"Elliott Abrams's letter "Put Not Your Trust in Recep Tayyip Erdogan" (April 16) urges treating Turkey as an adversary but never asks the next question: Then what? Turkey is invaluable to the central task of American statecraft: countering the challenge from the revisionist bloc of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. The Turks operate across multiple theaters -- Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East and the South Caucasus -- support Ukrainian sovereignty and field the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's second-largest army. Without them, the West can neither contain Russia nor sustain a viable order in Eurasia. Ask a Polish or Romanian official how secure they'd feel if Washington considered Ankara an adversary.
Turkey doubtless poses serious challenges, including growing hostility toward Israel. But labeling it an enemy risks deepening that hostility. Before making a bad situation worse, shouldn't the Trump administration at least attempt to strike a balance between Ankara and Jerusalem?
Doing so would prove fruitful, not least because the Turks play a central role in containing Iran. Turkish-backed forces helped topple Bashar al-Assad and expelled Iranian militias from Syria -- outcomes that directly served American and Israeli interests. Equally important, Turkey guarantees the independence of Azerbaijan, a crucial Israeli ally. Azerbaijan anchors the corridor linking Europe to Central Asia, which blocks Russian and Iranian influence, and gives Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan a path to economic, if not political, autonomy from Moscow and Beijing.
Mr. Abrams calls for continued U.S. support for the "Kurds" -- a euphemism for the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Backing a terrorist militia over a NATO ally isn't strategy; it's provocation masquerading as principle.
American statecraft must work with what exists. Military alliances are built on shared interests, not values. Strategy begins with that recognition.
Michael Doran
Hudson Institute
Washington" [1]
1. The Folly of Treating Ankara as an Adversary. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 21 Apr 2025: A16
Komentarų nėra:
Rašyti komentarą