February 18, 2014 | Quote
How (Not) to Do Business with NATO
In April 2009, military teams from Turkey and Syria crossed the border and visited outposts during joint military drills. That was the first time a NATO army had exercised with Syria’s. Though, today, there could only be one reason why Turkish and Syrian armies should cross the same border.
In September 2010, Turkish and Chinese Air Force aircrafts conducted joint exercises in Turkish airspace. That, too, was the first time a NATO Air Force had military exercises with China’s.
In 2011, a Transatlantic Trends survey revealed Turkey was the NATO member with the lowest support for the alliance: just 37 percent (down from 53 percent in 2004).
…
What does that mean? “The FATF statement makes it clear Turkey remains a problem… Turkey does not belong on the same list as Iran or North Korea. However, troubling questions remain about Ankara’s relationship with Iranian gold traders, Hamas leaders, al-Qaeda in Syria and persons designated under the U.S. sanctions regime,” Today’s Zaman quoted Jonathan Schanzer, former U.S. Treasury terrorism finance analyst and Foundation for Defense of Democracies vice president for research, as saying.