different opinion on turkey's role in the iraq war, oriental mentality, Israel and NATO

Submitted by myth (Germany), Nov 5, 2009 at 07:24

Hello Jay1, I doubt that it was of any military importance to use turkish airroutes during the iraq war. If it was you can be sure we would not be informed why that is for reasons of military confidentiality. I am even so bold to assume that maybe turkey did not give green light in public but would not do anything against us operations actively on the other hand. Germany refused to take part in the war but of course the US-Airforce used their airbases and their military hospitals in Germany. Essentially the Iraq war was not a NATO operation. It is one of the open questions within NATO to deal with the strongest ally, the USA, that fights its own wars now and then. I don't think any other member would be in NATO for long behaving that way. For exactly that reason, Israel cannot be in NATO, they are in continues state of war since 1948. It should be the US policy to make Israel win their war and then have them in NATO.

As for Turkey it is a matter of oriental mentality, they call it pride, that they do not feel attracted to an alliance that does not want them as friends. As a "veteran" of the cold war l can assure you that nobody in Germany saw the US-troops or the British troops as occupation or protectors, we saw them as friends out of personal everyday experience. That has not changed. This relationship with Turkey needs some engagement on that level. The West's policy towards Iran is somewhat unclear to me. I am not surprised at Turkey's "tea and cookie"-relations with Iran. It is time that NATO prepares the population that they will act on a military level and on a large scale should Iran approach a point-of-nuclear-no-return. Once we in the West choose our ground we can expect Turkey to follow, but no earlier. Obama however seems far away from such a choice. Are we in the West still allies to each other ?

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