Turkey will be critical to any US or NATO effort to shape Russia’s behavior in the Middle East and it should be put on the path to joining the European Union, said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA).

“If we want to stabilize a volatile region with a strategic ally we are going to have to put them on the path to EU accession,” said Connolly. “It is in everyone’s interest that Turkey align itself with Europe and the EU.”

Describing the Russo-Turkish relationship as one factor in the war in Syria, Connolly said: “Turkey must be able to engage Russia from a position of strength…as a democratic and NATO ally.”

Written in the New Atlanticist Blog. To read more, click here.

Image: From left: Karoun Demirjian, a foreign affairs reporter for the Washington Post, moderated a panel discussion with James Jeffrey, Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), John Herbst, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, and Soner Çağaptay, Director for the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, at the Atlantic Council on April 26. (Atlantic Council/Victoria Langton)