Turkey's 'New Regional Order': The Same Old Imperial Game with New Players
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab suggests Turkey joining a Saudi-Pakistan defense pact could herald a significant 'shift in the Middle East’s balance of power,' focusing on a potential counterweight to the emerging Israel-UAE security axis and hinting at Turkey's growing regional influence. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This isn't a 'new order' fundamentally. The region has been a
chessboard for external powers for over a century. The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 carved up the Ottoman Empire, drawing artificial borders that sowed discord. More recently, the US armed Saddam Hussein to fight Iran between 1980-1988, demonstrating a consistent playbook of backing regional actors to achieve geopolitical aims, often leading to protracted conflicts and arms sales. Double
Standard: When Western powers form alliances, it's 'collective security.' When Russia or China deepen ties, it's 'geopolitical expansion.' Here, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan (all with significant ties to Western military-industrial complexes and historical US support) forming a pact is framed as an emerging 'regional order,' implicitly benign, while any similar alignment not endorsed by
Washington is quickly labeled a 'threat to stability.' Follow the Money: Defense pacts are always bonanzas for arms manufacturers. Think about the billions in US arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which continue despite its devastating war in Yemen. Pakistan is a major recipient of US military aid, and Turkey's defense industry, while growing, still relies on Western components and technology transfers.