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Monday 13 August 2018

A NATO member can't be besties with Putin

I am a firm believer that NATO and Russia face greater common enemies than eachother, and there will come a time when we must make common cause against common threats. But that time is not yet here, so we are forced into a low-cost reprise of the cold war. Russia's gangster oligarchy has crossed the line with the Salisbury poisonings, and the matter is not yet ended. And as much as I deprecate the arrogant aggression of the EU in attempting to extend the Federasty eastwards, the EU after each provocation running to hide under the skirts of the US, the stupidity of Brussels doesn't lessen Russia's threat.

Two years ago I wrote "Let's admit it - Turkey is an enemy state". 
Already, a score or more of the most senior military officers arrested following the coup attempt have reportedly died in jail in mysterious circumstances. Typhus, no doubt. Or heart attacks. Franco was also very experienced at disappearing thousands of dangerous democrats, people who had won elections and those who stood for the rule of law and democracy. Erdogan's tyranny has been so blatant, so outrageous, that even the purblind fools in Brussels could no longer ignore it; media closed, journalists arrested, courts purged. Erdogan's reaction has been a petulant tantrum; the EU had already stalled on his earlier ultimatum to allow Turks open travel in the Schengen area, now this week they have voted to suspend accession talks.

This is a far more nuanced matter than the bare facts allow. I know, in London, many fine and upright citizens who are first or second generation Turks, from Cyprus or from the mainland. They run the vast majority of our kebab shops and are the backbone of Uber drivers at the basic level, but also contribute greatly to culture, society, arts, business and trade. Turkey becoming an enemy will leave many fine people dreadfully conflicted - though none I know would support Erdogan's repression.
Since then, the Islamification of the Turkish state has continued, Erdogan has given himself sweeping powers and he has increasingly turned to Putin's Russia as an ally. No doubt Erdogan and Putin can chat amicably about their respective gulags, methods of suppressing free speech and so on. This is simply unacceptable behaviour from a NATO member, more egregious than Erdogan's son's deep involvement in the stolen petroleum trade with ISIS, more dangerous than Erdogan's attempted theft of Syrian territory and more treacherous than use of a migrant tsunami to threaten Greece. 

Well, it seems Mr Trump has had enough. America's actions are pretty much destroying the Turkish economy. Erdogan will now no doubt demand more danegeld from the EU or else and seek greater formal ties with Putin. Either way, he confirms Turkey's status as an enemy state that must now be expelled from NATO. I suggest the US moves its nuclear base from Incirlik to either Greece or Cyprus. We can also shut down Western Union and halt billions of Euros leaving Europe. The die is cast.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, the common enemy that no-one may dare speak its name.

I am sure there were many fine young German men that would have worked hard in Britain in 1938 and many fine Russian men who would have worked hard in Britain in 1958. But we never let them in, I wonder why?

DeeDee99 said...

And we needed Turkish kebab shops because......?

Erdogan is a nasty Islamist and he's turning Turkey back into an Islamic state, which will fail like all the others.

All we can do is insulate ourselves from it as best we can while it goes down the Islamist shitter like its neighbouring Muslim states. There's nothing we can do about it all the time the ignorant, backward, religion-obsessed provincial peasants vote for an Islamist to wreck their country's chances of success in the 21st century.

Raedwald said...

The 11.30pm doner-with-extra-chilli has been an essential part of the British saturday night for, oooh, decades. Just don't leave the wrapper out where you can see the next morning the thick, waxy, congealed grease now lining your arteries ...

Budgie said...

"We have always been at war with Eastasia . . ."

Dave_G said...


Why must we always live with the concept that Russia is the enemy? The MIC 'needs' an enemy to justify its existence and strive towards war at all costs to maintain their hegemony - a hegemony we need to curtail (at a minimum) or break (as a maximum).

Tactics that the USA are employing to isolate Turkey (whilst potentially justified) only serve to drive rogue states towards Russia who would be idiotic to ignore Turkeys pleas given the way Globalist pressures are always aimed at isolating Russia anyway - as self-serving concept really.

Russia isn't a threat to anyone (without its nuclear arsenal it wouldn't even peek above the horizon of many economies) but they are used CONSTANTLY as a means to drive us towards actions that further isolate them and increase tensions.

