Op-Ed: How the nuclear weapons taboo is fading in Turkey
The world’s leading nuclear-weapons-free state is about to become a nuclear-weapons state. A major part of this process is the removal of the nuclear weapons taboo from Turkish foreign policy. This requires a re-evaluation of Turkey’s nuclear policy. Turkey now has three nuclear weapons, and with the withdrawal of US-based forces from Syria, the country is poised to become the nuclear-weapons state in the Middle East. This threat must be addressed through a re-evaluation of existing international rules and norms. Re-evaluation is also necessary to ensure that Turkey’s nuclear policy is not misinterpreted as a sign of a shift to a nuclear state.
The nuclear weapons taboo is a principle that limits the nuclear policies of states. However, the nuclear weapons taboo has recently given way. The nuclear weapons taboo is fading. We are just now recognizing how it is being eviscerated worldwide as governments and militaries realize the dangers of nuclear proliferation and the irreplaceable benefits of nuclear nonproliferation.
The nuclear weapon taboo has historically been defined in such as way as to protect the security of the nuclear states from nuclear weapons. The United States’ nuclear-weapons-free status, the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons ban, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) all relied on this principle to keep nuclear weapons within nuclear-weapon states.
The nuclear weapons taboo protects nuclear-weapon states against nuclear proliferation. It also protects non-nuclear-weapon states against nuclear proliferation. When nuclear proliferation occurs, non-nuclear-weapon states can quickly regain their deterrence posture, as they lack any national deterrent.
States that have nuclear weapons fall into the category of nuclear-weapon-free states. A nuclear-weapons-free state is a state that does not have a nuclear-weapons arsenal. This requires adherence to rules and norms that serve to keep nuclear-weapons states safe. Any country that is considered to have a nuclear weapons