As a member of NATO, Turkey, in the context of NATO’s sanctions against Russia, announced military operations against the Kurdish region in northern Iraq. This move has caused a lot of doubts and thinking. Are Türkiye’s actions similar to those of Russia? How is NATO responding to Türkiye’s move? How exactly did the actions of Turkey and Russia differ in different contexts?
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As a member of NATO, Turkey has a unique geographical location. It is located at the junction of Asia and Europe, and holds an important sea channel connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea – the Black Sea Strait. This makes Turkey play a pivotal role in geopolitics. However, relations between Turkey and NATO and its leader, the United States, have been strained in recent years. Especially after the attempted coup in 2016, the relationship between Turkey and the United States has turned hostile. At the same time, Turkey moved closer to Russia and introduced the S-400 air defense missile system, which further deteriorated its relationship with the United States. This makes people think about how a NATO member weighs the pros and cons in a diplomatic struggle, especially how to deal with disputes with two major powers.
The target of Turkey’s military operation is the Kurdish area in northern Iraq, which is obviously different from Russia’s operation. The Kurds operate in the Middle East, seeking independence that conflicts with the territorial integrity of countries such as Iraq, Syria and Turkey. The motivation for Turkey’s military operations is to weaken the Kurdish region to prevent it from supporting the Kurdish forces in the country. However, this is different from the purpose of Russia’s actions. Russia’s actions on the Ukraine issue are aimed at preventing Ukraine from joining NATO and maintaining its own strategic security. Although both took military action, the motivations behind them were quite different.
The difference between Russia and Turkey lies in the purpose of the actions and the motivation behind them. Russia is acting to fend off the threat of Ukraine joining NATO, while Turkey is acting in its own interest to weaken the Kurds. Turkey imitates Russia in terms of action strategy, but its motivation is more related to its own geopolitics and internal affairs.
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The “Great Turkic” strategy pursued by the current Turkish President Erdogan is trying to reproduce the glory of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. However, the implementation of this strategy is full of contradictions and challenges. Erdogan has sought to expand his influence in the Middle East, but his policies have brought Turkey into conflict with several major powers. Turkey’s diplomatic strategy has made mistakes in some aspects, and the deterioration of its relations with major countries in the world may affect its goal of realizing the “Great Turkic”.
In international relations, public opinion and international influence are crucial. Turkey’s military action has aroused the attention and discussion of all parties, but the attitude of NATO and its member states may contain some irony. NATO countries have launched large-scale attacks on Russia’s actions, but they may choose to avoid or downplay Turkey’s actions. This may reveal some double standards and balance of interests in international politics.
To sum up, this Turkish military operation has attracted widespread attention on the international stage. Although the actions of Turkey and Russia are superficially similar, the motivations and purposes behind them are quite different. The complexity and variability of international relations make it necessary for every country to take various factors into consideration when making decisions. Being in it, I can’t help but sigh the complexity of international politics, and every decision-making step may have a profound impact on the entire situation. Only by continuously strengthening the research and understanding of international affairs can we better deal with future challenges.
Source : baijiahao.baidu.com
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