TURKEY AND THE US. HAVE THEY FINALLY COME TO  A PARTING OF WAYS?

            Those of you who’ve followed my post for the past seven years or so know my opinion of Egodan / Erdogan, but the one thing I’ve always held fast on was my respect for the Turkish Military. Some have heard about them. Some have read about them. Some have attended conferences with them and some have had cocktails as they spoke of them. I’ve had the privilege of working with them and believe me when I tell you, it’s a privilege to work along side one of the most professional militaries in the world. Here is the bad news. The Turkish Military is no longer the protector of the gates. If Egodan has been successful in doing anything, he has accomplished the goal of neutralizing the leadership inside the Military. The leadership that always stood ready to remove those who would do harm to the Turkish nation. The balance of power that was maintained by the military is gone. Egodan has ascended to the throne fit for the Sultan and the Sultan is exactly who he believes he’s become.  

            My first encounter with the Sultan’s actions was back in 2003. I was at CENTCOM, when the word came out that Turkey, Egodan, would not allow the US forces to move into Iraq from Turkey. A NATO member had just walked away from its number one supporter. That day, I told several folks I worked with, “the US is on the backside of its relationship with Turkey. I was right, and it’s been all down hill since then. In the mind of the Sultan, the future belonged to him and his dream, the dream of a new Ottoman Empire. The problem was and still is, that dream was only his to mold and the Turkish Military was not part of his dream, at least not the military’s leadership at that moment in time.

            Has the West been blameless in the events that have shaped this new Turkey? No. Europe has looked down it’s collective nose at the Turks since the end of the 1^st World War. As for the US, Turkey has been a critical military basing location for decades as well as a manpower pool for NATO. I’m fairly sure the only thing the US has been truly worried about, has been the stability of Turkey. The economic prosperity issue has only been addressed from the standpoint of keeping Turkey firmly in the Western Camp. Like the events of Central and South America, the US has itself to blame for leaders like Egodan coming to power. For far too long, the US lived by the principle of, “you can be corrupt as long as you are loyal”. Yes, the Sultan is, in large part, a product of US / Western / policy. As a matter of fact, when people aske me, “how did someone like Trump become President in the US”, my answer is, “ simple, eight years of Obama…… that’s how”. So, there you have it. A man has come to power in Turkey that dreams of being the Sultan of the new Ottoman Empire, an empire that rules over all Muslims in the Middle East and perhaps the world. Here is where reality interferes with the Sultan’s vision. Here is where the dreams of one man clash with the visions of “others”.

Conflicting “Dreams”.

            What is the Sultan, at least in front of the public? Shia, that’s what he is. Is he an Arab? No. Does he think he will represent all Muslims? Well, openly, yes, but I think his real goal is to rule all Muslims. Does he really think he can bridge the thousand-year-old divide between the Shia and the Sunni? Again, I don’t think it’s a matter of bridging as much as, ruling. Does he really stand a chance of being the leader of choice for the whole region? No. Does he realize that fact? Oh…No!  The Sultan is delusional, but, if you serve under him, you best not make the comment. Don’t believe me? Then just ask any of the opposition, journalist in Turkey, that is, if you can find them. Is the kingdom of Saudi Arabia going to sit back and allow the Ottoman Sultan to rule the region? No. Are the Arabs going to take a knee in front of him? No. Are the Persians? No. Are his new-found friends in Moscow going to reshape the Tsar’s vision of the Middle East based upon the wishes of the Ottoman Sultan? No. Is the Turkish economy going to survive a departure from Western alliance? No. Does the Turkish business community realize this? Yes. Can simple words from the Sultan’s mouth simply solve the deepening economic crisis? No. Can Turkey’s military leave NATO and convert to Russian military hardware? Yes, but it will take years and the risk of failure is extremely high. Will the US continue to place pressure on Turkey for the way the Sultan is acting? Yes, at least as long as Team Trump is in the White House. Given all these facts, what is the real future of Turkey?

New Partners means new “rules”.

Do the Russians and the Chinese simply step in and solve all the economic woes taking place, just because the Sultan holds a photo op with them? Perhaps Egodan has not studied the Tsar and the Dragons’ “vision” enough? Yes, the departure of Turkey is a key ingredient in the Tsar’s Master Plan, but the welfare of Turkey is not part of that desired outcome. History runs deep between the Russians and the Ottomans and Putin knows Russian history, as any Nationalist would. As for the Dragon, Turkey is seen as every other nation in the world, a future satellite state whose sole purpose is to feed the economic engine of the Chinese Empire. Egodan can run into the arms of both the Russians and the Chinese, the problem will come when he tries to pull away! Look. This guy is a major “issue” for the West and a major opportunity for “others”. He’s reckless and impulsive and he doesn’t listen. Here is his current crisis. He has picked a fight with a guy who is, reckless, impulsive and doesn’t listen and in that match up, Turkey and it’s people are the ones that will suffer. Not sure where this is heading, but I will tell you one thing. The Tsar has that patent pending, Cheshire Cat grin of his going full blast!