土耳其和北约关系紧张

NATO Foreign Ministers are expected to meet this week in the southern Turkish province of Antalya. The meeting comes as relations between NATO and the host member Turkey strain over a range of issues.

63 years ago Turkey became one of the first members of the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization, yet in recent years Ankara has taken decisions seen as contradictory to the alliance.

For one, Turkey’s considerations of a 3.4 billion usd Chinese missile defence System and its deepening relationship with Asia in general have some NATO member’s concerned. As well, Ankara’s perceived hesitation to play a more active role against ISIL and its sponsorship of Hamas in the Gaza Strip worries the US in particular.

"The new rulers of Turkey have their own agenda and that agenda may not be very well served by simply subscribing to NATO’s policies and priorities. I think there is a divergence in Ankara’s and NATO’s position towards Iraq and the Middle Eats in general," said Doctor Serhat Guvenc, Turkey Nato Expert.

This divergence during the first Gulf War and 2003 invasion of Iraq left some Turks feeling disappointed by NATO.

"On both accounts the alliance was kinda of reluctant to show its solidarity to Turkey. There was this reluctance to commit troops to Turkey in 1991 and also in 2003, the division within NATO had serious negative implications for Turkey’s security."

"Therefore such developments have re-enforced to Turkey that Turkey must be able to defend itself. It can not rely on its allies in case of need," said Doctor Serhat Guvenc.

Yet more recently, NATO has come to the defence of Turkey, installing six patriot batteries along its southern border to protect it from Syrian missile attacks. Still an opinion poll conducted last summer found that 53% of Turks held a very unfavourable view of the alliance.

"Turkey needs NATO more than NATO Needs Turkey for two reason; to deal with the threat from the Middle East and to deal with Russia. Economically they are on good terms, but Russia’s military will get stronger and there is no way Turkey can tackle Russia on its own," said Doctor Serhat Guvenc.

For its part, Ankara is contributing. In 2012, despite heavy public objection, Turkey allowed the instillation of a NATO early warning radar system in the province of Malatya to prevent Iranian missile threats.

It has also agreed in principle, to deploy armed drones from its İncirlik Air Base, as part of the international coalition against ISIL and Ankara is working with Washington to train and equip moderate Syrian fighters.  The Turkish Air Force will also start training pilots from NATO countries this year.

"We see a tension at the political, at the top level, but at lower levels, at functional levels it seems that Turkey’s integration is going deeper," said Doctor Serhat Guvenc.

Analysts argue that Turkey’s recent push to carve out an independent foreign policy away from its NATO allies is based more on its unique position within the alliance rather than any diplomatic spat or train with the west.

Yet it is still likely to be part of the discussion when NATO foreign Minister’s meet in the Turkish, Mediterranean city of Antalya later this week.