So I have been reading a lot about Turkey's recent statements escalating tensions between Israel and the Middle East and threatening global stability. Nato then issued a statement saying the alliance could not take any action to get involved to stabilize the middle east if Turkey did do something because Turkey is an alliance member and any actions of the alliance need to be agreed upon by all of its members.

But this worries me because Israel is one of Nato's biggest allies. Most of Nato's countries have strategic military alliances with Israel and if Turkey knowingly destabilized the region and took a militarily aggressive stance against Israel they would be playing ally against ally.

I find it hard to see how this could be tolerable to Nato, a Nato member openly threatening other Nato members allies. The US and UK for example have alliances with Israel and if Israel was invaded I am pretty sure both countries would be required to respond in some fashion.

So whats Nato to do? If Turkey attacked Israel , the US and UK would be expected to come to Israel's aid against Turkey. But Turkey is a Nato ally.

So the question that needs to be answered is, should Nato members be allowed to attack each others allies? If Nato members can attack each others allies how are they supposed to respond? I mean can the US retaliate against Turkey for an attack on Israel an ally of the US? Vice versa if the US or another Nato member attacks a Turkish ally, whats Turkey supposed to do?

I think its a pretty dangerous game to start threatening each others allies. I think Nato should address this immediately as if Nato starts fighting within they will not be a global force any longer.

In my honest opinion Nato should be working big time to reign in Turkey, if that doesn't work it should move to prevent Turkey from attacking Israel any means necessary. Then if Turkey attacks its membership from Nato should be dropped. You can't have Nato allies fighting Nato members or Nato members turning on each other to protect their other allies.

So what do you think, should Nato allow its members to attack each others allies? How would you get out of such a mess and prevent in-fighting?

why do you expect UK to help Israël? European countries are having rather an neutral stand against Israel and an better relationship with Turkey. Turkey is on the way to being the country with the biggest population and being the biggest economy in 'Europe' an military action on it is going to be pain in the ass...

Turkey won't attack Israel.

Don't worry, Turkey just picked some quarrel with Israel over who will "eat" more of American pie, really. Yes, Turkey is as big ally of US/UK as Israel, and they had those relations for centuries, much longer than what Israel has to boast of.

I'd say it looks like Israel is loosing that quarrel at the moment. It seems so from the rhetorics around pals and ongoing development in Turkey (I loved that radar deal personally, so much win, hehe).

With the ME being balkanized, Israel is not that needed in future, while Turkey will always be a good ol' knife at Russia's "belly". So, Turkey is using the right moment (as they certainly deserve some favor due to radar contract and their role in Libyan campaign) for their own good. If they were allowed to shoot as many kurds as they wanted this year, why not score some more? And with the recent discoveries of huge oil and gas fields in Levantine Sea and even more yet to discover, it should be no suprise they try to get more in control over it. But I don't see how real fight is possible between those two. It's all to be settled by how US decide.

if turkey is attacked then it doesnt matter if nato members agree or not, we are bound to defend them. either we withdraw from the agreements or defend them.

if turkey however goes and commits illegal acts like trying to breach the blockade on gaza however....then they are on their own.

Well Turkey has stated they would send battleships escorting ships through the blockade. Breaching that blockade would be an obvious provocation and an act of war. I think such a threat should be dealt with by Nato before Turkey does something stupid.

Israel isn't about to attack Turkey, in fact they don't even fight back verbally. Everything I have read has been about spilled milk and how its one indifference and Israel fully intends to mend things. Its Turkey that is taking hostile action.

Everyone is right Turkey has been a Nato member a very long time. Its also a more influential ally when it comes to middle eastern affairs and defense against possible hostile action from Russia. However Israel and the US/UK also have a very long relationship and have signed many alliances.

If Turkey did attack Israel I can't see America and UK just standing idly by. They would either have to take immediate action to break up the fight or they'd have to take sides. If any of the Nato countries took sides they would be back stabbing one of their allies, the question is which one.

I'd hate to see what military action by Turkey would do to Nato members legitimacy on the world stage. Back stabbing allies would be very dangerous for the alliance's reputation!

   They are only protecting their people... After all, some of their people were killed for trying to help the palestinians...

there is plenty of aid sent and none of it goes across the water...go figure.  what turkey wants to do is help people violate international law.

Turkey isn't going to pick a fight.

It's just another step towards slowly removing all secular signs in the government.

They're using the fact that a recent UN report found the Israel blockade legal and legitamite as an excuse to throw a hissyfit and excite the population in an anti-israel way to keep peoples minds off the fact that they're making a slow departure from a secular system into an Islamic one.

the population of Turkey is roughly 74 million, which isn't that much more than Britain and France (about 60 million) and a bit less than Germany (80 million), also, economically speaking, Turkey's GBP is roughly 1/3 of that of Britain, France and Germany, so I don't see how they are going to become the biggest economy in Europe any time soon

and at present I don't think we should interfere with Turkey's and Israel's dispute until something much larger happens (oh and JoelCool, I doubt Britain would send troops to help Israel, its more neutral like the rest of the European countries rather than pro-isreal like America)