TURKEY & ISRAEL BRINKMANSHIP & THE GRAND STRATEGY OF THE ERDOGAN GOVERNMENT

Authors

  • Ben Lombardi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6017/lev.v1i1.2149

Abstract

Brinkmanship occurs when a state threatens to use force to pressure an adversary to offer concessions that it would otherwise be unwilling to make save under threat of war. As such, it is an intrinsically dangerous form of statecraft, for it depends upon very clear and easily comprehended signalling so that an opponent can both appreciate what is being demanded and the possible consequences of non-compliance. Brinkmanship also requires a very steady hand in its implementation for the potential for escalation is ever-present, and can be triggered by poor communications, unexpected mishaps, or misunderstandings by both the instigator and the object of its policy. Perhaps the best known example of this type of mailed fist diplomacy occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis when the Kennedy Administration declared a blockade on Cuba and threatened to use force to maintain it. The crisis came to a close when Moscow withdrew its missiles from Cuba in return for private assurances that US missiles in Turkey would be dismantled. Before that happened, there were many moments of high tension as Soviet-flagged ships approached US naval vessels tasked to enforce the quarantine zone. The possibility of war was real even if, as we now know, neither leader wanted it to occur.

 

Author Biography

Ben Lombardi

Ben Lombardi is a strategic analyst with the Centre for Operational Research and Analysis, a division of Defence Research and Development Canada. He obtained his PhD in international politics from Queen’s University (Kingston) in 1993 and, since then, he has taught courses at universities in Canada and Europe. His ongoing research focuses on European politics and security. Over the years, he has published several articles and reports on Turkey, including analyses of its domestic politics, civil-military relations and foreign policy.

 

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Published

2012-05-31

How to Cite

Lombardi, B. (2012). TURKEY & ISRAEL BRINKMANSHIP & THE GRAND STRATEGY OF THE ERDOGAN GOVERNMENT. The Levantine Review, 1(1), 7–22. https://doi.org/10.6017/lev.v1i1.2149

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Articles