NO TURKISH DELIGHT – AT 9:32 A.M. ET:  Turkey, a member of NATO, has been drifting further and further away from the West, into the vast nothingness of Islamic extremism.  Its secular nature is fading away.

Although the code language of diplomacy often has politicians regretting Turkey's drift away from Israel, with whom it once enjoyed warm relations, its drift away from the United States is really the key issue:

Turkey's apparent shift in orientation away from Europe and its values towards greater cooperation with Islamist leaders and countries in the Middle East is being cautiously watched by the US, Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated on Wednesday.

"The deterioration in the relationship between Turkey and Israel over the past year or so is a matter of concern," Gates was quoted by Reuters as telling reporters in London.

There's the code language, followed by this:

Gates also told the reporters at the same London meeting that UN Security Council would likely pass a tougher Iran sanctions measure today, paving the way for additional measures against the Iranian nuclear program.

Problem:  Turkey, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, is leading the fight against those sanctions.  As one observer noted, as soon as the Turkish representative raises his hand to vote against sanctions on Iran, Turkey's relationship with the United States will profoundly change.

I would not be shocked to see Turkey drifting out of NATO in the next few years, or even a situation where NATO members refuse to give Turkey full access to the alliance and its classified information.  Turkey has chosen Islamism for its future, rejecting the secularism that worked so well for the country for half a century and more.  Choices have consequences.

June 9, 2010