Turkey’s Enemies Aren’t Always Ours

[Draggingtree]

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Turkey’s Enemies Aren’t Always Ours

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN • July 31, 2015, 12:05 AM

All through the Cold War, the Turks were among America’s most reliable allies.

 

After World War II, when Stalin encroached upon Turkey and Greece, Harry Truman came to the rescue. Turkey reciprocated by sending thousands of troops to fight alongside our GIs in Korea. Turkey joined NATO and let the U.S. station Jupiter missiles in their country. When JFK secretly traded away the Jupiters for removal of the Soviet missiles in Cuba, the Turks went along. Early this century, under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey seemed to be emerging as a major power, a land bridge between Europe and the Islamic world, a friend to its neighbors, and future member of the EU.

 

But, recently, a U.S. diplomat blurted, “The Turks are out of their lane!” And that describes the situation succinctly and well.