Freedom Symposium" held in U.S. capital Washington on July 24-26, 2018 by the U.S. Secretary of State. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pastor Brunson's daughter also gave speeches at the meeting. The meeting saw participation from more than 40 foreign ministers and a large number of religious leaders, members of religious movements and nongovernmental organizations from 80 countries. Brunson's daughter called the world to impose sanctions on Turkey, while Pence said, "This is just the beginning, we are going to finance the operations carried out to achieve religious freedoms."

Turkey, Iran, China and Russia

In the conclusion message of the symposium, Turkey, China, Iran and Russia were declared countries that are problematic in terms of religious freedoms. However, as much as we can understand from the symposium, there is "no problem" in Israel, which throws gas bombs into mosques in lands it has occupied and kills civilian Muslims using snipers. Let's continue. We all know by now that the only subject we can mention Turkey, Iran, Russia and China in the same sentence is the "Zone and Route Initiative," in other words, the Silk Road. As the world's economic center of gravity shifts over from the West toward the East, the U.S., which has caused the death of millions of Muslims to date, held such a meeting on religious freedoms. Of course it is obvious that there are certain problematic practices in other countries, excluding Turkey. However, it is telling that these came to the U.S.'s mind only now. I guess we all know that enough Muslims have been killed to learn who the bundle of problems that will arise from scratching off the surface of religious and ethnic sensitivities in the said countries will benefit. In brief, the Pastor Brunson issue is one that the U.S. is certainly "not going to want to solve," and Turkey has both the intelligence and experience to see this well.

Efforts to multi-dimensionally siege

In fact, everything that has happened is part of the multidimensional siege that has been carried out against Turkey since 2013, which Turkey has managed to break down every time. The world's economic center of gravity is shifting from the West toward the East and its projects have made Turkey the "center of mass." Also, while Turkey sets an example for Muslim countries, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has become the "natural leader of Islam." Turkey being at the table for the commercialization of the energy sources in both the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, and Turkey no longer being "that old Turkey" is badly frustrating some. All this pastor tension, threats for economic sanctions through the pastor and meetings carrying titles such as providing religious freedoms in the world are also a part of the trade wars. This way, they are trying to force Turkey's hand - which they could not defeat through FETÖ, the PKK, Daesh and other similar structures - at the table through the pastor. However, Turkey now has the strategic power and intelligence to overcome such old style diplomatic cunning. They will soon understand that they need to sit and talk with Turkey on equal terms rather than using blackmail and bluffs.