Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has threatened to shut down two U.S. bases in Turkey recently.
Rising tensions in U.S.-Turkey relations are threatening to upset North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) unity.
Why did Turkey retaliate?
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a Bill seeking sanctions on Turkey over the S-400 purchase and the Syria offensive.
So, in retaliation for these proposed sanctions, Turkey has threatened to shut down U.S. bases in Turkey.
The U.S. and Turkey are the largest and second largest standing armies of NATO, respectively.
There are U.S. nuclear warheads in the Incirlik airb̥ase, a critical facility for American operations in West Asia.
Mr. Erdoğan has warned that Incirlik and the Kurecik radar base would be shut if there are sanctions.
With threats to shut down Incirlik and Kurecik bases, it is now clear that the cracks are wide open.
Why did ties started to slump?
U.S.-Turkey ties began to slump in recent years after US’s refusal to extradite a US-based Turkish Islamic preacher who is accused by Ankara of orchestrating the failed 2016 coup against Mr. Erdoğan.
The U.S. decision to arm and assist Kurdish rebels in Syria against the Islamic State was another blow.
Turkey sees the People’s Protection Units (Syrian Kurdish militia) that became an American ally in the anti-IS war, as an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers Party (Turkish Kurdish militia).
How did Turkey respond to this slump?
Turkey moved closer towards Russia.
It is trying to raise its regional profile.
It invaded Kurdish-held towns in northern Syria earlier in 2019.
Turkey’s decision to purchase the Russian S-400 missile system despite US-NATO opposition was the tipping point.
Does NATO have relevance now?
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, NATO remained as a vehicle of western military might and continued to expand to Russia’s borders, creating tensions between Russia and the West in the recent past.
But with the revival of populist, nationalist leaders in several western countries question the relevance of the NATO several times.
U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron called it obsolete and brain death, respectively.
Fast-deteriorating ties between the U.S. and Turkey is adding to the crisis.
The Trump administration has already suspended Turkey from the F-35 programme, citing concerns over Russia spying on the fighter jet’s capabilities using the S-400 system’s radar.
What is next?
Turkey seems determined to go ahead with the S-400 deal and even buy advanced Russian aircraft if the U.S. does not deliver the F-35s.
The question the NATO faces in this hour of crisis is whether the U.S. and Turkey would manage to resolve their differences.
There is another question too, whether NATO could stay relevant in a post-Cold War era where bilateral ties are fast-changing.
Source: The Hindu
Quick Facts
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)
NATO is an intergovernmental political and military alliance founded in 1949 among 29 independent member countries.
It was meant to ensure collective protection for its members against the threat of possible post-War communist expansion and aggression by the Soviet Union.
Head Quarters - Brussels, Belgium.
Key member States - The United States, Canada, and American allies in Europe.
