Nevertheless, despite attempts of the international community to resolve the conflict in a peaceful manner, NATO has decided to strengthen its military presence in the Mediterranean region.
NATO allies agreed on Friday to provide Ankara with an air defense package that will include AWACS surveillance planes and "enhanced air policing, and increased naval presence including maritime patrol aircraft," as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. The measure is allegedly aimed at monitoring and preventing airspace incidents.
According to DWN, NATO’s move is noteworthy because it shows that the US government is only partially able to control the alliance. NATO has now opened so many fronts that it is barely possible for the government in Washington to control the whole situation.
The newspaper also added that it is not clear whether NATO’s step is directed against Russia or not. The move comes a few weeks after a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 bomber was shot down by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet over Syria for allegedly straying into Turkish airspace.