Well, that has certainly been true for a long time. The Turks were staunch allies all through the Cold War. They guarded Europe's flank and they guarded the Middle East from direct Russian influence--although the KGB certainly managed to stir up a lot of "nationalist" trouble covertly.
But something went wrong in the run-up to the Iraqi invasion. Turkey didn't just refuse to let us go through their territory; they strung us along until the last possible moment, when one of our strongest divisions was stationed off their coast, and THEN refused to let us in.
The invasion still succeeded, but no thanks to the Turks. And it gave Saddam's northern armies a chance to escape and make a lot of trouble as irregulars afterward.
Yes, Turkey under Attaturk seemed to be breaking free of Islamic fundamentalism. But I'm by no means sure that they are not sliding back again.
In any case, it's not our job to tell the EU what to do. Even though I suspect that Chirac was the guy who persuaded the Generals to do what they did, with a promise that he would admit them to the EU if they helped stand up for Saddam and Total-Fina-Elf. Much good that promise did the Turks.
In any case, it’s not our job to tell the EU what to do. Even though I suspect that Chirac was the guy who persuaded the Generals to do what they did, with a promise that he would admit them to the EU if they helped stand up for Saddam and Total-Fina-Elf. Much good that promise did the Turks.