By Patricia Zengerle
January 18, 2012 2:20 PM EST
(REUTERS) -- Rick Perry's comment that Turkey is ruled by "Islamic terrorists" is the latest gaffe by a Republican White House hopeful on foreign policy, which has been a minefield for the candidates vying to oppose President Barack Obama's re-election this year.
Whether it was former contender Herman Cain's making fun of "Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan, Newt Gingrich saying Palestinians are an "invented people," or apocalyptic rhetoric on Iran, the candidates have made a series of inflammatory statements that have drawn fire from allies and major trading partners.
"The general reaction among foreign policy analysts is that this election is about domestic issues, and it shows," said Daniel Serwer, a former senior U.S. diplomat now at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Foreign policy has been in the background of the campaign so far, as candidates debate how to reduce U.S. unemployment and cut the budget deficit.
Lagging badly in opinion polls, Perry has bungled several times during forays into global affairs. Late last year, he described the Iraq war as the Iran war and offended Turkey on Monday night at a debate in South Carolina.
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The Texas governor suggested that Turkey, which has often been held up by Western nations as a model Muslim democracy, was as good as a terrorist state whose NATO membership should be reviewed.
"Obviously when you have a country that is being ruled by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists, when you start seeing that sort of activity against their own citizens, then yes - not only is it time for us to have a conversation about whether or not they belong in NATO, but it's time for the United States, when we look at their foreign aid, to go to zero with it," Perry said.
Perry's comments lit up the media in Turkey and upset the government but are unlikely to hurt diplomatic ties.
"We're certainly not at the point where either the Turkish government or the U.S. government would be well advised to think about abandoning the relationship," said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
There have been tensions in the U.S. relationship with Turkey. But Ankara is an important military ally and a rising power in the Middle East that plays an important role in negotiations throughout the region, from unrest in Syria to tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
A Perry spokesman said the candidate's comment was specifically on issues such as violence against civilian women in the country.
"Turkey can be a valuable ally, but the actions of the current government undermine that country's role in an organization like NATO," Ray Sullivan, the Perry campaign's communications director, said in an emailed statement.
Experts said foreign leaders, particularly allies, differentiated between official government policy and campaign rhetoric, especially from contenders appealing to hard-core supporters as they seek the Republican nomination to challenge Obama in November's election.
But provocative comments can raise concerns about the future political climate.
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