U.S. military spending hampers resolution of humanitarian, environmental problems -- Turkish intellectuals

The Capitol and a stop sign are seen in Washington D.C., the United States, on Feb. 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Turkish observers believe that the U.S. growing military spending hampers efforts to tackle humanitarian and environmental problems, blaming the United States for urging other countries to arm themselves.

ISTANBUL, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Many Turkish intellectuals believe that the U.S. growing military spending hampers efforts to tackle humanitarian and environmental problems.

According to statistics from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a Stockholm-based think tank, U.S. military spending accounted for 39 percent of total global military spending in 2022, and the country's defense budget hits 858 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

"The U.S. spends this huge budget on armament and the arms industry rather than on education, health, infrastructure, public works, transportation, social security, and nutrition for children," Baris Doster, a scholar with the Istanbul-based Marmara University, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"This is about the imperialist character of the United States. It means the country can survive -- economically, politically, industrially, and diplomatically -- only with wars."

The scholar also blamed the United States for urging other countries, including NATO members, to arm themselves.

Photo taken on April 6, 2022 shows a sculpture and flags at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

"The example of Ukraine, which we all know very well, is in plain sight," he said, adding that the United States deployed arms and heavy armored vehicles to the country. "The U.S. is besieging Russia from its close circle, almost by pushing Ukraine to the front and asking for a continuous prolongation of the war."

Doster also emphasized the U.S. arms industry's growing influence and role in the country's economy.

Eser Keskin, a journalist covering international relations, said the United States should allocate its military budget to humanitarian and environmental issues.

"Many countries, especially in Africa, are currently experiencing vital problems. At this point, the budget allocated to military expenditures should be spent on making investments in these countries," Keskin told Xinhua. "The military budget can also be devoted to discovering renewable energy sources and finding other resources to replace oil and plastic," she added.

Photo taken on Feb. 19, 2020 shows the Pentagon seen from an airplane over Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Echoing Keskin, Mehmet Emre Ozturk, another journalist, urged the United States to bring climate and environmental issues to the fore and invest in the field.

"Climate and environmental problems have come to the level where they can create crises and chaos on an enormous scale," Ozturk told Xinhua.

Ozturk also believes that there are still countries with underdeveloped infrastructures needing help in meeting their daily needs.

"These military expenditures can be fully used for the development of humanity by providing infrastructure projects to achieve a better life, reach prosperous societies and a global peace environment," Ozturk said.