Recently, many politicians and academics have been discussing the current status of the world system and its future. While some claim that the Western, read American, hegemony has come to an end, others claim that the United States has been trying to reclaim global hegemony.
American academics had already begun to discuss the decay of American hegemony since the early 1980s. For instance, Robert Keohane described the 1980s as “after hegemony.” In other words, the problematic and insufficient American hegemony continues only because no other global power claims to take over the hegemonic responsibilities.
The U.S., together with its Western allies, tried to consolidate its global dominance after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) were considered the main indications of Western-controlled economic and political liberalism. However, this was short-lived. After the 9/11 terrorist attack, the U.S. initiated a new conflictual global policy.
Especially after the economic and financial support at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the U.S. stopped providing global public goods, the most important of which is international peace and stability. The U.S. gradually began to undermine the decisions of universal international organizations and principles of international law.
After the al-Aqsa Flood, the large-scale military operation initiated by Hamas against Israel, the U.S. began to violate most of the decisions of international institutions. By providing unconditional support to the Israeli genocide, the U.S. and most of its Western allies have crossed all redlines by violating all principles of humanitarian law and basic human rights and by committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Palestine. Continuing to provide unconditional support to Israel’s genocidal policy will make a great contribution to the isolation of the U.S.
Divided Western front
The current U.S. government has been trying to solve some regional and global issues by negotiating only with several deterrent global powers such as China and Russia. It seems that it is determined to ignore the preferences of all other states, including European countries. The Trump administration did not consult with its European allies on the Ukrainian-Russian issue, nor did it invite the Ukrainian government to the negotiation table to resolve the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
By following a fierce unilateral and interventionist global policy, the recent American governments, including the current Trump administration, will further isolate the U.S. in world politics. It is interesting to watch how the U.S. marginalizes not only neutral states but also its allies and it is clear that the longer it does that, the more it will be isolated and the more the rival global powers will benefit from this.
The U.S. used to obtain the consent of its allies in the implementation of its global hegemony. However, it has recently been trying to make all countries dependent on itself by force. It has been threatening all states indifferently. By asking the European members of the NATO alliance to increase their defense budget to 5% of their respective GNP means increasing American dependence, since they are obliged to buy high-tech weapons from the U.S. only. In other words, this quest is not about increasing the deterrent power of the European countries, but to increase their dependence on the U.S.
Naturally, all these demands cause mistrust between the U.S. and Europe. Especially, Trump’s perspective on the Ukrainian question has shown European countries that the U.S. may leave any ally alone in the middle of a crisis. Ukraine became the latest example of the U.S.' abandoning an ally to its fate.
Understandably, European countries are now more skeptical of the U.S. security umbrella. Western European countries eventually have to find some other alternatives for the future of their respective national securities. Türkiye, with its increased military capabilities and capacity and with its effective investments in the defense industry, is one of such alternative regional forces that Europe may remember in the near future.
Considering the latest explanation made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about Türkiye, other European countries may also revise their view of Türkiye. Zelenskyy stated that they are grateful to Türkiye for its leading role in mediating peace talks between his country and Russia, and they expect Türkiye to become the guarantor of the security of their state. Some European countries have already started to initiate comprehensive talks with Türkiye about the possible developments in Europe and its surroundings.
It will be interesting to watch the future developments between Türkiye and European countries. It seems that European countries will accept the new conditions and initiate eye-to-eye contact with Türkiye. Otherwise, they will continue to lose leverage vis-à-vis other global powers.
