Therefore it becomes harder to understand, for example, whether the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has recently been seeking to be more aligned with a tough Russian military mentality, despite having been a member of NATO -- a comprising and democratically minded Western club of nations -- since 1952. Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer warned the European Union a few years ago that Turkey, seeking to join despite a period of stagnation in relations, might turn its face eastward if the European club continues its negative attitude towards Turks, who are Muslims in majority but secular by constitution.
Before these remarks, a comment from senior retired Gen. Tuncer Kılınç suggested that Turkey's turning toward Iran and Russia instead of the West remains an option. Gen. Kılınç also argued at the time that the EU would never accept Turkey as a member.
This also explains why Kılınç continues to be the favorite general at receptions held by the Iranian embassy in Ankara.
During a recent visit to London for a seminar, the retired general this time suggested that Turkey quit NATO.
One may wonder whether a retired generals' view could be binding or influential among the active officers of the TSK. Well the answer depends on the personality of the top commander of the Turkish General Staff.
If it had still been Gen. Hilmi Özkök, who retired last year, some extreme views of retired generals like Kılınç or other active officers would not have had any significance on the views of the TSK top command in general.
However we currently have hawkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt, under whose authority the attitude of the TSK on all foreign and internal policy matters has become extremely unpredictable. Also worrisome was the release of a memorandum against the government on the General Staff's Web site late on April 27.
Both Turks and Western diplomats alike have reportedly made this Web site -- www.tsk.mil.tr -- their home page because of the frequency of statements released, mostly late in the evening, during the night, soon after the end of business hours in Turkey or close to the weekend.
If I return to my initial question about whether the TSK is leaning towards the East rather than the West by flirting with Russia, I should also recall that a statement Russian President Vladimir Putin made in Berlin on Feb. 10, strongly criticizing the US and NATO, was also posted on the General Staff Web site.
Four days after Putin's anti-Western remarks in Berlin, Gen. Büyükanıt delivered a speech at the Turkish Embassy in Washington, addressing mostly the Turkish audience, during which he warned that there were those who were attempting to divide Turkey.
Without naming them, Büyükanıt said: "They will learn their lesson. … No one can dare to divide Turkey. As long as the dynamic forces exist, those who dream of dividing Turkey will wake up to a nightmare."
Gen. Büyükanıt's anti-Western remarks in some ways paralleled Putin's Berlin comments and strengthened a belief that the TSK has been leaning towards Russia and the East rather than the West.
This anti-Western and anti-US military mindset continued during a recent international security symposium held at the Turkish Military Academies Command in İstanbul. According to a Western military officer, the audience at the symposium applauded remarks made by the speakers selected by the military with great enthusiasm.
The same military officer told me that it was the first time in the past few years that he had witnessed an open military attitude against the US and the EU in Turkey.
Therefore it would not be wrong to say that the general mood among many Turkish officers at all levels is extremely negative towards the US and the West. This mental state prompts some people to question whether the military seeks alternative partnerships with countries such as Russia.
When we analyze this emerging environment in a realistic manner, it does not seem that it will be practical for the TSK to abandon its deep-rooted military relationship with the West, particularly the US, which involves military procurement, training and assistance in the operation field.
A Russian military source in Moscow that I recently spoke with in a telephone interview told me that the Russian military industry has not been able to sell even a single bullet to Turkey during the past several years. The same source also mentioned that a Turkey in NATO having good relations with the other members of the alliance will serve the Russian interest more than a Turkey behaving like the NATO bad boy.
In the end, despite anti-US rhetoric, the TSK is unlikely to want an estrangement with the US and NATO (the only international organization in which Turkey has a veto power).
Behind the latest row over the EU's possible Kosovo mission and Turkey's obstruction of a NATO-EU cooperation also lies the TSK's fear of the EU growing stronger against NATO.
