The war in Syria has shown that Turkey is one of the significant weaknesses of the West and especially NATO, says the Jerusalem Post. Ankara is on the verge of war with Russia, but the Alliance, this war is absolutely not necessary. Putin perfectly understands that in a conflict with Turkey he will be able to split NATO – and therefore Western countries need to distance themselves from Erdogan and his government, urges the author.
The war in Syria has become an illustration of several weaknesses of the West, says brad Patty in the pages of the Jerusalem Post. The stability of Europe depends on the flow of refugees caused by the attack of the forces of Bashar al-Assad on civilians, and the number of migrants only increased when Russian planes began to support the Syrian leader.
Russia needed it because it creates “desert“, which her weak ally is easier to manage than a densely populated country, says the author. What these actions destabilize Europe, was “a nice bonus“.
Under Putin, Russia has shown itself to be of which to maintain “is insufficient for its own survival” gazekonomika need to constantly engage in expansion. She “captured pieces of Georgia, the Crimea and Ukraine“, and observers are now worried because of the Russian minorities in the Baltic States. The greatest difficulty for Russia is that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are in NATO, and until the Alliance is strong, partly the hand of the Kremlin related, describes brad Patty.
“But fate gave me a weapon strong enough to destroy the NATO Alliance, as part of the Syrian conflict, in which Russia is involved“. This weapon has the shape of a Turkey that has moved away from “the interests and morals of the rest of the Alliance, “describes the author.
Turkish and Russian troops are already fighting on different sides of the Turkish-Syrian border, threatening a clash of Russia with the NATO member. This narrowly avoided a fall when Turkey shot down a Russian plane to Moscow instead of military action went on economic sanctions and support for the Kurdish minority. Turkey in response has established cordons in order to starve the Kurdish villages.
U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry at the time, called such actions to be contrary to the laws of war – but then he talked about action on Syria. Turkey is condemned not subjected, as well as for violations of human rights, which the West considers to be the basis of the political system. Turkey prevents the US fight against ISIS*, exposing the Kurds bombed. However, she does not pay attention to supply lines of ISIS and “Frente al-Nusra”* in Syria, and perhaps even helps them, sure browser.
A number of commentators in the light of these and other factors suggested to exclude Turkey from NATO. “But here’s the thing: in NATO there is no mechanism for cancellation of membership“. As an ordinary resolution of the Alliance must be adopted unanimously – and the introduction of a mechanism of deprivation of membership the voice of Turkey. And she is unlikely to agree, because membership in NATO enables it to hold the US and Europe.
If NATO will not support Turkey in case of a conflict with Russia, the Alliance will break up, warns the author of the Jerusalem Post. “But Erdogan does not deserve Western support. If we have to choose between what to cast it, and the war with Russia, the obvious choice is to throw it“. And since Putin is “smart in such matters“, the conflict will surely break out when Erdogan looks the most despicable in the eyes of the Western public, says brad Patty.
“A crack formed in NATO, will respond in the Baltic States” – and therefore the United States should lead Western efforts to protect itself from the Erdogan government. To start, Kerry has criticized Turkey for what he has already told off Syria, suggests the expert. The West should also “start to publicly and often talk about the Western values of liberty and freedom of conscience and oppose the war crimes of the Turkish authorities“.
Turkish authorities have moved away from the legacy modernizer and reformer Ataturk, says the Jerusalem Post. Warning that they lose the position of “the true member of NATO“, can slow down the worst of the offenses of Erdogan against his own people – as a “present-oriented” of Turks and Kurds. “It will be a good thing in itself, because it will protect the rights and lives of decent people, which we should support, “says brad Patty.
“Even if Turkey does not heed similar warnings at least create the framework for the idea that NATO without Turkey remains strong and significant. For the people who support Western ideals of human freedom, NATO will be unbreakable, “says the author.
* Terrorist organizations whose activity is prohibited in Russia (approx. RT).
Photo: Reuters
