| Tango01 | 10 Jan 2017 9:42 p.m. PST |
"In 2013, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then Turkey's prime minister, surprised many with his statement about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said, "Get us out of this suffering [of trying to join the European Union]. We are willing to finalize a free trade agreement with Eurasian countries. I talked about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with [you] before. We care about it."
At that time, his statement sounded like a joke, as he himself described it, or perhaps a provocation — a message to Brussels meaning, "Look, we don't need you, we have other options." Few people in Turkey or Russia took it seriously.
In November 2016, President Erdogan again touched upon the question of Turkey's SCO membership. "[Turkey] shouldn't say, 'I'm for the EU no matter what.' … For example, why shouldn't Turkey be part of the Shanghai Five [SCO]?" Erdogan told reporters on his return flight from SCO member state Uzbekistan…"
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Armand |
 Legion 4   | 11 Jan 2017 7:40 a.m. PST |
With the Turk's becoming more secular/islamic. And some in their leadership who may be looking to reclaim some of the old Ottoman Empire ? Seems that may not really be what NATO is/was all about ? |
| 15mm and 28mm Fanatik | 11 Jan 2017 9:00 a.m. PST |
Erdogan believes that the failed coup attempt last year was organized by an expatriate living in the US and that the US was aware of the plot but welcomed it so that the Islamist regime in Ankara can be replaced with a more pliant secular one like what happened in Egypt. The question now becomes "Does Turkey need Nato more than Nato needs Turkey?" Because Turkey will never realize its goal of EU membership as long as it remains an islamic republic. |
| Tango01 | 11 Jan 2017 10:57 a.m. PST |
Good question…
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Armand
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 piper909 | 11 Jan 2017 12:23 p.m. PST |
I wouldn't miss 'em if they left. They only got in to provide a burr under the USSR's southern saddle anyway. No common interests with NATO other than pure anti-Russianism. If anything, Turkey's interests too often clashed with those of Greece, a more reliably pro-Western country culturally and historically. If they'd gone to war over Cyprus in, say, 1974, what would NATO have done about it? |
| Sir Walter Rlyeh | 11 Jan 2017 1:56 p.m. PST |
I seriously doubt that the Turks will leave NATO with the United States still in it. There is a big part of the American Military that is pro Kurd. Turkey out of NATO would make the establishment of an independent Kurdistan much more of a possibility and the Turks know it. |
| paulgenna | 11 Jan 2017 6:39 p.m. PST |
Would not hurt my feelings at all. It would be awesome if the Kurds had their own country. They have been a great ally for us and have shown they are willing to be an active participant. |
| Rapier Miniatures | 12 Jan 2017 3:07 a.m. PST |
But Trumps campaign speeches have opened the door for the US to leave NATO, At that point it is in Turkeys interest to remain. |
| GarrisonMiniatures | 12 Jan 2017 8:55 a.m. PST |
If the US left NATO, life would get very interesting. |
| Rapier Miniatures | 12 Jan 2017 9:47 a.m. PST |
Donald J Trump stated while on campaign that he would assess any country that wished to invoke the mutual defence clause, and only act if they were fully paid up members AND in Americas interest. This breaches the articles of the NATO treaty. Even more interesting is the mutual defence clause has only been invoked once, by the US. |
| Weasel | 12 Jan 2017 5:34 p.m. PST |
What he says and what actually happens are not typically related though ;-) |
| Legion 4 | 12 Jan 2017 5:36 p.m. PST |
That appears to be how it is. At least for now. |
checks out some 10/15mm railroad tracks for wargaming.