Western Media Readers on Aegean Sea Incident: 'Kick Turkey Out of NATO'

The Aegean Sea incident with a Russian destroyer makes it obvious that Turkey should be ousted from NATO; meanwhile, Western governments are pretending they are blind, say the readers of Western Media.

Readers are outraged with Turkey's reaction to the Sunday incident with a Turkish fishing seiner approaching the Russian Smetlivy frigate without following proper procedures, which is against international regulations. The crew of the Russian destroyer was forced to use firearms to prevent a collision with a Turkish seiner in the northern part of the Aegean Sea, according to Russia's Ministry of Defense.

A user on The Independent, Jmac55, noted that the article didn't mention that the actions of the Russian vessel's crew were completely legitimate under international law.

"The US and British ships have exactly the same policy to any unknown ship approaching, despite any flag flying. This was after the attack in Yemen that killed sailors at sea. After verbal warnings, warning shots will be fired. If the ship fails to respond…it will be fired upon."

Another user noted that Turkey doesn't follow NATO's fundamental principles, which makes its membership in the alliance absurd.

"Turkey should never have been allowed to join NATO. It's a loose cannon in diplomatic as well as military terms. Whilst on the subject, why don't we see a BDS campaign against Turkey? It (illegally) occupies Northern Cyprus having no sovereignity and in 1974 displaced 200,000 Greek Cypriots, who are to this day, still refugees! Their homes and business's taken over by turks. Don't forget, Turkey still denies the Armenian genocide! The slaughter of 1,5 million Christians, out of fear of them siding with Russia."

User Foghorn wrote that Turkey's officials didn't react to the incident because they were "too busy looting Syria oil".

The readers of The Wall Street Journal said they were ashamed of having to send US soldiers to  protect the "Islamic republic". Robert Cady wrote that Turkey should be kicked out of NATO.

Some viewers of Fox News TV channel believe that Turkey is playing a dangerous game called "Russian roulette".  

"Russians do not let people with bombs in their boat neat their ships", user sanderdog1 wrote.

The readers of The Sunday Express hope that Russia will be able to stop Turkey's arrogance and that Turkey takes its note of warning seriously.

The viewers of US TV channel CNBC were surprised about NATO's attitude toward tensions between Russia and Turkey.

"Obvious at this point that NATO/Turkey rather fight Russia than ISIS [Daesh]…war on terror is a farce…", fdoarzola wrote.

Following the incident, a military attaché at the Turkish embassy in Moscow was urgently summoned to the Russian Defense Ministry by Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov.

The relations between Russia and Turkey have soured since the Turkish F-16 fighter jet shot down Russia's Su-24 bomber in Syria on November 24.