WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States may no longer be able to rely on Turkey as an ally because of major foreign policy differences between the two countries, the National Security task force at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) stated in a report on US-Turkey relations.
“Despite the strong relationship that the United States and Turkey once shared, Turkey’s more recent actions show that it can no longer be counted upon to be the ally it once was,” the report, released on Thursday, said.
As a result of major foreign policy differences between Washington and Ankara, the task force recommends that the United States “may have to look elsewhere for a reliable strategic partner in the region.”
The report notes Washington’s growing concern and disapproval of Ankara’s closer ties to Moscow.
“Turkey and Russia have moved closer together as energy partners, and those energy considerations have caused Turkey to deviate from the NATO stance on Russian aggression,” the report said.
The recent Russian-Turkish energy agreement for a Turkish Stream oil and gas pipeline, and the proposed three-fold expansion of trade between the two countries, goes “against prevailing Western sentiment,” the task force stated.
Turkey refused to join the European Union and the US sanctions against Russia, opting instead to continue to develop energy and commercial ties with Moscow.
The report documents other major policy rifts between the United States and Turkey, focusing heavily on how Turkey has “absented itself from the fight against ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria].”
Relations between Moscow and Ankara improved after Russian energy company Gazprom announced plans in December 2014 to construct the Turkish Stream pipeline with a 63 billion cubic meter capacity.
The Bipartisan Policy Center is a non-profit think tank in Washington, DC founded by former US lawmakers.
