work out their differences with
the Kurds.
NATO was formed as an antiRussian bulwark during the
Cold War, and ever since the
collapse of the Soviet Union
many have wondered if the
alliance has outlived its
usefulness. That question has
been put to bed to an extent
with Russian malfeasance in
Georgia and Ukraine, but if
Turkey doesn’t fully reverse
itself on ISIS at some point, its
membership in NATO will
clearly become a vestige of an
era that expired a long time
ago.
Institutions are cumbersome,
bureaucratic, and slow. They
cruise on inertia. They have
invested so much for so long.
But we are where we are.
If the Turks don’t eventually
reverse themselves fully, the
White House, Congress, the
State Department, and our
genuine allies in NATO will
have little choice but to ensure
that Turkey is treated
accordingly.
Diplomats and heads of state
are often the last to notice
tectonic geopolitical shifts.
They’ve spent years, even
decades, forming relationships
with their foreign counterparts.
JOY FEELINGS | DECEMBER ISSUE
184