Phillips, who is also a former senior adviser to the US state department and deputy director of the council on foreign relations, believes that “Turkey simply would not meet the criteria of NATO membership if it applied today.”
Following is a brief interview with David Phillips:
Recently, a group of people including you launched a petition through an open letter calling on world powers to stop Turkey’s aggression against the Kurdish people living in the northern district Afrin in Syria. What was the content of that letter?
The letter calls attention to Turkey's aggression and warns against inaction by the international community.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has not addressed the issue either. Why do you think NATO is not making demands on Turkey to stop aggression on the Kurds in Syria?
Turkey says it is a NATO member but it is a member in name only. Because Turkey is Islamist, anti-American and a human rights abuser, Turkey simply would not meet the criteria of NATO membership if it applied today. Turkey used to be an ally of US. Today it has become a strategic adversary.
Turkey and the US are both present in Syria without the Syrian government’s permission. Why is that?
US is needed to balance Russia's role and as a counterweight to Turkey's support for jihadists. The Kurds in Rojava have invited US assistance. To the contrary, they [the Kurds] view Turkey as a hostile occupying force.
Interview By: Javad Heirannia
YNG/ PR