Turkey has twice turned to NATO for support in the face of attacks from Syria. But the transatlantic alliance has responded with words rather than deeds. To preserve its credibility in Turkey and the region, NATO should offer radar aircraft and/or rapid reaction forces.
Turkish soldiers patrol the Turkish-Syrian border near the village of Reyhanli in Hatay province, southern Turkey, Oct. 12. Earlier this month, Syrian shelling on the border left five Turkish civilians dead. Op-ed contributor Jorge Benitez urges NATO to do as it did during the Iraq war in 2003, when it sent military equipment and forces to Turkey. "These actions had a direct and positive impact on Turkey," he writes.
Osman Orsal/Reuters
EnlargeFor the second time in five months, Turkey has turned to NATO for support in the face of Syrian attacks that have killed Turkish citizens. Unfortunately, the transatlantic alliance has responded both times with words rather than deeds.
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When Syria shot down a jet plane of the Turkish Air Force in June, Turkey requested a meeting of NATO members. According to diplomatic sources, it asked the alliance to prepare contingency plans to enforce a no-fly zone in Syria. The alliance voted against this request and responded instead with a statement condemning the Syrian attack ?in the strongest terms.?
After numerous mortar attacks from Syria into Turkey?s territory, Syrian shelling Oct. 3 killed five Turkish civilians. Turkey again asked NATO to meet to discuss the situation. NATO ambassadors hastily convened and issued a new statement in which the allies ?strongly condemned? that attack.
NATO needs to offer Turkey more than repeated promises to follow the crisis ?closely and with great concern.? As my colleague and former US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson suggests, ?NATO needs to pick up its game.?
The alliance?s response to Turkey during this escalating crisis is being closely scrutinized in Turkey and the region, and will have powerful repercussions. If NATO persists in offering only paper promises to Turkey, the perception that the alliance lacks the political will to back up allies even if they are attacked will be a major blow to NATO?s credibility.?
It is also not in NATO?s interests to disappoint the country with the second largest army within the alliance. Perceived failure to live up to its alliance obligations will further weaken public support for NATO within Turkey. Europe and the United States can?t afford a rift with what some describe as the only functioning Muslim democracy in the greater Middle East ? a country with unmatched geostrategic, economic, and cultural value in the region.
What can NATO do for Turkey?
Too much attention has been focused on the question of invoking Article 5, the alliance?s mutual defense clause. Even during the many crises of the cold war, Article 5 was never invoked.
In fact, the only time it has been exercised was after the 9/11 attacks against the United States. As tangible evidence of alliance solidarity, NATO sent seven radar aircraft (Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS) with crews from 13 NATO countries to help patrol American skies.
Apart from this isolated case, the transatlantic alliance has successfully overcome crises without invoking Article 5. This is because NATO members have many options to support and reinforce one another without having to turn to the mutual defense clause. These options should be considered now.
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