Opinion: NATO is betraying its principles [View all]

[FarCenter]

In early fall some journalists in Brussels started hearing stories about high-ranking Turkish NATO military officials being summarily suspended, asked to hand in their passports and return to Ankara - on specially-issued one-way travel documents. Research by DW's Studio Brussels now reveals what's happening to these families. Several of those targeted by the post-coup "cleansing" have now shared their personal stories and they are heartbreaking: families split apart, mothers trying to raise children while worrying daily about the father who's been thrown in jail, people in need of urgent medical care suddenly made stateless.

Aside from the human dimension of all this, the arrests and possible torture of officials who used to represent Turkey at NATO, non-Turkish officers inside NATO are warning this might have far-reaching military consequences, with some of the alliance's most-experienced personnel sent into hiding. It is troubling to see how far the reach of Erdogan can stretch and how ruthlessly he is using it.

But first things first, literally: let's take another look at what the preamble to the North Atlantic Treaty (1949) states: "The parties of this treaty […] are determined to safeguard the freedom […] of their people, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law."

Well, it's safe to say that the Erdogan regime in Turkey isn't subscribing to these principles anymore. In fact, it seems rather opposed to them at the moment. Is it reason enough to kick Turkey out of the alliance? If this goes on for much longer the answer would have to be "yes." But right now it would be better if NATO officials were a little more open and a little less stealthy, at least about the things that are happening inside its headquarters' walls.

http://www.dw.com/en/opinion-nato-is-betraying-its-principles/a-36659492

NATO officers from Turkey have turned into stateless asylum-seekers

http://www.dw.com/en/nato-officers-from-turkey-have-turned-into-stateless-asylum-seekers/a-36655693