BY SEMIH IDIZ
MILLIYET- After the collapse of the Soviet Union , NATO was largely deprived of its mission. For the alliance's future health, it needs to perceive a new common threat. The operation in Afghanistan highlighted this lack, and NATO leaders have complained that member states don't contribute enough to this operation. Even Turkey , considered a key NATO member, has refused to send more combat troops. One of the most important results of Russia 's recent invasion of Georgia is the revival of the idea of a common threat in Europe, but a demonstration in Tbilisi against Russia didn't get much attention.
On the other hand, the presidents of Estonia , Lithuania , Latvia - all members of both the European Union and NATO - and also Ukraine , a NATO and EU aspirant, stood with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. These leaders of former Warsaw Pact countries called on NATO to take a stand against Russia's imperialist policy. Obviously, Poland and the Czech Republic are following these developments anxiously. Warsaw's hasty signing of a missile defense agreement in Washington should be seen in this light. Although Polish officials say the agreement isn't against Russia , they must have known how it would be interpreted.
In sum, this agreement expresses the need to take measures against Russia . Thus, Russia's initiative to 'punish Georgia and teach the West a lesson' has provided NATO with a new meaning. In addition, the self-interested push by France and Germany to make concessions to Russia will end up putting former Warsaw Pact members even more in the US-NATO camp. These countries haven't forgotten how great European countries sold Czechoslovakia to appease Hitler. But these developments will make the EU's efforts to establish a common defense and foreign policy harder. They obviously pose certain vital questions to Turkey as well. The basic question is this: What would Ankara do if NATO took a hard line against Russia due to EU countries supporting the US ?
Would Turkey be able to stand with NATO? Or would it exit the alliance due to its relations with Russia ? If this happens, would Turkey be able to follow a 'link-free' defense policy despite its dangerous geopolitical position? If this proves to be impossible and Ankara instead wants to join a special military alliance for Europe foreseen by France and Germany, would these countries - which now want to block Turkey from joining the EU - accept this? If this doesn't happen and Turkey instead entered an alliance with Russia, what would become of its relations with the West and its interests in the Caucasus ? Perhaps such questions would never have come up before, but as you can see, we can't ignore considering what Turkey would end up doing if it lost its allies.