Reuters
NATO chief: We’ll defend Turkey from Syria if necessary
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Monday the “worst-case scenarios” were now playing out in Syria and Turkey would do everything necessary to protect itself, as its army fired back for a sixth day after a shell from Syria flew over the border…
NATO member Turkey was once an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad but turned against him after his violent response to an uprising in which, according to the United Nations, more than 30,000 people have died.
“From now on, every attack on us will be responded to immediately. Every attack that targets our sovereignty, our security of life and property will find its response,” Turkish government spokesman Bulent Arinc said after a cabinet meeting.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Have fun, write when you find work.
mojo on October 9, 2012 at 4:49 PM
Reminds me of Eddie Izzard (NSFW): We are ok if you kill your own people (Pol Pot, Joseph Stalin), but when start killing other people (like Hitler) we can’t have any of that!
We are ok with Syrians killing each other, but we won’t have them attacking Turkey. No sir.
BigGator5 on October 9, 2012 at 4:53 PM
Maybe Turkey should have thought twice before providing aid to the Syrian opposition.
Dante on October 9, 2012 at 4:55 PM
Barky to Syria and Turkey: “Ya’ll, we are all good muslims. Lets not do this please”.
CorporatePiggy on October 9, 2012 at 4:59 PM
How many Turkish responses are “going off target” and shooting at Kurds in the area?
albill on October 9, 2012 at 5:01 PM
Turkey now has a hardline Muslim govt. And most of the Syrian rebels are radical muslims. What is our point? To piss Russia & China off, all to prop up radical Muslims like we did in Libya? Stay the h out of Syria. And that includes NATO.
anotherJoe on October 9, 2012 at 5:08 PM
Well, yes, that’s what Article 5 of the NATO treaty says: “The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all…” Syria shelling Turkey is legally the same as Syria shelling Tennessee.
Fabozz on October 9, 2012 at 5:10 PM
If Syria and Turkey go at it, I’m rooting for Syria.
VorDaj on October 9, 2012 at 5:11 PM
I’m pretty sure all those Armenian Christians the Turks mass murdered will be rooting for Syria.
VorDaj on October 9, 2012 at 5:13 PM
The supposed attacks against Turkey are not occurring “in Europe or North America” and therefore do not fall under Article 5 of NATO.
DKCZ on October 9, 2012 at 5:18 PM
An “armed attack” against Turkey would fall under Article 2 of the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of Greece and Turkey, but it’s ridiculous to claim that a stray shell falling across the border constitutes an “armed attack”.
DKCZ on October 9, 2012 at 5:22 PM
Its called treaty obligations morons.
Oh goody vordaj, will you cheer when American soldiers die?
cozmo on October 9, 2012 at 5:37 PM
Then Iceland would be own her own too?
cozmo on October 9, 2012 at 5:39 PM
In the struggle between the
civilized mansavage and the savage, alwaysback the civilized mansit back and eat popcorn.BL@KBIRD on October 9, 2012 at 6:06 PM
No, I won’t be joining you in that.
VorDaj on October 9, 2012 at 6:07 PM
How special of you. Projecting on the one’s that call you on your crap.
cozmo on October 9, 2012 at 6:21 PM
Turkey screwed us over Iraq in 2003. They refused passage of the 4th infantry division into Iraq from the north. Things may have gone much differently in Iraq if we had been able to do that.
Let France and Germany and the rest of our European NATO allies handle it.
Tell them to call us if they need some intelligence, predator drone assistance, or in-flight refueling help.
farsighted on October 9, 2012 at 6:54 PM
How many troops does Turkey have in Afghanistan?
farsighted on October 9, 2012 at 6:56 PM
You write truth, and don’t think this isn’t being played out.
Turkey is being reminded of many things she has done since the collapse of the Soviet Union. And even some from before.
But seriously, does any one think Turkey would need help with Syria?
The only reason NATO is even being brought up is Syria’s alliance with Russia. Which was the whole point of even inviting Turkey to join NATO in the first place.
When all is said and done though, there are treaty obligations. And if they are not honored, what future would there be for NATO. Not that its time hasn’t passed already.
cozmo on October 9, 2012 at 7:13 PM
That will be the excuse to go into Syria. “We are protecting our NATO ally Turkey. We are not trying to topple the regime or kill Asad”. Yeah sure just like the Libya bombings were only done to prevent a mass casualty.
Wigglesworth on October 9, 2012 at 7:15 PM
Let’s tell the Turks -”we’d like to help but our 4th Infantry Division is all tuckered out from having to take the long way around to get into Iraq.”
slickwillie2001 on October 9, 2012 at 7:35 PM
IMHO NATO largely died in Afghanistan, where many of our largest NATO allies refused to provide the additional troops the non-American NATO commanders started begging for in 2006-2007.
France and Germany never provided more than token forces that were not allowed to engage in any offensive operations. They were only permitted to defend themselves, and not other NATO forces, if attacked.
With many of our NATO “allies” the alliance is largely a one way street. And many NATO allies are not living up to their defense spending obligations, per the treaty.
We need to rethink our participation in NATO and restructure our contributions to it.
farsighted on October 9, 2012 at 8:22 PM
Agreed, but not with this president and not until after the same is done with the UN.
cozmo on October 9, 2012 at 8:24 PM
Iceland is part of Europe and so is covered by the section of the North Atlantic Treaty that Fabozz referred to; Turkey is covered by a separate Protocol established when Greece and Turkey joined NATO in 1951.
DKCZ on October 9, 2012 at 11:36 PM
Hopefully, none. At least, hopefully a future without our being in NATO.
Dante on October 10, 2012 at 8:32 AM