Turkey just raised the tension level over Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Amb. Osman Faruk Logoglu, Ankara’s man in Washington, said Teheran is irrevocably committed to acquiring nukes, and that the problem is now squarely in Washington’s lap. “Iran’s nuclear weapons would be a serious threat to security in the Middle East. The European Union’s effort is unlikely to succeed. Direct US-Iran talks are needed.” Turkey has never been so blunt on this subject, at least not in public. It is especially noteworthy that the statement came from Logoglu, a savvy diplomat with close ties to senior officials in Ankara.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.