The Next Global Flash Point

[Zorro]

In the Eastern Mediterranean, the West has retreated. That leaves Turkey and Russia to fill the vacuum.

While many American foreign policymakers are focused on China and the South China Sea, some should take a closer look at Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean, which could be the next geopolitical flash point for Europe and NATO to confront.

To some extent, a similar dynamic is at play. Just as China makes territorial claims that put it at odds with other Asian nations, Turkey is the increasingly disruptive, rising power in the Eastern Mediterranean — all too eager to make its intentions known in Libya and Syria.

For the West, Turkey’s assertiveness is a complex challenge. For one thing, Turkey, as a NATO member, is part of the very alliance it is disrupting. For another, Russia has also expanded its role in the region, and most of the West is largely hesitant to get involved there.

The situation looks like a perfect illustration of the new world disorder.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/opinion/Turkey-libya-russia.html