Turkey signals joint defense plan with Russia

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey and Russia will establish a joint military, intelligence and diplomacy mechanism, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday.

Speaking at Anadolu Agency’s Editors’ Desk, Cavusoglu said the previous day’s meeting between Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin had paved the way for closer ties following a nine-month freeze after the shooting down of a Russian warplane.

“The officials will go to St. Petersburg tonight,” Cavusoglu said. “Our delegation will consist of foreign ministry [personnel], the Turkish Armed Forces, along with our intelligence chief.”

Cavusoglu said meetings will be held at ministerial level.

Read more: http://aa.com.tr/en/politics/turkey-signals-joint-defense-plan-with-russia/625918

[Sanity Claws]

1. Turkey is in NATO

How can it do that?

[Cayenne]

2. They are defecting it seems

[Sanity Claws]

4. Will they be involuntarily removed from NATO?

Is there some kind of procedure to handle defections like this?

[JackRiddler]

16. There is absolutely zero chance of this.

They might leave - I doubt it - but nothing of the sort will be done from the NATO side.

Also, ahem, who said Russia is the enemy of NATO? Are we at war with them? Is there somewhere we can vote on this?

Personally I'm not for any military alliances, I'm for scaling it all back and ending the international arms trade and interventions generally. That would involve sitting down with Russia while there's still time to prevent the insanity from spinning out of control. If there's still time.

[NuclearDem]

7. Which would be an incredibly stupid idea.

While I'd otherwise be more than happy to see Turkey take its dictatorship and leave, the issue of Cyprus would end up putting a Russia-aligned Turkey directly in conflict with NATO-aligned Greece.

[JackRiddler]

17. Not that it's going to happen...

But you may have the wrong idea about the Greek position in such an unlikely case (i.e., that Turkey breaks openly with NATO - we agree, very unlikely). Athens might well be next on the line to cut a protection deal with Moscow. And if anything, Turkey aligning with Russia practically guarantees no further moves on the Orthodox south of Cyprus, which is very much a Russian billionaires' plaything. It may open the way to new negotiations. Not that I'm thrilled with the potential Turkish-Russian axis, if it actually happens, but new peace moves would be a lot likelier than any new Greek-Turkish conflict over Cyprus. Hm, kind of seems the logical next step for Putin to endeavor in his makeover as Dr. Peace.

[Xolodno]

20. Interesting, Putin would get a lot of cred...

...if he brokered issues on Cyprus.

Plus this also puts to bed any nostalgic ideas of liberating "Constantinople". Greek-Turkish issues on the area could also be brokered via the "third Rome".

[NWCorona]

3. Turkey moving into the sphere of Russia is troubling to say the least

This will have ramifications

[geek tragedy]

5. How long before they officially leave NATO?

Time to seal the border with them.

[awoke_in_2003]

14. Not soon enough. nt

[left-of-center2012]

6. Maybe the Syrian refugees from Turkey can go to Russia now? n/t

[Glorfindel]

9. Brilliant idea...I'm sure the Syrian refugees would much prefer Russia

to Sweden, Austria, Italy, the UK, and all the other godless western democracies. No doubt the Russians would welcome them with open arms!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

12. Probably not. I'd guess they are in Germany to stay.

Or whatever other country they've landed in. I think most are in Germany.

The non-Turkish Germans will just have to adapt.

[cstanleytech]

8. Its not the citizens of Turkey doing this its the president of Turkey and hes

doing it I suspect because his next move is probably going to involve a change I suspect to the presidency of Turkey to make it a lifetime appointment which some of the member countries of NATO are likely to object to.

[Akicita]

11. The citizens of Turkey elected Erdogan. Elections have consequences.

[inwiththenew]

10. If this is true

Putin pretty much owns the Black Sea now.

[yourpaljoey]

13. And then there's that

[mahina]

15. Meanwhile our ally in the Phillipines is going off the rails too.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/10/philippines-leader-calls-us-ambassador-gay-son-of-a-whore-prompting-summons?CMP=twt_gu

Sigh

[geek tragedy]

21. Hey, if they don't need our help vs China in the South China Sea, let them fend for themselves nt

[Xolodno]

18. Doubt they leave NATO

NATO is Ankara's insurance policy from centuries of war with Moscow.

But at the same time, Turkey trades heavily with Russia and it appears they will be surrounded by Russian client states/territories. Syria, Iran, Crimea, Armenia, etc. Iraq and Georgia being the exception, but then, Iraq is probably going to be influenced often by Iran.

Given also Russia was wooing Greece heavily recently, Erdogan's about face maybe a realization that it might be prudent to have good relations with Moscow rather than antagonize (who may repay the favor via proxy).

Plus the EU doesn't appear to be interested in letting them join the club. So balance between the two.

Nor is NATO going to boot Turkey despite knowing that Turkey is playing them. They still get critical access.

[Blue_Tires]

19. Hmm... Is Ankara trying to start an informal divorce from the West?

[reorg]

22. this is great news

I don't know much about the internal issues of Turkey but a former German politician who knows a thing or two recently explained that shooting down the Russian airplane had been a NATO, i.e. American provocation, not Turkey's. So, after the coup attempt, Erdogan is finally giving the US/NATO the finger. I hope this means the war against Syria will soon be over. No more refugees, no more violent attacks, the Europeans will be happy, too.

[transatlantica]

23. who is this German politician?

Willy Wimmer?

I'm not so optimistic about Syria. Erdogan's politics there is ambivalent and not predictable. The "rebels" still get their supply via Turkey.

[jamzrockz]

24. This is my thinking too

If Putin can help shut down the west's weapon/jihadi pipeline into Syria, this war on the Syrian people will end very soon. But I think Erdogan is playing the west and the Russia. He wants to appease his American/NATO backers while giving Russia the idea that he has a chance.