Dear Sir or Madam Imelda Kearney (Letters, 31 Aug) seeks to deny the peace-establishing role of the EU with the outlandish claim that since most EU members "belong to NATO, it is inconceivable that war could take place". She may not be aware of the recent history of Turkish-Greek conflicts. NATO not only failed to prevent the escalation of the Cyprus conflict, but when Turkey invaded the island in 1974, Greece left NATO's military side for seven years. Later, in 1995 near the island of Imia (Kardak), armed units of the two NATO members faced off in the ongoing dispute over borders in the Aegean sea. De-escalating - not solving - eruptions of open conflict was achieved less by NATO, and more by US superpower diplomacy (as evidenced in the Cyprus case by the Sonnenfeldt memo to Kissinger on August 1974). Military tensions between Greece and Turkey were finally reduced from 1999 by the EU opening the way for Turkey to apply for membership: Turkey needs to resolve its remaining festering conflicts as a prerequisite for a successful conclusion. Best regards ...
Imelda Kearney (Letters, 31 Aug) seeks to deny the peace-establishing role of the EU with the outlandish claim that since most EU members "belong to NATO, it is inconceivable that war could take place".
She may not be aware of the recent history of Turkish-Greek conflicts.
NATO not only failed to prevent the escalation of the Cyprus conflict, but when Turkey invaded the island in 1974, Greece left NATO's military side for seven years. Later, in 1995 near the island of Imia (Kardak), armed units of the two NATO members faced off in the ongoing dispute over borders in the Aegean sea.
De-escalating - not solving - eruptions of open conflict was achieved less by NATO, and more by US superpower diplomacy (as evidenced in the Cyprus case by the Sonnenfeldt memo to Kissinger on August 1974).
Military tensions between Greece and Turkey were finally reduced from 1999 by the EU opening the way for Turkey to apply for membership: Turkey needs to resolve its remaining festering conflicts as a prerequisite for a successful conclusion.
Best regards ...
