- Joined
- Mar 3, 2021
What NATO officials bill as a diplomatic masterstroke is actually a disaster in the making.
Put aside Turkey’s humiliation of Sweden and the erosion, at Erdogan’s behest, of free speech and democracy in that country. And put aside the hypocrisy of treating Kurds in Sweden as terrorists when Islamic State sympathizers in Turkey not only roam free but also populate Erdogan’s administration and Turkey’s intelligence service.
Rather, the problem appears to be a new quid pro quo.
Not only does Turkey now expect the lifting of most defense-related sanctions, but a Turkish official also said that Turkey now expects Europe to fast track its long moribund European Union accession process.
The reality is that Stoltenberg’s deal kicks the can down the road but does nothing to dissuade Turkey from repeating its behavior on future NATO missions. If Erdogan walks away from his high-stakes poker with new concessions and chits to show his public, Stoltenberg guarantees that every future important NATO decision will be an opportunity for Turkish extortion.
The tragedy is greater, though. Ukraine is not the only European country that today faces foreign occupation. For almost half a century, Turkey has occupied one-third of Cyprus, a country that, for nearly three decades, has been a European Union member in good standing. Stoltenberg and Sullivan essentially appear now willing to trade a vibrant democracy for an action that is more symbolic than essential.
Cyprus should not be a victim for European and American officials’ belief that statesmanship requires sacrifice. It increasingly is a key American security partner in the Eastern Mediterranean and its importance only grows. One Cyprus today is probably worth five Swedens, regardless of the still small size of the island nation’s army.
NATO leaders may back-slap each other in Vilnius, but they will soon rue the day. Giving Turkey any path to European Union membership absent an end to occupation and a change in political culture sets both a precedent of appeasement and an empowerment of a fundamentally anti-European regime for which Europe, NATO, and the United States will pay a far higher price than they imagine.
www.19fortyfive.com
A different perspective on the Nato, Turkey deal.
Put aside Turkey’s humiliation of Sweden and the erosion, at Erdogan’s behest, of free speech and democracy in that country. And put aside the hypocrisy of treating Kurds in Sweden as terrorists when Islamic State sympathizers in Turkey not only roam free but also populate Erdogan’s administration and Turkey’s intelligence service.
Rather, the problem appears to be a new quid pro quo.
Not only does Turkey now expect the lifting of most defense-related sanctions, but a Turkish official also said that Turkey now expects Europe to fast track its long moribund European Union accession process.
The reality is that Stoltenberg’s deal kicks the can down the road but does nothing to dissuade Turkey from repeating its behavior on future NATO missions. If Erdogan walks away from his high-stakes poker with new concessions and chits to show his public, Stoltenberg guarantees that every future important NATO decision will be an opportunity for Turkish extortion.
The tragedy is greater, though. Ukraine is not the only European country that today faces foreign occupation. For almost half a century, Turkey has occupied one-third of Cyprus, a country that, for nearly three decades, has been a European Union member in good standing. Stoltenberg and Sullivan essentially appear now willing to trade a vibrant democracy for an action that is more symbolic than essential.
Cyprus should not be a victim for European and American officials’ belief that statesmanship requires sacrifice. It increasingly is a key American security partner in the Eastern Mediterranean and its importance only grows. One Cyprus today is probably worth five Swedens, regardless of the still small size of the island nation’s army.
NATO leaders may back-slap each other in Vilnius, but they will soon rue the day. Giving Turkey any path to European Union membership absent an end to occupation and a change in political culture sets both a precedent of appeasement and an empowerment of a fundamentally anti-European regime for which Europe, NATO, and the United States will pay a far higher price than they imagine.
The Turkey-NATO Deal on Sweden is a Disaster
Put another way, Turkey used its presence inside NATO to paralyze the institution and profit off its de facto veto.
www.19fortyfive.com
A different perspective on the Nato, Turkey deal.
If we continue to punish them than it gives them no reason to continue to come back into the Western fold again and away from Russia.