"NATO is currently going through a political crisis, primarily with regard to Turkey, that will most likely force the bloc to hit the reset button," the analyst said.
Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara is contemplating expanding its military cooperation beyond NATO countries. However, the diplomat added that expanding defense agreements with the bloc was still a priority for the nation.
Cucco further commented on initiatives aimed at promoting defense cooperation within the European Union. The idea to create a so-called defense Schengen or joint armed forces of European countries is not new, he noted. Projects aimed at establishing multinational forces on the continent have long been discussed, with some already taking shape."For instance, last year a joint Alpine force, involving Taurinense, an Italian Alpine brigade, and Chasseurs, the French mountain infantry, was established," he said.
Cucco also noted that he was skeptical about the idea at first, but now thinks that such operations as a joint European campaign aimed at tackling human trafficking from Libya is a prime case of military cooperation on a level that politicians seem to be unable to attain.
"In other words, [European] troops could serve as an example of harmony between declarations and actions that politicians lack," he said.
The journalist said that a joint military mission could have been established to deal with the Libyan crisis. But different European countries back various groups with conflicting agendas in the embattled North African nation.
"As a result, European armed forces are in the way of Libya's political unity," he said. "In this context, European unity with regard to the defense Schengen would have been essential because it would have promoted political unity."
Cucco warned that current European policy in Libya could end in a tragedy. If Europeans continue to support opposing sides in the Libyan conflict, these groups could start targeting each other after they defeat their common enemy, Daesh.Libya has been in a state of turmoil since 2011, when a UN-led military intervention ousted the country's longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country was later torn apart by various armed groups loyal to two rival governments, the internationally-recognized Council of Deputies and the Tripoli-based General National Congress. The UN-backed Government of National Accord has been trying to unite the war-torn nation since March 31.
