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u.s. turkey relations
Washington also cautioned Americans against traveling to the region.
The bottom-line is that the next generation of US-Turkish leaders can't rely solely on their governments to manage a relationship this important to the long-term future of their respective countries.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
The land of Turkish delights is once again trying to prove to itself and to the rest of the world that it is on its way to producing the first homegrown Muslim democracy.
Turkey is the only Muslim majority country that is a NATO member and a candidate for European Union membership, an ideal established by Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, since the 1920s. Any smart politician knowledgeable about US foreign policy would cherish this unique case of a Muslim majority country that is democratic, secular and a NATO member.
I was pleasantly surprised last week to listen to one of the best speeches I've ever heard delivered overlooking the Bosporus by one of the least likely and most unassuming American leaders from Washington.
Misreading Turkey today will give credence to the false claims that Turkey can never be part of the West, and allow darker forces to move Turkey's foreign policy in an even more extreme direction.
The central role of Turkey in WikiLeaks revelations has caused further apprehension in U.S.-Turkish relations -- at an already tense moment in the alliance.
American surprise at Turkey's increasing petulance on the world stage reflects just how naive the U.S. has been. Turkey's unreliability as a NATO ally is well understood by those who have suffered Turkish aggression.
