FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The landing of two separate government planes from the same country, within less than an hour of each other, at Ankara's Esenboğa Airport has caused consternation in diplomatic circles. Both government planes departed from the Czech Republic, which was sending two different delegations to the NATO summit in Turkey.
The first to arrive was Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who was met by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat. A second plane arrived shortly afterwards, carrying President Petr Pavel, who was met by Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. Prague gave no explanation as to why the country's two top officials did not travel together, even though they departed from the same airport in the Czech capital.
Judicial clash
This unprecedented situation is the result of intense personal and political animosity between the two leaders, which had been escalating for months in the run-up to the summit. Although Czech delegations to NATO traditionally include both the prime minister, as head of government, and the president, as head of state, last month Babiš barred Pavel from attending.
However, the president did not back down. He immediately appealed to the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic, which approved interim measures, forcing the prime minister to allow him to travel to Ankara.
The real reasons for the conflict
Officially, Babiš argued that he needed more political space to negotiate and explain to allies why the Czech Republic is one of only three NATO countries that does not meet current defense spending targets.
However, according to reports, the two leaders clash over much deeper issues, such as the government's decision to cut the defense budget, but also Pavel's refusal to appoint a controversial right-wing politician with anti-establishment views to the Babiš government.
According to analysts, the prime minister's attempt to oust the president was a direct blow to the field where Pavel is considered a dominant figure. Petr Pavel is a retired general and previously served as chairman of NATO's Military Committee, one of the highest posts in the Alliance's hierarchy, which makes their public clash even more intense.
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