Being a member of Armenian diaspora in Frisco I think so. Turkey seems to go absolutely nutty and I just wonder for how long is Obama going to have a blind eye on this madness?
Turks are being so militant lately. I previously read some stuff on their plans to revive the Ottoman empire and this article http://homment.com/dCUHKFspYF
only proves it's real unfortunately. We can't allow Ankara Erdogan do such crazy things.......

Quote from: Nora on April 11, 2016, 06:08:51 AM
Being a member of Armenian diaspora in Frisco I think so. Turkey seems to go absolutely nutty and I just wonder for how long is Obama going to have a blind eye on this madness?
Turks are being so militant lately. I previously read some stuff on their plans to revive the Ottoman empire and this article http://homment.com/dCUHKFspYF
only proves it's real unfortunately. We can't allow Ankara Erdogan do such crazy things.......

Welcome to the forum. Don't hold your breath for Obama to do anything about Turkey or any other country in the ME. It is not going to happen on his watch.

Quote from: Nora on April 11, 2016, 06:08:51 AM
Being a member of Armenian diaspora in Frisco I think so. Turkey seems to go absolutely nutty and I just wonder for how long is Obama going to have a blind eye on this madness?
Turks are being so militant lately. I previously read some stuff on their plans to revive the Ottoman empire and this article http://homment.com/dCUHKFspYF
only proves it's real unfortunately. We can't allow Ankara Erdogan do such crazy things.......

Hiya! Welcome! (I'm fairly new myself) May I ask...by "lately" what are you referring to? They have a long history of that since they have one of the biggest militaries in the region.

I've been reading up on Turkey recently and it seems to be a fairly complex situation in regard to their attitudes toward their neighbors and to the West. So really better that the Eightball Obama not get involved since it might interfere with his golf game and following college sports. Besides, he's getting ready to start fumbling around in Syria  - to try to make his administration look as if it gives a rat's behind about anything except domestic politics.

Turkey has a history of duplicity in regard to Islam. My impression is that some elements in their government see benefit to forming an EU-type economic entity using the former Ottoman nations as the basis. At the same time Edrogan has some resistance to any plans to go whole hog on Islamism, because Turkey is nervous about their economy (they like the idea of doing business with Iran, but also Western-aligned nations and even Armenia) but also about the dangers of jihadist movements (Sunni Salafists and Shia Twelvers). I get the impression that Turkey is probably most similar to Egypt of all of the other nations in the region.

The hot issues recently for them have been the failures to improve the economy, hard-line police-state tactics and corruption of the Edrogan administration, the allure and danger of Iran (with whom they trade and are tempted to more), ongoing problems with Kurdish elements both in Iraq and in their own population, refugees from Syria, and the ever-present dilemma that all nations with large populations of muzz have in maintaining economic / military ties with Western nations and of course the fact that they are a NATO member.

Historically Turkey's military has always been the stabilizing force in the country since they keep the government in check when it strays too far afield ideologically from what they consider to be the best interests of their country.

Pariv Nora,

The Turks are bandits and cut throats, every thing they have is stolen. Obama is born of a Muslim Father, Raised in Indonesia as a Muslim, here in the United States he was schooled as a Marxist.  He has in every way displayed himself to be a Marxist Muslim.
In the mid east he has shown that he has a leaning to favor the Sunni Muslims which the Turks are. Don't hold you breath for him to require them to be civilized.

Richard

Quote from: valley on April 25, 2016, 08:36:06 PM
Pariv Nora,

The Turks are bandits and cut throats, every thing they have is stolen. Obama is born of a Muslim Father, Raised in Indonesia as a Muslim, here in the United States he was schooled as a Marxist.  He has in every way displayed himself to be a Marxist Muslim.
In the mid east he has shown that he has a leaning to favor the Sunni Muslims which the Turks are. Don't hold you breath for him to require them to be civilized.

Richard

Taxed, is that you?
Of like minds!
Welcome to the forum Richard.

Thank you Solar, for the welcome, just happened by and found this place, thought I'd pull up a chair.


Richard

Well sieur, you will find a lot of sympathy for that view in Armenia. Yet, there are those inside Turkey who believe that Kamal Ataturk  (his alleged pederast proclivities notwithstanding) made a great deal of progress in bringing the government of Turkey into the modern age by keeping the muzz at arms length. And of course, the Sunni majority of Turkey is disinclined to get too friendly with Iran, regardless of common enemies (Jews). My impression is that Turkey is somewhat inclined toward pragmatism over ideology, which would of course put them at loggerheads with most muzz fanatics. I'd say that if they were really dominated by Salafist jihadists like much of Saudi Arabia's population, they would have had a second revolution and made alliances with al Qaeda et al (who are Wahabist-Salafist jihadists). But I note that recently the Turkish gummint did some house-cleaning of suspected terrorists from the Syrian refugees, arresting a good number of them and expelling thousands from immigrating into Turkey.

You sound as if you have some insight into the region. Can you help us understand the dominant factors in how Turkey is trending relative to the region and the global community? I know that their president Edrogan is not as powerful in government as their PM ( name escapes). Are they both Sunnis?

Quote from: Nora on April 11, 2016, 06:08:51 AM
We can't allow Ankara Erdogan do such crazy things.......

From what I've read of late, Erdogan has become a lot more hard line and anti-Western.   

Russia has for a long long time had it's eye's on Turkey. Russia is right next door in Syria doing it's thing. And now Turkey claims to have engaged in open hostilities with Russia because Russian jets violated Turkish Airspace.

