The Summit Has Ended, But Its Name Remains

BY DOGAN HEPER
MILLIYET- After the end of the Cold War, NATO became unemployed. The Istanbul summit was a turning point for the alliance. Its mission area has been widened, and now it will have an active role outside Europe and in the fight against terrorism. Europe, on the other hand, will deal with developments in its own region. Thus, NATO will transfer its mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina to the European Union. European countries will be able to intervene in Iraq under the NATO ‘cooperation’ umbrella. Even if this cooperation is defined as training Iraqi security forces, what this means is that NATO will have a role in Iraq either way.
NATO will also expand its role in Afghanistan. Would these developments be enough to say that the US and the EU are no longer two different poles? Even if it seems to be on paper, French President Jacques Chirac’s attitude doesn’t give the impression that this would be the case in practice. According to Chirac, if training is needed on Iraqi soil, this could be done by coalition forces, not by NATO. He even rebuked US President George W. Bush for expressing his support for Turkey’s EU membership, accusing him of ‘going too far.’
The NATO summit provided a boost to Turkey’s prestige. Turkey used to be a border country for NATO, but has become a center with developments in its mission area. Turkey’s responsibilities have also been enhanced. The number of foreign troops in Afghanistan will be increased. These troops will also serve outside Kabul, in more dangerous areas. Turkey in return has expectations about the terrorist PKK, but has yet to get a positive reply. Look at the contradiction: NATO’s mission is said to be the fight against terrorism, but fighting an organization declared a terrorist group is rejected. Isn’t this a double standard?
Would widening NATO’s mission and loading the fight against terrorism on it stymie international terrorism? And even if it does, would this be permanent? Doing so seems doubtful without a solution to the Palestine question, a just share of natural resources in the region, and bestowing democratic and economic progress on underdeveloped countries.