Submission Statement: “The country has been a dam holding back the seas of regional instability during 70 years of NATO membership. It’s still badly needed.” Frank Okata argues that despite Turkey’s recent controversial actions that have tested NATO allies’ patience, Turkey remains a vital strategic partner. Okata outlines its geographical importance in controlling access to the Black Sea and Mediterranean, noting that Turkey upholds key security responsibilities as a NATO ally that are too important for the alliance to do without.
A rather biased opinion. Obviously a propaganda attempt to influence the growing doubts on turkey’s trustworthiness as an ally
The biggest problem with Turkey – If we ditch them, they will go super sayan on the other side. Russia or China would snatch them up in a second with foreign aid money, and the region would be the worse off for it.
The enemy of your enemy is a friend. Better than driving the two together (like China and Russia right now, who actually have never gotten along).
My favorite thing about Turkey is that they actually did do most of the things Israel gets accused of.
Randomly decided Anatolia should be exclusively Turkish despite Turks not being from there, and committed multiple genocides to make it so, killing millions.
Is a full member of NATO and recipient of US and other Western military support.
No one ever shuts down a highway or takes over a college campus over this though.
I don’t know.
Maybe after the wanna be dictator Erdoğan leaves things will get better but he seems more adversarial to a lot of the NATO bloc
Turkey is fairly obvious. A better question is why we must tolerate Hungary.
I’ve never quite understood why Turkey has refused to let go of its revisionist agenda against Greece. Both countries rely economically on summer tourism, and a military conflict in that regard would be a suicidal move. Yes, I know that since last year there has been a pause of hostility, but the hostility, particularly in Turkish media and the Turkish military is there.
Greece has no aggressive intentions against Turkey and I am sure Turkey knows this. I have heard that the Turkish military has been indoctrinated with the *Mavi Vatan* doctrine which stipulates that Turkey cannot gain its rightful place in the international order unless Turkey controls its entire continental shelf. While of course Erdogan can manipulate nationalism to win votes, there has to be something deeper involved.
I would just assume that rational economic doctrines would encourage Ankara to abandon its revisionist agenda, especially since no one really believes that Greece is aggressive.
The Turkey Conundrum: have them be strong enough to mop whatever hell has broken loose in the Middle East, and patrol the Black Sea straits, but weak enough that they can’t exert any of their own geopolitical ambitions. The Janitor of the West, if you will.
Remember, Europe fought against the Grand Turk until the day they found the Sick Man of Europe there, and Russia was eyeing for Constantinople.
I for one am willing to put up with a lot of stuff from Turkey, if it means they stay on our side. They may play us for fools, but that’s a reasonable price.
8 comments
Submission Statement: “The country has been a dam holding back the seas of regional instability during 70 years of NATO membership. It’s still badly needed.” Frank Okata argues that despite Turkey’s recent controversial actions that have tested NATO allies’ patience, Turkey remains a vital strategic partner. Okata outlines its geographical importance in controlling access to the Black Sea and Mediterranean, noting that Turkey upholds key security responsibilities as a NATO ally that are too important for the alliance to do without.
A rather biased opinion.
Obviously a propaganda attempt to influence the growing doubts on turkey’s trustworthiness as an ally
The biggest problem with Turkey – If we ditch them, they will go super sayan on the other side. Russia or China would snatch them up in a second with foreign aid money, and the region would be the worse off for it.
The enemy of your enemy is a friend. Better than driving the two together (like China and Russia right now, who actually have never gotten along).
My favorite thing about Turkey is that they actually did do most of the things Israel gets accused of.
Randomly decided Anatolia should be exclusively Turkish despite Turks not being from there, and committed multiple genocides to make it so, killing millions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Ottoman_genocides?wprov=sfti1#Overview
Doesn’t acknowledge that while simultaneously proclaiming it to be a good thing.
Continues to ethnically cleanse the Kurds even in modern times.
https://dckurd.org/2022/04/28/erdogan-wars-on-kurds/
Is a right wing autocratic regime with multiple human rights violations who actively works against US interests.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/07/17/turkey-officially-kicked-out-of-f-35-program/
Has committed acts of brutality against US citizens on US soil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_protestors_at_the_Turkish_embassy_in_Washington,_D.C?wprov=sfti1
Is a full member of NATO and recipient of US and other Western military support.
No one ever shuts down a highway or takes over a college campus over this though.
I don’t know.
Maybe after the wanna be dictator Erdoğan leaves things will get better but he seems more adversarial to a lot of the NATO bloc
Turkey is fairly obvious. A better question is why we must tolerate Hungary.
I’ve never quite understood why Turkey has refused to let go of its revisionist agenda against Greece. Both countries rely economically on summer tourism, and a military conflict in that regard would be a suicidal move. Yes, I know that since last year there has been a pause of hostility, but the hostility, particularly in Turkish media and the Turkish military is there.
Greece has no aggressive intentions against Turkey and I am sure Turkey knows this. I have heard that the Turkish military has been indoctrinated with the *Mavi Vatan* doctrine which stipulates that Turkey cannot gain its rightful place in the international order unless Turkey controls its entire continental shelf. While of course Erdogan can manipulate nationalism to win votes, there has to be something deeper involved.
I would just assume that rational economic doctrines would encourage Ankara to abandon its revisionist agenda, especially since no one really believes that Greece is aggressive.
The Turkey Conundrum: have them be strong enough to mop whatever hell has broken loose in the Middle East, and patrol the Black Sea straits, but weak enough that they can’t exert any of their own geopolitical ambitions. The Janitor of the West, if you will.
Remember, Europe fought against the Grand Turk until the day they found the Sick Man of Europe there, and Russia was eyeing for Constantinople.
I for one am willing to put up with a lot of stuff from Turkey, if it means they stay on our side. They may play us for fools, but that’s a reasonable price.