European Security Interests and the Greek-Turkish Conflict: Transforming Old Antagonists into an Archetype of Intercultural Detente
Abstract
Tensions between Greece and Turkey have continued publicly since the 1920's and aside from a few occasions where these two Aegean adversaries nearly came to blows, Western powers have largely discounted this enduring conflict. In the post-Cold War era however, with the West facing a startling resurgence of ethno-religious conflicts from the Balkans to Central Asia, this lingering intercultural feud has assumed new relevance. As NATO and the UN struggle to keep a series of regional instabilities from breaking out into even wider wars, they stumble for lack of a coherent strategy to fit a changed global environment. Rather than simply deploying troops to enforce Dayton Accord-style ethnic partitions, Western powers should seek to establish a more permanent peace by constructing exemplars of inter-ethnic and religious harmony. Greece and Turkey are uniquely prepared to become just such an exemplar. Specifically, by offering Turkey a path to EU membership, Europe has the means to begin a process that will ultimately transform these old adversaries into a powerful intercultural model for regional stability. On behalf of Western security interests and their own future prosperity and stability, the EU must seize this opportunity.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 15, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA370128
Entities
People
- David Q. Ziegler
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology