Greece, Turkey, and NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has some strange partners, in terms of history. The oddest couple of all may be Greece and Turkey. The two neighbors fought four wars in the space of a quarter century (1897 to 1922) and are still mutually suspicious. But they have followed parallel courses within the alliance—joining some group actions while remaining aloof to others. Meanwhile, the alliance has over the past two decades changed its posture from defense to offense and from a focus on the European continent to perceived enemies in North Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Now it is a heavily armed organization in almost desperate search of an antagonist. That is not what Greece or Turkey signed up for when they joined NATO in 1952.