Turkish Missile Test Highlights Tension Between Nations
Turkey is one of the Middle East’s key players when considering regional security and balance of power. As the only NATO member in the region, it has served as a major base of support for the implementation of US foreign policy objectives such as the containment of the Soviet Union during the Cold War and the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recently, however, relations between the two nations have cooled. On October 16, the Turkish military fired a missile over the Black Sea Coast near the town of Sinop. This test of the new S-400 missile defense system courtesy of Russia has alarmed US policymakers and caused a strong warning to be issued by top US officials. Delivery of the first four missile batteries began last year and cost $2.5 billion.
The original deal for the Russian defense system already resulted in severe consequences for Turkey. Last year, the US suspended Turkey from its F-35 joint strike fighter program. Although Turkey technically owns the jets it purchased, the US has the power to stop them from being shipped to Turkish soil. Concerns were raised by Pentagon officials over the coinciding of Russian systems and US technology — the potential for data collection on one of America’s most powerful assets was not a risk that they were willing to take. A major part of the F-35’s effectiveness lies in its stealth technology; compromising that would seriously undermine the program.
Other major sources of conflict between Turkey and the US are the Middle Eastern nation’s contributions to the fight against ISIS and its human rights record. The Turkish government was found to have secretly supported ISIS efforts — they did little to stop the travel of ISIS fighters through their territory and actively supplied weapons, medical aid, and funding to the terrorist organization. Additionally, the conflict between Turkey and Kurdish forces like the SDC (Syrian Democratic Council) resulted in costly stalling at critical junctures of operations against ISIS. The need for the SDC to divert forces to defend their territory left prisons housing ISIS prisoners undermanned and increased the risk of escape and reconsolidation of strength.
Their poor treatment of the Kurds abroad is matched by their human rights abuses at home. A 2019 report by the US State Department highlighted evidence of arbitrary politically-motivated killings of civilians, torture, forced disappearances of journalists and government critics, and violence against marginalized, vulnerable groups like women and LGBTQ+ individuals. The Turkish government condemned the report but was unable to provide sufficient evidence refuting the claims within. Furthermore, Turkish backing of Azerbaijani troops in the Nagorno-Karabakh region close to the southern Russian border has perpetuated mass civilian casualties for both Armenians and Azerbaijanis alike. Calls for peace by Russian, French, and American leaders have been soundly ignored. If the US is to remain serious in its commitment to maintaining peace and security around the world, it should take swift and severe action to protect its allies and the human rights that it champions.
