Syria Musings Pt 2: Turkey — The Forgotten Ally

Nob Akimoto

Nob Akimoto is a policy analyst and part-time dungeon master. When not talking endlessly about matters of public policy, he is a dungeon master on the NWN World of Avlis

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2 Responses

  1. Kolohe says:

    “Retaining cordial relations with the Turks is one of the keys of any ability for the US to pivot toward Asia. ”

    If the US-Turkey relationship survived the actions on Cyprus and Iraq, it will survive inaction on Syria.

    Incirlik is important, but the Gulf state bases are more important. (because the center of gravity is closer to Persia). Imo, Turkey was always about the northern arc towards the Black Sea and Caucasus – and back to Greece. (and, to be sure, defending the lines of approach that the USSR had into the Middle East – but that threat axis really isn’t there anymore).Report

    • Nob Akimoto in reply to Kolohe says:

      Turkey’s always been more about holing up the Russians, but I think their importance in the Levant is something that’s only going to increase. They are by far the most economically dynamic state in the region, and they provide a regional hub from which the US can off-shore balance into Central Asia if necessary. As far as potential states that the US has best relationships with and is closely associated with the region, I think Turkey’s the only real long-term partner the US has there. (Let’s admit that Georgia and the Ukraine are unlikely to be able to be fully free of Russian influence and Bulgaria and Greece are simply not economically viable as a regional lynchpin)

      I don’t think that inaction in Syria will hurt the Turkish-American relationship that much, but I do think that the US national interest is focused mostly on how the Turks will react as much as how the Gulf States or Iran/Russia are looking at it. That is to say, I think the presence of Turkey is at least not well covered in the media as regards to why the US might have a stake in that region.Report