Another Black Swan? Turkey Holds Snap Elections Amid NATO-Backed Civil War

Zero Hedge ^ | 31 Oct 2015 | Tyler

[amorphous]

There is a potential black swan event taking place in Turkey on Sunday and no one seems to care. That is, the media isn’t devoting nearly enough coverage to Turkish elections considering the impact the outcome will invariably have on the situation in Syria, on the fate of the lira, and on the Pentagons strategy with regard to embedding spec ops with the YPG.

As a reminder, Turkey held elections back in June and the outcome did not please President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

AKP lost its absolute majority in parliament thanks in no small part to a relatively strong showing by the pro-Kurdish HDP and that meant that Erdogan couldn’t move forward with plans to consolidate his power by amending the constitution. Well, if you know anything about Erdogan, you know that he isn’t exactly the type to take these kinds of things lying down, and so, he decided to trade NATO access to Incirlik for Western acquiescence to a crackdown on the PKK.

[amorphous]

The polarisation in Turkey has deepened further, across political and ethnic lines, as a result of the renewed terror attacks, inflamed political rhetoric and negative repercussions of the Syria issue domestically (particularly among Kurds). The tragic bombing attack in Ankara, which was the worst terror event in the history of the country, not only showed the extent of the polarisation but also highlights equally important problems besetting Turkey. The first is the idea of, adaptive reality; whereby different factions have moulded events to reach a different perceived reality. A related concept is that of alienation of other, whereby existing divisions are further deepened by the creation of an environment of mistrust and recrimination.

[Paladin2]

Turkey needs to eschew Islam or get on the list to be Armenianed.

[Rusty0604]

I thought Erdogen was getting rid of his opposition and may set up a coup. Obama’s buddy is not to be trusted.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I keep picturing a bunch of dominoes when I think of the middle east.

[CitizenUSA]

Don’t you think the Kurds have a legitimate reason to mistrust the Erdogan government and its Islamic extremist elements? I think so.

[going hot]

The turquoise are islam, have been for a long time. Going to take a major cleaning of the stables to wash the place down.

[sitetest]

I’m not sure that Erdogan retains his traditional support. My son spent the summer in southwestern Turkey. He managed a couple dozen Turks of all different ages. These were hardworking men, loyal, traditional, patriotic, mildly Muslim. Not Kurdish in sympathy, nor cosmopolitan in any sense. Just simple country folk. To a man, they were anti-Erdogan.

[amorphous]

Glad to hear that. Thanks for sharing.

[Enlightened1]

Turkey does not want to turn into a giant Battlefield and have Russians pouring into their country.

I think they want out of this mess.

It will be a win for Putin if Turkey goes in full retreat.

[cherry]

so as we are rushing to full blown world war, which side are we supposed to root for?....I mean, it can’t be the USA sadly....

[amorphous]

Yes, I to believe the Kurds have a legitimate reason to mistrust Erdogan and Islamic extremist elements.

But I'm no fan of the Kurds either. Kurds are made up mostly of followers of Mohammed and claim the Medes as their ancestors. They do allow other religions, even Christians who make up a tiny percentage of the Kurdish population.

As a whole they are far better than these ISIS cutthroats and may even be convertible to Christianity, eventually.

[amorphous]

They both suspect themselves of being the Mahdi!

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

My BIL is Turkish. He’s made two expensive trips to Turkey to vote against Erdogan. He hates him! And don’t bring up the subject of jihadis! He says they’re all criminal scum and should be hung. He’s an engineer, and not very religious.

[Eagles6]

soetoro is sending our Special Forces troops to embed with th Kurds. First I've heard this.

It was originally "moderate" anti Assad jihadists.

Let's say they are working with the Kurds. Turkey is bombing the YPG, Russia is not.

Whole lotta bloodshed goin' on since that Nobel Peace Prize winner took the reins.

Well, he did say " I'm really good at killing people."

[Jimmy Valentine]

The Turks lived for 100 years under Kemalism and prospered peacefully thereby. Erdogan has upset all of that and it will not end well for him

[amorphous]

One might even suspect him of being an obamination of desolation.

[sitetest]

Many of my son’s Turkish workers seem to remember the time before Erdogan and are inclined toward that former time.

I’d read that southern and rural Turkey is where Erdogan’s islamic appeal is greatest.

But my son wore a cross, a miraculous medal, a St. Michael’s medal, and some capulars when he went to Turkey, to a remote village. When his Turkish workers caught sight of these, he explained them, he explained his devotion to Jesus Christ and to Mary, his worship of Jesus, and his veneration of the saints. They understood that even though they were Muslim and he was Christian, they were fellow believers.

They were Muslim, but not so Muslim as to reject a devout Christian, or treat him as beneath them.

After that his workers called him “brother,” and started bringing him along went they went to the teahouse, on their breaks, and after work.. They still write on his Facebook page (in Turkish, of course).