Posted on 04/05/2018 9:31:19 AM PDT by GoldenState_Rose
Iran's President Rouhani, Turkey's President Erdogan, and Russia's President Putin shake hands as they meet in Ankara on Wednesday and pledge to create a 'lasting ceasefire' in Syria.
Russia and Iran are strategic partners, with Russia providing military and financial support in return for influence over the Middle East.
Putin supplies both countries with sophisticated military equipment. President Erdogan recently signed a $2.5 billion arms deal with Russia for S-400 sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles, which has caused consternation among Turkey's fellow Nato members.
And Russia helps both countries on energy. It is also building Turkey a $20 billion nuclear power station, which began construction yesterday, and last year Putin signed a $30 billion energy co-operation deal with Iran.
These deepening ties are of concern to Europe because Turkey acts as an important buffer zone for migrants, filters out jihadis attempting to cross the border. Turkey controls much of the flow of middle eastern refugees into Europe. It stemmed the influx after signing a deal with the EU in March 2016 - but if it reversed this agreement the political consequences in Europe would be enormous.
Turkey also backs rebel groups in the country's north (hash-marked red area) which are pitted against Assad. Meanwhile US influence largely relies on Kurdish groups,, though its support has been waning amid protests from Ankara.
Iran has been accused of supplying arms to the Taliban by the government of Afghanistan and is fueling the conflict in Yemen.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Gog and Magog.
Wonder how Armenia views these moves...
....”Turkey needs to be booted out of NATO”....
Erdogans involvement in NATO has never been more than obtaining leverage to get him where he wants to be. He ‘rides’ his membership like a freight train....and Nato let’s him. Erdogan can and does escalate his conflicts with NATO because he has the EU over a barrel on the refugee issue. ore than once he’s threatened to cut loose all the refugees in Turkey into Europe.
Between the oil pipelines and the power plants Putin’s ‘Hardwiring’ Turkey to Russia.
NATO in its present form is obsolete!
And given what Germany is doing to itself, I am not sure if there’s a suitable replacement. Poland, Hungary rest of central & Baltic Europe yes! but without Germany the new NATO would have no depth.
NATO lost it’s true purpose long ago.....they and any other Institutions, from Imf etc. are being replaced with the New World Order we see operating.....
End Times Ping...
Ezekiel 38 & 39 - the alliance is cemented and ready for battle.
Keep looking up!
Who is paying?
None of these economies can afford what they’re doing.
But China can.
Until these stories start following the money I’m ignoring them henceforth.
Right, as usual caww: you never fail to be sympathetic to Russia’s point of view. So you are cheering on the trust we should place in Russia because Russia will ultimately rein Iran and Turkey in.
Russia is oh so noble and heroic for this! Sarc.
And since Russia, ever the anti-imperialist, anti-neocon is so concerned with peace and stability perhaps we should entrust MORE areas to them..not just Eastern Europe, but North Korea...in fact let’s just give them back their entire empire of old.
Peace on earth.
Reality: Putin is the Neo-Connest of the Neo-Cons.
And caww and vooch are among his cheerleaders.
... Turkey acts as an important buffer zone for migrants, ...
I thought it was a highway.
I don’t know what your bone to pick with caww is but how you came to that conclusion from her comment is beyond me.
She made an observation. How does that translate to being sympathetic towards Russia?
I re-joined these boards on my current username after living abroad in Russia between 2015-17.
It’s an amazing country, but with serious baggage and in no place to be a viable ally in the near term...Nice as the people are, anti-Americanism and potent bitterness over the fall of the USSR drive the public discourse and the government’s actions far more than say, fear of Islamic terrorism.
Russia, let’s not forget, has a far more significant, and active Muslim population (both native and immigrant) than anywhere in Europe. And every reason and basis in history to forge close ties to Muslim powers hostile to Israel.
In general, it is a bit ridiculous to assume they are driven by shared interests with us. I am not saying the US need to go out of our way to be hostile to them. Only that they (the people not just the politicians) are the ones resistant to any “partnership.” Even with this door open under Trump.
Trump likes to operate from a position of strength and an upper hand — and this in and of itself is what’s offensive to Russians who want only to feel superior again. (Not just equal.)
Caww’s posts (beyond this thread also) tend to suggest otherwise and from my vantage: are sympathetic to Putin’s version of events. .
Overall: it’s disturbing the extent to which conservatives on FR allowed for their disenchantment with Obama distort their perspective, especially of Russia. So much enthusiasm for Putin on the forums sometimes.
And it’s highly ignorant to suggest those with vehemently anti-Putin views are automatically in the “McCain camp.” I am critical of US foreign policy of past decade and as I’ve stated: it is in fact Putin who is the Neo-connest of the Neo-Cons.
Thanks HILLARY for handing Syria and now Turkey over to Russia...but that’s our world now.
I think you misunderstand what you perceive to be support for Putin.
I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him and yet I do have (sometimes grudging) respect for a man who shows himself to be a decisive leader. Someone who has the manhood to stand for what he believes in even if he is wrong.
We’ve had such spineless “leadership” (and I use the term very loosely) that I look at someone like Putin and the fact that he has the guts to get tough when it needs to happen and think *If only.....*. Must be nice to have someone with enough manhood to be a true leader.
Well, now we’ve got one.
and fact of the matter is, sometimes Putin does get it right.
All that said, I still see no justification for your assessment and accusations against caww except that it’s your perception of where she’s coming from. And it’s not based on fact. Your snarky comments and insinuations and character assassination are not justified.
Hi metmom,
Pointed maybe, but not snarky. You just proved my point by stating your admiration for the man. In my opinion, Putin is a most pitiful character, diminuitive physically and spiritually — short, divorced, botoxed, a cheater, and a moral coward deserving of jail. A criminal. — An affront to a great culture.
I am entitled to my opinion and points of view. We are in a “Free” Republic (which Russia is not.) This is a private website though, so moderators can remove my comments or ban me as they see fit.
Till then, I will type on these forums as I please.
Au contraine mon ami, Mideast stability is very much in Israel’s interests.
The Likuds grand strategy of the last 20 years has only made Israel less secure. It’s a failure of epic proportions.
Geez, the Likud even managed to alienate Turkey. That really took some effort.
“Israel First.” Jerusalem First.
That is in Israel’s interest.
Everyone else submits, or else...
God will have His way with them.
..................
Slight realignment in the Axis of Evil. Obama's favorite world leader, Valerie Jarret's country of birth, and Hillary's reset button.
Wow - I don’t think depending on the Second Coming to rescue Israel is a prudent strategy.
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