If we 'need' a war why can't we deal with the real enemies of this world like the KSA?
or the EU? CHINA appears to be the up and coming leader in enemies....

Now that America has driven Syria to export Muslims, Turkey will be driven (arguably they'll tactically use the issue as a 'weapon' anyway) to further increase the traffic of 'undesirables' towards Europe - and Europe won't be in a position to refuse or even argue against it as they will be part of its bloody creation! In fact they will secretly WELCOME it!

The attack on Turkey is further indication that the US is manipulating European foreign policy - the wider picture needs to be broadcast.

Anonymous said...

Fortunately Turkey has no oil. But it does have millions of people plus all the refugees it can push towards us.
Jaded

Oldrightie said...

Like Dave G, I cannot see the need to alienate Russia. There was a time when we were preached at to court any tyranny in order to influence their change for the better. It is reasonable to suggest the Soviet Union crumbled far quicker under political and economic pressure than ever from the threat of a nuclear winter.

Putin wants Erdogan close to temper his Syrian land grab ambition. Seems a good move to me. As for Russia without nuclear arms, their energy reserves are pretty massive as is their land mass. far more than the UK can ever dream of.

Rossa said...

Erdogan better watch his back with Putin. Putin is reputedly a ‘chess grandmaster’ always several moves ahead where geopolitics is concerned. Don’t forget it was Turkey that shot down a Russian plane and a Turk who killed the Russian Ambassador to Turkey.

Erdogan is in turn still sore at the attempted coup (where Russia is alleged to have warned him) by Gulenists who he claimed were supported by America. Despite the purge of his opposition it is clear he is in a very tenuous position. His level of paranoia has gone through the roof and will only make matters worse as he makes unforced errors. He is, after all, only a pawn in the game.

TrT said...

Yep, they just went on extended camping trips in Georgia and Ukraine

Anonymous said...

I think Russia is a real threat to the Baltic states, which it has always seen as part of its territory, and to Ukraine ("Little Russia").

Don Cox

Anonymous said...

Does Putin really want closer ties to Islam? I would have thought the very opposite. Trump doesn't care and almost certainly doesn't know.

John Vasc said...

I'd surmise that Turkey's next move will be to demand compensatory financial support from the nearest available source - i.e. the EU.
If it isn't forthcoming, Turkey's refugees will be coming forth in large numbers, in the short hop (ca. 5km) from the western coast of Turkey to the Greek islands of Samos and Chios, and the barely more challenging 10km to Lesvos.
This, coinciding with a UK no longer paying EU fees (hah! as if!), a possible Italian bank crisis in the near future, and a fresh wave of anti-Merkel revolt in Germany, could mean the EU can no longer pay the Danegeld.

TrT said...

He isnt the one trying to turn neighbours in to housemates.

He has no reason to want bad relations with Turkey, and as long as the Turks stay out of Russias Slavic Sphere that wont change.

I cant work out why everyone is blaming The US for Turkeys economic problems, what have they done?

TrT said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
TrT said...

Dirt is of little intrinsic worth and Russia lacks the Capital and Expertise to make use of much of its natural resources.
Lack of rivers and ports make transport of much of what it can extract uneconomic.

Russia remains little more than a confederation of robber barons who have made little progress since they looted East Germany in 1945

Cascadian said...

Raedwald seems to be under some spell, believing that yUK has any kind of persuasive powers in NATO or more importantly the USA.
His Suez-like belief using the imperial "we", that the USA would listen to advice where to locate strategic airbases or instruct US-based money transfer enterprises how to operate is charming but totally unrealistic.
Might I suggest yUK sit back and learn how real-politik is conducted by President Trump.
In the meantime might I suggest that the current crisis may yet trigger ECB bail-ins of some of the weaker banks and create a crisis for the Euro. Some dimwits in Germany are even considering breaking the embargo on Iran and risking further US tariffs or other retaliations.
Meanwhile the EU is impotent (as always) to do anything about a perceived flood of more gimmegrant muslims currently in Turkey that could be unleashed at Erdogans pleasure.
In truth the EU and especially yUK would do well to re-evaluate their diplomacy towards Russia and Turkey. Taking into account real threats rather than the weak gruel served up related to Salisbury.

G. Tingey said...

Erdogan is a prime piece of shit
He & DT should get on together - deamgogic loonies, serially lying.
It's obvious that Putin is pulling the strings ....