The president of the Washington-based American-Turkish Council says, 'Turkey is expanding its interests, rather than isolating itself.' The United States needs to adjust to the fact that Turkey is now much more than just a loyal ally standing in America’s shadow, says retired Ambassador James Holmes
Turkey is not isolating itself but expanding its interests, and the United States needs to understand that it is more than a mere loyal ally in America’s shadow, according to the president of the American-Turkish Council.
“For 45 years, when somebody asked where Turkey is, we knew exactly where Turkey was. It was in the West right behind the U.S., but over the last four or five years Turkey began to feel confident about its own role and to expand much more in the region,” retired Ambassador James Holmes told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in a telephone interview Friday.
“Turkey is expanding its interests rather than isolating. Some of that broadening is not to America’s liking, but that is life. Those are Turkey’s interests, and the United States needs to adjust to the fact that Turkey is no longer only a loyal ally standing in America’s shadow. It is much more than that now,” said Holmes.
Turkey’s “no” vote this week on a sanctions resolution for neighboring Iran has caused disquiet in Washington.
