BY DERYA SAZAK
MILLIYET- The United States is starting the day with its ‘Vietnam Nightmare.’ It’s not only recent developments that are overshadowing President Bush’s re-election hopes; the Congress’ investigation of pre-September 11 intelligence failures is also putting pressure on the government.
Renowned strategist and former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski brings an intellectual viewpoint to the US’ global role. In his new book ‘The Choice: Global Domination or Global Leadership,’ Brzezinski examines the effects of the chaos caused by US regional allies’ inability to control their areas of the world due to internal problems. His book also contains important views on Turkey’s role. Brzezinski is seeking answers to the following question: ‘Would the chances of Turkey becoming an Islamic state rise if the EU shuts its doors to Turkey?’ After stressing the rise in the strategic role of Turkey, a close US close ally for half a century, after it became a model for the modernization of ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, Brzezinski discusses Turkey’s European Union membership process: ‘But Turkey’s regional role is limited by two internal problems: one, the future of Ataturk’s legacy and two, the Kurdish problem. Will Turkey, whose population is overwhelmingly Muslim, succeed in becoming a secular European state?’ Brzezinski says that Turkey has made important strides on its path to modernization and warns that if European leaders embrace Turkey’s membership even reluctantly, the prospect of Turkey becoming a theocratic Islamic state would rise, jeopardizing the EU’s own security in the process. According to Brzezinski, Europe will probably delay its word on opening its doors to Turkeys, which will in turn exacerbate the possibility of Turkey becoming an Islamic state and thus pose potential problems in southern Europe. The EU’s choice on Turkey at the end of this year will also have an effect on global balances.