Turkey seizes Syrian ship, announces arms embargo

Jerusalem Post ^ | 9/24/2011 | Unattributed

[mojito]

ANKARA - Turkey has seized a Syrian-flagged ship and will intercept any arms shipments headed to Syria, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said late on Friday, a response to Damascus' bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Speaking to reporters in New York late on Friday where he attended the UN General Assembly, Erdogan said Turkey had stopped a Syrian-flagged ship in Marmara, according to state-run Anatolia News Agency. It did not indicate whether the ship was stopped in the Sea of Marmara or the port of Marmara.

Erdogan did not say when the ship was seized or whether any weapons were found aboard.

"We have already made a decision to stop and prevent any vehicle carrying any type of weapon to Syria. We told them our decision as well as shared it with neighboring countries," Anatolia quoted Erdogan as saying.

[mojito]

Did Turkey just declare war on Syria?

[Ingtar]

In light of Turkey’s recent statements to Israel, this is almost amusing. Turkey seems to want to take on Israel and Syria is in the way.

[verity]

“Casus belli” seems well defined.

[mojito]

Yes, it's almost as if Erdogan is starting to take is neo-Ottoman bluster seriously.

Then again, maybe he was serious all along. Maybe he's more of a fanatic than anyone suspected.

[Uncle Ike]

” Did Turkey just declare war on Syria? “

I seem to vaguely remember something about Israel overflying Turkish airspace with permission (or even staging out of Turkey?) when they clobbered Syria’s fledgeling nuclear facility, a few years back....

[PIF]

Since Russians is Syria’s major arms supplier, and have a new naval facility going up, will Turkey stop Russian warships carying arms?

[Pearls Before Swine]

Arms to Syria — bad; arms to Gaza — good (humanitarian aid).

[mojito]

I would assume that the “neighboring countries” in Erdogan’s statement refers to Russia and Iran.

[unkus]

The whole world is headed toward the Perfect Storm.

[ROTB]

>Arms to Syria — bad; arms to Gaza — good (humanitarian aid).

Nice.

Maybe Israel can offer naval cover to Syria.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks mojito.

Turkey has seized a Syrian-flagged ship and will intercept any arms shipments headed to Syria, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said late on Friday, a response to Damascus' bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters.

...which has been going on for six months. Yeah, that's the real reason.

[PIF]

Assumption yes, but if so, I’m sure the Russians had a good laugh...

[EQAndyBuzz]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Just because turkey no longer likes Israel, it doesn’t mean that their intel services aren’t talking. They been allies for years.

[Colorado Cowgirl]

The 1936 Montreux Convention regarding the the Turkish Straits, which is still in force, gives the Republic of Turkey control over warships entering the straits but guarantees the free passage of civilian vessels in peacetime. The Turkish Straits are two narrow straits the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. Besides Turkey only Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine have access to the black sea. The Turks could block them from entering the Mediterranean sea. Check mate.

[Mike Darancette]

Check mate.

I'm not sure that even the US Navy could force those straits without nukes. The British in WWI sure couldn't.

[Colorado Cowgirl]

You are right about the U.S. Navy. The majority of warships in the Russian Black Sea Fleet have been in service for over 30 years and would not be fit for sea missions. Some were built in 1966. The Turks are afraid they will move to The Syrian Port of Tartus, so back to Check mate.

[GAB-1955]

Greece and Cyprus. Cyprus is doing exploratory drilling for oil and gas in an area very close to Turkey.

[PIF]

Russia, and Ukraine have access to the black sea. The Turks could block them from entering the Mediterranean sea. Check mate.

With what? Erdogen et al have already backed down on earlier threats. The Turkish Army is fearsome, but the Air and Navy are jokes. The Russian naval forces in Sevastopol and Novorossiysk could easily obliterate ALL of Turkey.

Most of Russia's Western naval forces are based in Severomorsk and could do the job without entering the Bosporus.

The Bosporus is no impediment. And which Treaty has Russian honored in the past 50 years?

Det 4; Sinope, Turkey; 67-68

[PIF]

Sometimes my enemy’s enemy is also my enemy. Just saying, now that Israel and Greece have actuated their mutual defense pact...

Those Israeli friendly intel guys in Turkey were purged along with the rest of the secular Attaturk military.

[Colorado Cowgirl]

The Bosporus strait is 17 miles long, maximum 1.85 miles wide, minimum width 0.38 mile wide between Kandilli Point and Aşiyan, the little Sea of Marmara in between, and the Dardanelles strait connecting to the Aegean Sea is 40 miles long, and from 1 to 4 miles wide. The Russian naval forces won’t be cruising thru at 30 knots. nor run this 60 mile gauntlet at night. Most of the ships are older than the men manning them. The Russian Air force is modern and formidable. But I think in such narrow confines, everything could go south real fast. The Turks could easily turn it into a turkey shoot. I just remember The battle of Tsu-shima, the naval battle fought between Russia and Japan was also in a small straight. The Russian naval forces are hardly invincible!