Turkey Seeks to Lock in Long-Term Security

Turkey briefly tried isolation until the Arab Spring when it pivoted toward the United States: “The two nations worked with other countries to oust Moammar Gaddafi in Libya that year and, early on, coordinated policies against the Assad regime,” writes Soner Cagaptay. But the United States could not win UN Security Council approval for sanctions or intervention in Syria, due to vetoes from China and Russia. US failure to move quickly on stabilizing Syria, along with refusal to transfer defense technology, has led Turkey to become the first NATO member announcing plans to purchase air defense systems from China. “If finalized, this deal would deal a serious blow to Turkey’s relations with the United States and with NATO, opening the alliance’s security umbrella to potential Chinese snooping,” notes Cagaptay. Turkey has also reached out to Russia, Iran and Iraq, and he concludes, “Turkey is out to gather as many friends as it can line up in the Middle East.” – YaleGlobal