70th anniversary, NATO members want Turkey within alliance

NATO leaders are preparing to gather in London a two-day meeting Tuesday to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance's founding. The Syria war and the ongoing danger from Russia will be the central topic. But as Henry Ridgell reports, rising tensions among member states may overshadow the anniversary celebrations.

Two NATO members, the United States and Turkey were close to the confrontation in northern Syria last month, shaking the alliance.

Turkey's “position in the north-Atlantic alliance is difficult: Turkey's decision to engage in military operations in the Middle East against the desire of most allies including the United States; Turkey's decision to buy Russian military equipment”, says Jonathan Eyal, of the Royal United Service Institute.

NATO members say it is better to have Turkey in place than outside the alliance.

Where American troops previously maintained peace, Russian forces now patrol northern Syria. The United States' appeal has caused concerns about America's commitment to NATO.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned that NATO was experiencing <x0 clinical death>” and urged Europe to create its own security architecture. His comments were criticised by Secretary General NATO, Jens Stoltenberg.

Europe's “Unity cannot replace transatlantic unity. We need both. And we also need to understand that especially after Brex, the European Union cannot protect Europe”.

Europe continues to view Russia as the greatest danger. Mr. Eyal says concerns about the decline in American commitment to Europe's security do not match facts on the ground.

The fact is that Pentagon spending in Europe is increasing, the number of troops is increasing”, he says.

But the defeat of American troops in Europe is seen differently in Moscow.

Some Eastern European countries want American troops on their territory, although the alliance's Article 5 guarantees their protection. This suggests that they trust the United States more than NATO”, says Andrey Kortunov, director of the Russian Council for International Affairs.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that European NATO members contribute more to NATO's budget. On Wednesday, Germany pledged to reach 2 per cent of spending target for NATO, but not in the near future.

Open discussions are expected at the London meeting, but tensions are not new to the alliance. But NATO hopes the alliance's 70th anniversary will be a reason to celebrate. / VOA