Analysis: Turkey's Erdogan struts Arab stage

Reuters ^

[AfricanChristian]

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has captivated many Arabs with his tough talk against Israel, but voices at home and abroad question his drive to carve out a leadership role for Turkey in an Arab world once under the Ottoman imperial thumb.

"A Palestinian child crying in Gaza wrenches a mother's heart in Ankara," Erdogan told the Arab League in Cairo on Tuesday, using language calculated to delight Arab masses.

His message of how Turks and Arabs twang to the same emotions would have seemed alien to a previous Turkey, friendly with its U.S. military ally, keen to join the European Union and disdainful of a "backward" Middle East on its doorstep.

The so-called Turkish model has fascinated Arabs for several years, although no Arab country has emulated its mix of secular democracy, Islamist leadership and economic success.

Yet Turkey's role is uncertain in a fluid region in which popular revolts are jolting many Arab nations, including some of Ankara's favored political and business partners such as Libya and Syria, as well as traditional Arab leader Egypt.

[RowdyFFC]

Sounds to me like Erdogan is getting desperate and may be facing an Arab spring himself for aiding and abeting the whackamole in our White House, or maybe from threats by the whackamole insurangent in the our White House...

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I guess the Arabs have forgotten how brutal and repressive their Turkish overlords had been during the old Ottoman Empire days.

[Ben Ficklin]

Turkey is worried that Obama might send Kissinger over to make a deal with Khamenei and nut job the way Kissinger did with Mao for Nixon.

In which Turkey would be the odd man out.

[WoofDog123]

changes in turkey and egypt make a middle eastern war seem much more likely in the next, say, 5 years.

[RitchieAprile]

I think he is about to overplay his hand and run afoul of
the Turkish military. They are not going to allow Turkey to
become an Islamic republic.

[GonzoGOP]

changes in turkey and egypt make a middle eastern war seem much more likely in the next, say, 5 years.

If it goes five years I would say we were real lucky. More like next 14 months. If an actual American gets into the White House then their moment will be gone. So they will hit either this fall or early next spring. Campaigns in the summer are too difficult due to the heat. October-November or May-June is the best times.

There are two options for Turkey. The obvious one is to go for Israel by teaming up with Egypt. The less obvious is to take advantage of the Greek collapse to grab the rest of Crete. One German politician has recommended the use of UN troops to collect Greek taxes if they refuse to pay their debts. If Germany sends troops into Greece they can't complain too much if Turkey sends troops into Crete.

[dfwgator]

“WE’RE PUTTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER!”

[SampleMan]

Ataturk is dead.

The Arabs have forgotten the harsh chain yoke of the Ottoman Caliphate.

Perhaps Turkey's next move will be to take Syria, “for the sake of its population.”. This would counter Iranian moves in the region and bring Turkey back to prominence in the muslim world. Turkey may even be entertaining the notion that it can defeat Israel in a ground war and then dictate terms to the rest of the muslim world.

A three way war between Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Winner gets to declare name the new caliph.

Free Constantinople Now!!

[Pearls Before Swine]

There are two options for Turkey. The obvious one is to go for Israel by teaming up with Egypt. The less obvious is to take advantage of the Greek collapse to grab the rest of Crete.

It all depends on whether Erdogan is motivated more by religious fervor or by the historical wounds of losing Crete, and whether he wants the apocolyptic or the relatively sure thing (Crete can't decide it's fate--who is going to step in?)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks AfricanChristian.

...voices at home and abroad question his drive to carve out a leadership role for Turkey in an Arab world once under the Ottoman imperial thumb. "A Palestinian child crying in Gaza wrenches a mother's heart in Ankara," Erdogan told the Arab League in Cairo on Tuesday...