Posted on 08/06/2018 10:49:27 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
Turkey has delusions that it is a superpower have led to a deepening crisis with the United States, said Simon Waldman, head of the Turkish Studies Research Group at Kings College London.
This false impression of its power is one of the root causes of problems with the United States, which also include a weak Turkish state and increasing authoritarianism in the country, Waldman wrote for his blog, simonwaldman.org.
Turkey suffers from delusions of grandeur when it comes to international affairs and finds it difficult to reconcile its self-image of greatness, often emanating from a selective and politicised memory its Ottoman past, with the reality that Turkey is not even a regional hegemon, let alone an international power, he said. Turkey is a medium sized power at best, albeit one with potential if it effectively harnesses its human capacity.
(Excerpt) Read more at ahvalnews.com ...
Since the Islamist, Erdogan and the AKP have come to power this makes less sense. And the current Communist threat seems less real than before.
This is a well written article. It is worth the time to read it.
I would support Russia taking over the Bosphorus and re-establishing Constantinople. Remove those hideous minarets from the beautiful Hagia Sophia.
And yes, I realize that really upset the neocons, leftists and deep-staters here in the USA.
Turkey longs for the days of the evil Ottoman Empire.
Turkey is ranked #14 in a list of the worlds’ largest standing armies...
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/29-largest-armies-in-the-world.html
11. Myanmar 406,000
12. Indonesia 395,500
13. Thailand 360,850
14. Turkey 355,200
It would be nice to see Constantinople returned its’ Greco-Roman origins. The city drips with over 1,000 years of history and is a remarkable place. Walking what is left of the walls of the old city makes Professor Bury’s descriptions come to life.
Not likely to happen, though.
My Turkish/American BIL and all his friends hate Erdogan
“... Turkey’s NATO membership,...”
I’m of the opinion that there’s no value to NATO, period.
It’s an organization that has outlived its purpose and is now nothing more than the US hosting destructive parasites.
Wasn’t that long ago that Iraq boasted of having the 4th largest army in the world.
Only at the very end does he come close to the specific nature of Turkey’s situation.
It’s China’s gateway to Europe.
China would have poured riches into Turkey, but China has weakened itself too much. Overextended in the era of Obama’s feebleness.
Erdogan has had the rug pulled out from under him by Trump’s China policy.
Simon Waldman, head of the Turkish Studies Research Group at King's College London... "Turkey suffers from delusions of grandeur when it comes to international affairs and finds it difficult to reconcile its self-image of greatness, often emanating from a selective and politicised memory its Ottoman past, with the reality that Turkey is not even a regional hegemon, let alone an international power... Turkey is a medium sized power at best, albeit one with potential if it effectively harnesses its human capacity."
The only reason Erdogan has been left alive is, whatever follows him will be much worse. The Turks lack reach, which is good. They're aligned with not one but two enemy states (Russia and Iran) but are kept out of the EU by Greece and Cyprus. The Islamofascist majority of the population is getting gradually radicalized by jihad and jihadists, and simultaneously more ignorant. Thanks Texas Fossil.
China's been trying to turn Africa into a manufacturing location to sell into the Chinese market, in order to keep wage creep under control. Meanwhile, the Turks' relatives in China have been pushing for independence for a good while now, and China's possible entry into the Syrian quagmire would not be good news for either Turkey or Russia. The difference is, Erdogan probably can't extricate himself, Putin probably can.
tyrants always have to create foreign/domestic enemies so to distract their populations from scrutinizing that tyrant government’s own actions/evils too much.
We should sit on them or put our feet down on them , like an ottoman...
Yeah, China’s OBOR plans in the Mid-East have been setback drastically.
Wish I could show more evidence that China is, and has been, paying Russia for it’s Syria war. that kind of activity is easily hidden.
China has greatly increased it’s purchases of Russian oil (Russis now #1 source). and ...
“Since Mr Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping signed the gas supply agreement in 2014, Chinese banks and companies have poured more than $40bn into Russian businesses, from loans to projects such as a $27bn liquefied natural gas plant in the Arctic and share purchases such as CEFC China Energys 14.2 per cent stake in oil company Rosneft. “
https://ig.ft.com/gazprom-pipeline-power-of-siberia/
Yeah, not definitive...
China still needs that ME market though. I expect them to support ‘regime change’ in Iran. The Mullahs cause too much trouble, China needs peace in ME to sell there.
China still needs that ME market though. I expect them to support 'regime change' in Iran. The Mullahs cause too much trouble, China needs peace in ME to sell there.
Good point. They probably wouldn't want any direct involvement for themselves, but they know that Pakistan is a pseudostate or failed state, and their efforts to treat the Paki as a counterbalance to India has proved illusory. Mori in India's more interested in building a modern economy in India than in nursing the usual grudges with China (which are of course on both sides), and having Iran under a non-fundie regime would be a big advantage. Cleaning up central Asia (another Russian mess, dating back to the Czarist days) probably requires the denouement for the mullahcracy in Iran.
"Since Mr Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping signed the gas supply agreement in 2014, Chinese banks and companies have poured more than $40bn into Russian businesses, from loans to projects such as a $27bn liquefied natural gas plant in the Arctic and share purchases such as CEFC China Energy's 14.2 per cent stake in oil company Rosneft."
China's interested in (state-dominated) business activity and a modern economy, and Russia has no prospects for that, but is a great source for certain raw materials, and energy (for now), and eventually more territory. While I'd have to disagree that Syria is China's war, the tariffs/trade fight is something that China will have to settle in President Trump's and our favor, even if they can drag their feet for a while (a few more months, depending on the election outcome, which will probably be favorable for us and not for the Demwits/Chinese), and it must be having an indirect impact on the Russians as well.
.
Turkey’s deep problems are what will cause them to attack Israel soon. (distractions)
Russia’s economy should be showing the cost of the war and it isn’t.
Heck, I think China is showing it’s hand now to limit Russia’s influence in Syria, which is huge.
But clarity is rare in the ME and there’s plenty else going on.
Russia, China, and Iran are in the positions of the victors of WW2: no longer at common interest.
Their common interest has vanished; Iran's realignment and pullout after Russia's arrival allowed them to regroup and reshuffle and redeploy into Iraq, but now Russia's still stuck, and Iran's not going anywhere. And the Syrian civil war's not over yet, by a lot.
Turkey'sIran's deep problems are what will cause them to attack Israel soon. (distractions)
If they try, they will be destroyed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.