[hinckley buzzard]

That would be a useful tactic at this point. When the enemy was a strong and menacing USSR, Turkey was a geopolitical anchor of the Southern end of NATO. But that was last century. If Turkey today is not willing to fulfill its obvious role in the alliance, then cut it loose. We don’t need an unreliable obstructionist weak link in the security of the West, caught up in its own parochial rivalries and outdated issues.

[Dr. Franklin]

That would be a useful tactic at this point. When the enemy was a strong and menacing USSR, Turkey was a geopolitical anchor of the Southern end of NATO. But that was last century. If Turkey today is not willing to fulfill its obvious role in the alliance, then cut it loose. We don’t need an unreliable obstructionist weak link in the security of the West, caught up in its own parochial rivalries and outdated issues.

The twin pillars of Soviet containment in the post-war era initially were Turkey and Iran. Neither are overly important to contain Russia today. Turkey wants to join the EU, but still objects to accepting European values, and is quite sensitive to criticism in a very Eastern way. Turkey will continue to be an outsider as Europe continues to integrate militarily.