Will Erdogan's Presidency End NATO As We Know It?

Investors.com ^ | August 11, 2014 | IBD Editorial

[jazusamo]

Allies: With all the disconcerting things going on in the Mideast, you could be forgiven for missing an event critically important to America's long-term interests: Recep Erdogan's election as president of Turkey.

Erdogan's 52% victory over the weekend in a stage-managed election, making him the nation's first directly elected president, heralds a new era of conflict in the Mideast and perhaps the end of NATO as we know it.

Turkey has for decades been a key ally to the U.S. and NATO in the Mideast, an anchor in the Cold War against the USSR and friendly toward Israel as the Jewish state was attacked repeatedly by its Arab neighbors.

That's all changed since Recep Tayyip Erdogan took the reins of power as prime minister 11 years ago. At that time, Erdogan tried to assuage fears of his Islamist beliefs by calling himself a moderate.

"We will build a Turkey where common sense prevails," he said after his Justice and Development Party — known by its Turkish acronym, AKP — swept into power in 2002.

Now, as the Independent newspaper of Britain asserts, "Turkey is morphing into a Russian-style 'shell' democracy, in which managed plebiscites mask the essentially autocratic character of a system containing few or no checks and balances." Well said and accurate, but it doesn't go far enough.

In fact, Erdogan, first elected with just 34% of the vote, has become an aggressive Islamist — changing a successful system put in place by the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, after the Ottoman Empire collapsed at the end of World War I.

[dfwgator]

Kill It!

[markomalley]

Will Erdogan's Presidency End NATO As We Know It?

Depends upon how dhimmified Øbøzø and the Euroweenies are. If they bow to Sultan Erdogan's wishes, he'll stay in for a while (until it comes time for the New Ottoman Empire to re-conquer Greece and the Balkans). Otherwise, they'll be out in a year.

[Billthedrill]

Americans will no doubt recall that Turkey's refusal to support the U.S. and NATO in the 2003 war against Iraq's Saddam Hussein.

This American remembers that very, very well. BTT

[Lurker]

I remember France doing the very same thing regarding Libya.

[jazusamo]

And I as well, Erdogan is an Islamist.

[Truth29]

"Given Erdogan's radical reorientation of Turkey's foreign policy and his creeping Islamist rule, the broader point is that his country no longer belongs in NATO. It won't be long before the U.S. and its allies come to the same conclusion."

I doubt that Obama will reach that conclusion. He would love an Islamist state in NATO and a dagger in the heart of what remains of a secular or Christian Europe. More death and destruction for the West he so despises.

[Salvey]

He fundamentally transformed Turkey.

[SkyDancer]

I thought Turkey is part of SEATO ...

[cherry]

," "Turkey is morphing into a Russian-style 'shell' democracy, in which managed plebiscites mask the essentially autocratic character of a system containing few or no checks and balances." Well said and accurate, but it doesn't go far enough."

sounds like "us"....

[jazusamo]

I don’t recall but SEATO is long gone.

[jazusamo]

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[Rashputin]

Koxovo ended NATO as it was created to be.

Just what is, "as we know it", right now so the question posed can be answered?

[SkyDancer]

Just kinda remembered it from a lesson .....

[odds]

"Turkey has for decades been a key ally to the U.S. and NATO in the Mideast, an anchor in the Cold War against the USSR and friendly toward Israel as the Jewish state was attacked repeatedly by its Arab neighbors."

I think the answer lies in that paragraph. NATO was essentially set up in response to the Warsaw Pact, am I right?

The geopolitics of the ME and N. Africa changed dramatically with the fall of the USSR. And, Erdogan is no moderate; he is an Islamist. Erdogan has been trying to revamp the Turkish (secular) constitution and diminish the influence of the Turkish military, which traditionally is very secular.

[jazusamo]

I agree, that’s my take on it.

[NormsRevenge]

This guy is as dirty as the night is long.

[jazusamo]

Yep, he’s a disaster waiting to happen with the rise of ISIS.

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty ping.

[expat2]

Now, as the Independent newspaper of Britain asserts, "Turkey is morphing into a Russian-style 'shell' democracy, in which managed plebiscites mask the essentially autocratic character of a system containing few or no checks and balances."

That sounds familiar somehow.... Can't think why it would. /s