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That rabbit hole leads to asking why NATO members are considered more moral and enlightened than other nations. Turkey was invited to be a NATO member (and acc
by beat 7y ago
That rabbit hole leads to asking why NATO members are considered more moral and enlightened than other nations.
Turkey was invited to be a NATO member (and accepted) due to Cold War fear of the USSR, and historic conflicts with Russia. So NATO overlooked Turkey's shortcomings in the interest of realpolitik, and Turkey played nicer in the interest of NATO's reputation.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- empath75 7y agoTurkey has played (or been played by) shifting allegiances with "the West" and Russia since the late Ottoman Empire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Question https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Question
- exar0815 7y agoAs far as I recall, NATO was always seen as a organization of western democracies. IIRC there are and were only at least nominally democratic countries members - Spain was only admitted after Franco. And genocide was always the line every country drew - e.g. Bosnia, Rwanda...
- luckylion 7y agoNeither Bosnia nor Rwanda were ever members (or close to becoming one). Turkey is a very special case, so much so that it's still militarily occupying parts of an EU member state while being a NATO member. The Red Scare and later having millions of loyal voters inside Western Europe are very good playing cards though, and Turkey knows that Europe hates conflict and won't ever go beyond uttering concern.
- Pokepokalypse 7y agowe left Turkey in NATO for 20 more years, mainly because, why not? Selling them weapons is hella profitable!