Posted on 09/13/2020 5:22:27 AM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
ANKARA: A provocative live-fire drill by the Turkish navy off the coast of Cyprus was branded illegal on Saturday, as reports emerged that the US is drawing up plans to withdraw from the strategic Incirlik air force base.
We dont know whats going to happen to Incirlik, Ron Johnson, the US senator who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee for Europe, told the Washington Examiner. We hope for the best, but we have to plan for the worst.
US withdrawal would be a blow to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, suggesting that the US no longer trusts him. I think, from a defensive posture, we have to look at the reality of the situation that the path Erdogan is on is not good, Johnson said.
Meanwhile Turkey is conducting naval gunnery exercises from Saturday until Monday off the coast at Sadrazamkoy in northern Cyprus, a part of the island controlled by Ankara but unrecognized by the rest of the world.
(Excerpt) Read more at arabnews.com ...
Some months back were rumors they have been removed
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People would know because there are a special set of operators and special planes that are tasked for nuclear weapons removal/transport.
This was discussed here several years ago when Estrogen began his purge
Like many of our relationships in the world, our relationship with Turkey has been mismanaged. Finally, it is getting some attention and fortunately it is the Trump administration giving it some attention.
I always wondered why Turkey is part of NATO. I suppose it was payment for participation in the Korean War - some political jockeying done behind the scenes at the UN. We have to recognize that Turkey has the second largest armed forces in NATO. That's right behind the US.
Anything we do with Turkey should take into account whether it impacts American interests first, and our so-called European allies' interest second. That covers half the problem and it is due to Turkey's geographic location as being part of both Europe and Asia. We also need to consider our one true ally in the Middle-East, but that is still second to our own.
It is time for Europe to stand on it's own two feet militarily. Combined forces of European NATO members should be double our own and we should not be the primary investors in European security. That's an arbitrary number, it should be large enough to defend itself, with the US in for relief, since we do have interests in Europe.
As for Israel, it seems the ally/relationship map in the Middle East is being reshaped at this current moment. This is being done as a matter of convenience and not a matter of trust. There is a common foe - Iran. That is the convenience.
Turkey shares a border with Iran. Strategically, Turkey is well placed to be an enveloping nation against Iran. If we played our cards right after 9/11 we could have surrounded Iran on all sides and squeezed it into capitulation, but we played nation building instead. We have a huge airbase just east of the Iranian border in Afghanistan. We could have increased our strategic holdings in Iraq by expanding airbases there instead of building the Green Zone and other worthless projects while needlessly putting our soldiers and marines in harms way. We have agreements with the "-stans" just north of Iran. And of course we have our base in Turkey, just north east of Iran.
We never sent a clear message to the world and to Iran that our main goal was the demise of Iranian power in the Middle East and elsewhere. Instead, our message was diffused with a lack of resolve, humanitarian relief to our enemies and nation building. It was weakly handled by politicians, deep state, and the military establishment. No focus. No clear goals and objectives. Just endless wars. No results. That is all in the past. A little to late to worry about that. It is a sunk cost.
Our interests have changed in the Middle East. We are an energy independent nation now. However, Europe is still dependent on the Middle East for energy, and just as bad, Russia. Seems like Europe needs to drop a lot of its socialism, its own green new deal crap, and start preparing for their own needs in the future.
We are lining up friends, however temporary, with Israel to thwart Iran. Europe better buck up too. That would relieve a lot of our military need in the Middle East and it would put it inline with our national interests. As for Turkey, they need to clearly choose sides. It shouldn't be our side, but the European side against Russia and the European, Arab and Israeli sides over Iran.
This will take time - years to undo decades of mismanagement. Of course this is just my humble opinion on an America First policy in Europe and the Middle East as it concerns Turkey. Now you can poke holes in this so I can refine my thoughts.
The nukes are gone and we need to leave. Pretty soon there will be no choice but to toss Turkey out of NATO.
Has there been anything published that indicates the nukes are gone? If they are still on Turk soil, I’m thinking Erdogan is not going to let them go without some major push-back.
The neo-liberal establishment wants to maintain a US presence in Turkey. These are the same psychopaths who lied to get the US into Iraq, and have been lying ever since.
I beg to differ. In any real fight I suspect that the Russians would savage the Turks. The Russians will one day take Constantinople. The only thing to stop the Russians so far has been European interference, then UK interference, then American interference.
Greece. Definitely.
Indeed. And rename Istanbul back to Constantinople, and convert the mosques back to churches.
Way back in the 50s the Turks were our best ally in Korea.
They were the fiercest of all fighters {probably the mooselimb on the loose}.
I knew a few soldiers that I served with in Germany that were in Korea during the war, and they were in awe of the Turks.
I'll take their word on it.
Get the nukes out of there at least. Pretending we are allies much less friends is bad enough.
As more Middle East moderate nations warm to Israel, we don’t need Erdogan going off half-cocked.
Good guess but that country is alot further away from ‘the box’.
JoMa
So, how's the economy, Erdoscum?
Besides... in the long run we’re drawing down in the area.
So Erd is a less reliable ally AND Incirlik grows less strategically valuable.
Finally, I hope that their decision to not allow our troops to enter Iraq from the North during the War plays a little in their thought process.
We sold them a bunch of F-16’s. As with Iran, we should make sure they start running out of spare parts.
I hope, before they do, that the entire base is raised to the ground. Leave nothing but an empty parcel of land.
Homosexuality is my first thought.
Found this 2019 article:
US reviewing plans to move nuclear weapons from Incirlik, report says
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