Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, recently spoke to Anadolu Agency and made a stunning statement, “I think Washington in general, and also many analysts in Washington, do not understand how angry the American relationship with the YPG makes Türkiye” The Ambassador noted that Türkiye’s security concerns in Syria were not being taken seriously in Washington. As NATO allies, we have much to learn from the behavior of the United States in Syria. What America is trying to accomplish in Syria, on the other side of the world, has nothing to do with the interests of the American people. However, developments on Türkiye’s borders are closely related to Türkiye’s national interests, a reality that Israel-centric America ignores.Public opinion polls in many countries around the world show that the United States’ alliance relationship is not “reassuring.” There is no effort seen from the United States to change these results. Seeing itself as the world’s sole hegemon, the United States sees every country in the alliance circle as a “satellite state.” Even Saudi Arabia’s new relationship with China does not wake up the United States. As can be understood from between the lines, the Saudis are not forming an alliance relationship with China, but they are telling Washington that they have options outside the United States. This approach applies to every country that is uncomfortable with the United States’ arrogant and superior approach.It’s not just those in the Gulf but also European allies who are uncomfortable with the United States’ narrow-minded approach. The United States’ attempts to open a “global front” against China are causing concern among Europeans. The U.S. efforts for technological, economic, political, and diplomatic disengagement with China, referred to as the “New Cold War,” do not resonate to the same extent in Europe. The interconnectedness of European and Chinese economies limits the United States’ coercive disengagement policy.Efforts to limit China’s influence in Latin America are not going well. The situation is not much different in the Asia-Pacific region. In India and Pakistan, perceptions that the United States is not a “reliable friend” are quite high. Joyeeta Basu, writing for The Daily Guardian, a newspaper based in New Delhi, stated in her March 30 article that Indians believe in the words attributed to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, “It is dangerous to be an enemy of the United States, but it is lethal to be a friend.” Basu warned that hostile rhetoric in the American media would alienate the Indian people from the United States and seriously damage the developing India-US partnership. She also noted that it was not surprising that Indians saw Russia as a more reliable partner than the U.S., and that one of the most important partnerships of this century was in danger. In Pakistan, there are many who refer to Kissinger and say, “Undoubtedly, Pakistan is a true example of his words; Pakistan has become a real victim of friendship with the United States.”Even in Australia, which has long been under the influence of Britain and the U.S., there are serious discussions about whether engaging with the “China policy” may not bring good results for the country. Dr. Emma Shortis, a lecturer at the RMIT University Center for Social and Global Studies, published a book in 2021 entitled “Our Exceptional Friend: Australia’s Fatal Alliance with the United States.” As the book was published just before the signing of the AUKUS Pact between Australia, Britain, and the U.S., the views in the book were widely discussed. According to Shortis, it was time to take a new, bold look at the “special relationship” between Australia and the U.S. and question whose interests this alliance really served. Shortis criticizes the enthusiasm for supporting American adventurism and questions Australia’s being squeezed into a choice between the US and China.Former leader of South Vietnam, Nguyen Van Thieu, once said, “It is very easy to be an enemy of the United States, but very difficult to be a friend.” The U.S. secretly made a peace agreement with the North Vietnamese forces without its ally, South Vietnam. Thieu, who committed the crime of relying on the U.S. for his country’s alleged liberation, could not accept being backstabbed.As the global system unravels into uncertainty, dangerous calls for confrontation are being made by the U.S., and questions such as “Who is our friend?” “Who is our enemy?” and “Who are we?” are on everyone’s minds around the world. These are the most important questions of our time. Those who look back at history will examine what we have lived through. The answers to these questions will determine the fate of the global order.
