Summary
The new relationships that both Germany and Turkey are forming with the United States are indicative of shifts within the international system. Whereas Germany's location once made it more important to the United States, the geography of the current threats to Washington has helped make Turkey central to U.S. plans.
Analysis
Three countries last week played a part in highlighting the dramatic changes overtaking the international system. At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Prague, the centerpiece of discussion was the U.S.-German relationship -- which had been the foundation of NATO -- and whether it had any future. Turkey indicated just after the conference that, in the event of a war, it intends to occupy northern Iraq. Watching Germany and Turkey and the evolution of their relationship with Washington allows us to see the engine of geopolitics at work.