Turkey’s Welcome Of Taliban Rule Will Make The Mediterranean More Dangerous (From 1945)

The Taliban takeover of Kabul has thrown Afghanistan’s future into a world of chaos and uncertainty, but there is no question that it has destabilized the geopolitical status quo in Southwest Asia, with consequences that will reverberate for decades. Taliban rule in Afghanistan has significant implications for security in the Mediterranean region as well. Shortly after the fall of Kabul, Turkey, a NATO ally, made a series of public statements welcoming the Taliban’s return. But it also seems that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ready to offer more than just rhetorical support to the Taliban while simultaneously playing both sides. The danger to the rest of the alliance, perhaps especially in the Mediterranean, will be heightened in the imminent future. I have written more on this subject here.