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Would Turkish Troops in Lebanon Be Neutral?

[Jerusalem Post/Washington Institute] Soner Cagaptay - Whereas a few years ago, Turkish peacekeepers to Lebanon would have been a great idea, today, it is a dangerous one. Since the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) government took office in November 2002, Turkish foreign policy and Turkish public sentiments have changed beyond recognition. Whereas in the pre-AKP period typically more than half of the Turks expressed favorable opinions of the U.S., a Pew Center survey last month showed that only 12 percent of Turks view America positively. The AKP's new alternative foreign policy is solidarity with all "Muslim causes." While the Turkish military would go to Lebanon to do a good job, its hands would be tied by the Islamists. The writer is a senior fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and an assistant professor at Georgetown University.
2006-08-30 01:00:00
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