Remember however, this is all going on against the backdrop of our unilateral withdrawal from the region thanks to Obozo and Team Clinton's bumbling. Add to that, Obozo and Team Kerry making deals with Iran. Well...the entire situation has understandably I think.

Made the Turks believe that they can't rely on American/Nato support and aid should Russia invade Turkey.

Which is precisely the thing which has historically kept the Russians out of Turkey.

The knowledge that if they did invade Turkey, they'd be fighting Nato too.

This is yet again another example of the kind of consequences we can expect if we elect another liberal democrat like Clinton.

Quote from: daidalos on April 26, 2016, 10:12:47 PM
Russia has for a long long time had it's eye's on Turkey. Russia is right next door in Syria doing it's thing. And now Turkey claims to have engaged in open hostilities with Russia because Russian jets violated Turkish Airspace.

Remember however, this is all going on against the backdrop of our unilateral withdrawal from the region thanks to Obozo and Team Clinton's bumbling. Add to that, Obozo and Team Kerry making deals with Iran. Well...the entire situation has understandably I think.

Made the Turks believe that they can't rely on American/Nato support and aid should Russia invade Turkey.

Which is precisely the thing which has historically kept the Russians out of Turkey.

The knowledge that if they did invade Turkey, they'd be fighting Nato too.

This is yet again another example of the kind of consequences we can expect if we elect another liberal democrat like Clinton.

There is a long history between Russia and Turkey. Turkey has one of the largest militaries in the area. I don't think Putin desires a long term conflict with Turkey, regardless of any NATO response.

Quote from: supsalemgr on April 27, 2016, 03:58:48 AM
There is a long history between Russia and Turkey. Turkey has one of the largest militaries in the area. I don't think Putin desires a long term conflict with Turkey, regardless of any NATO response.

Russia has a long history of their involvement in the ME.

They and China are something of supporters of Iran and Iran's puppet, Syria's Bashar Assad.  I think it's in part for economic reasons, but also because Russia hates NATO and likes stirring the pot with our enemies.  There's not a lot of difference between the way the old Soviet Union and Islamic countries rule.  Difference in ideology maybe, but in practice not so much. 

They were in cahoots with Egypt and Syria during the Israeli six day war.  They were anti-Zionist then and that included the west who supported Israel.  They still are. 

Quote from: Dori on April 27, 2016, 11:14:35 AM
Russia has a long history of their involvement in the ME.

They and China are something of supporters of Iran and Iran's puppet, Syria's Bashar Assad.  I think it's in part for economic reasons, but also because Russia hates NATO and likes stirring the pot with our enemies.  There's not a lot of difference between the way the old Soviet Union and Islamic countries rule.  Difference in ideology maybe, but in practice not so much. 

They were in cahoots with Egypt and Syria during the Israeli six day war.  They were anti-Zionist then and that included the west who supported Israel.  They still are.

No question Putin would love the keep the area in upheaval. However, he has a minor problem. Russia is broke and he cannot support a long term major conflict. He has even had to pull back in Syria.

Quote from: supsalemgr on April 27, 2016, 11:42:46 AM
No question Putin would love the keep the area in upheaval. However, he has a minor problem. Russia is broke and he cannot support a long term major conflict. He has even had to pull back in Syria.

Well, part of the problem with the U.S. abandoning Israel over the last eight years is that they may go elsewhere for supportive relationships (and in fact may have already). The Israelis have previously done a lot of hush-hush business deal on things with Japan and South Africa. True that Russia has close ties to the stridently anti-Israeli Syrian and Iranian governments,  but who can say what business may be done behind closed doors by Putin? He is notoriously duplicitous and apt to make a deal with anyone which he feels is in the best interests of the Russian Federation.

So whatever animosity may have existed between Russia and Israel in the past may not be guaranteed to continue going forward. It's been a long time since 1967 or even 1978 (although some Russian "technical advisors" might have been killed when the IDF bombed the Syrian nuclear facility recently).

Israeli politicians are also somewhat pragmatic in the same sense that Putin is pragmatic. Israeli politicians who can justify policies to be in the nation's best interest can generally get reelected.

Quote from: Late-For-Lunch on April 27, 2016, 12:58:56 PM
Well, part of the problem with the U.S. abandoning Israel over the last eight years is that they may go elsewhere for supportive relationships (and in fact may have already). The Israelis have previously done a lot of hush-hush business deal on things with Japan and South Africa. True that Russia has close ties to the stridently anti-Israeli Syrian and Iranian governments,  but who can say what business may be done behind closed doors by Putin? He is notoriously duplicitous and apt to make a deal with anyone which he feels is in the best interests of the Russian Federation.

So whatever animosity may have existed between Russia and Israel in the past may not be guaranteed to continue going forward. It's been a long time since 1967 or even 1978 (although some Russian "technical advisors" might have been killed when the IDF bombed the Syrian nuclear facility recently).

Israeli politicians are also somewhat pragmatic in the same sense that Putin is pragmatic. Israeli politicians who can justify policies to be in the nation's best interest can generally get reelected.

I must admit I have no idea what point you are trying to make.

I have no problem with Japan and South Africa stepping up to assist Israel. As far as Israel and Russia. The Israelis a a lot smarter than Obama and there is no way he can snooker Israel like he can Obama. They can count and also are well aware Russia is an empty suit when it comes to any financial assistance.

Sounds right, Russia/Putin don't like the idea of long term enormous debt, like we're in. They pay as they go.

And~the cold war is over, we don't need to be frightened of Russian boogy man, We have a common enemy who is trying to kill them as well.

It could be in our interest to be on better terms with Russia.