Analysis: The evacuation is a way for Turkey to show strength

Is that fake news? No, there is no doubt. The man has been evacuated in an ambulance aircraft for hospital care in Turkey. Pictures from the evacuation show how Turkish medical personnel in protective clothing carry the man on board the plane. Also on the plane are the man's four children. The decision to send the plane must have been made by President Erdogan, says an anonymous Turkish government official.  

The sick man's daughter has for several days pleaded for help from Turkey. She says in videos that her father was sent home from the hospital with an invitation to take alvedone after being tested positive for covid-19. According to the daughter, the father should have fever and shortness of breath. With the crying in her voice, she says she doesn't know what to do. 

Does this mean that the man has really been denied care in Sweden? It's hard to pin down. Region Skåne refuses to comment on individual cases.  

But it hardly matters how the story is perceived in Turkey. Social media perfectly boils down to sour comments directed at Sweden and tributes to Turkey. 

“The Turkish state helps Swedish / Turkish citizens because Swedish health care is lacking. Thank goodness that there is a strong nation that cares as its citizens, ”reads a comment on twitter. 

Other comments accuse Sweden of racism and paralysis, while Turkey is portrayed as a miracle of action and compassion. 

Like so much about Turkey and Europe, it gets very emotionally charged. It seems that many comments in social media deal with a kind of revenge cluster for a long-lived frustration. The Turkish diaspora often feels misunderstood, neglected or even discriminated against in Europe. 

For the Turkish government, it is probably the strongest play so far in the charm show as soft power, in the ongoing tug-of-war about which nation manages to prove most merciful during the pandemic.  

Turkish aid shipments with protective equipment to affected countries, for example, have been at the forefront of China's and Russia's PR successes. 

But in this case, it is people of flesh and blood whose health is at stake. Turkey has undoubtedly made an astonishing effort to help a sick citizen and his family. It has a completely different impact than sending anonymous packages of flags on.

No matter what you think about the big political game, you can only hope that the man will recover. Or as the Turks say to wish for a quick recovery, geçmiş olsun!