Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Friends without benefits: the US-Turkish alliance

By Jed Lea-Henry - posted Monday, 27 October 2014


Yet as the situation in Kobane has descended into running street battles, with Islamic State holding approximately a third of the town, and as coalition airstrikes attempt to protect the remaining population (180,000 have already fled); only a few hundred meters away, and literally within eyesight of the violence, the Turkish military, as the second largest army in NATO, has remained within the Turkish border.

Worse still, Turkey has inexplicably arrested both Kurdish refugees fleeing the violence and Turkish citizens returning from the fighting in order to seek medical treatment. Moreover, until recently, Turkey has barred both Kurdish fighters and supplies from entering Kobane to help with the fighting.

Kobane unequivocally represents a worsening humanitarian emergency, and a strategically important town in the global effort to degrade Islamic State. Turkish willingness to not only let the conflict continue, but to obstruct efforts that might save the town and its population, is not only morally, but also strategically unjustifiable. The only reasonable explanation for this behaviour, is that despite the calming of Kurdish hostilities, Turkey still sees the Kurds as a danger to their country – and a danger on par with Islamic State. This conviction has seemingly made Turkey unwilling to engage Islamic State and to fulfil its international obligations, out of fear that such actions might in some small way help a Kurdish population, though be it a foreign one. In violation of their own publicly stated commitments to the contrary, Turkey is effectively aiding and facilitating Islamic State fighters on its own doorstep, in the hope that these fighters can engage the Kurdish population of Kobane is an exhaustive, and resource-depleting conflict.

Advertisement

Recognising this reality, and being forced to watch helplessly as their own people are killed within eyesight, Turkish-Kurds vented this anger in street protests on the 7th of October. Where an unfolding genocide on their border could not convince Turkey into military action, these street protests succeeded – the Turkish military finally mobilised. Yet, rather than striking Islamic State they bombed PKK strongholds in North-Eastern Iraq (an action that had been predicted in some quarters due to the openness of the language employed by the Turkish parliament in its declaration of war).

Throughout all of this, the United States has been betrayed as much as anyone. It has, through various diplomatic avenues and mediums (leading all the way up to Secretary of State John Kerry), been pleading with Turkey to behave an as ally in substance, rather just in name. Until now however, no amount of begging has yet managed to convince Turkey to intervene in Kobane. Moreover, currently the US and its allies have been refused access to Turkish airbases to facilitate the international air campaign against Islamic State.

The United States, NATO, and indeed the international community as whole, must begin to realise that they are receiving an ever-decreasing return from their investment in Turkey, and must begin to face the realisation, that Turkey, though masquerading as a constructive international actor, is proving ever-increasingly to be an outlier nation.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

2 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Jed Lea-Henry is a writer, academic, and the host of the Korea Now Podcast. You can follow Jed's work, or contact him directly at Jed Lea-Henry and on Twitter @JedLeaHenry.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Jed Lea-Henry

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Article Tools
Comment 2 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy