'Red lines' vs 'sharp lines' in foreign policy

After attending the "Victory Day" reception at the presidency on Aug. 30, I drew the following conclusions:

- Turkey is ready to conduct all kinds of maneuvers to prevent unwanted situations and fait accomplis to its south. Whatever is necessary will be done. The decision has been taken. I saw the sense of relief that this decision has been taken at the highest level. 

- From September, Turkey will start a full-fledged economic campaign, including in investments abroad.

-There is a difference between "red lines" and "sharp, invisible lines." There are no more "red lines," there are now only "invisible and very sharp lines."

What is the difference?

In the past, whenever politicians said "we have red lines," they we giving messages to the domestic public. The "red line" was always visible. But now, "the invisible but sharp line" creates a direct effect between states. Voters may not see it, but the relevant interlocutor states understand it directly.

Turkey's Euphrates Shield Operation into Syria was one example demonstrating the "invisible, sharp line."

Winning defense tenders against global giants

At the reception I spoke with Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli and the issue of "national and local" initiatives came up. He told me about a recent development in which one of the big countries in the Balkans held a high-technology and advanced fire power military tender.

ASELSAN from Turkey applied to take part in the tender. The competing companies were from the United States and Israel. At one stage they started getting bad news, that they were about to lose the tender.

 However, Canikli had a standing invitation to that country so he decided to go there, taking...