Possible Military Coup in Turkey!

by cofty 39 Replies latest social current

• 

  konceptual99

  I get your point CL but the West's repeated bombing and incursions into the middle east have never ended well as they have always seemed simply to be the will of the US. I have no aversion to seeing Western peacekeepers on the ground and don't think the west should not be involved in the democratic process but if the locals are going to pissed off I'd rather they were pissed off with each other rather than us.

  So far the Arab world has been piss poor at policing themselves and it's about time they stepped up and supported the West (and even Russia) in trying to get some stability back. Right now they are happy to blame the US and take a back seat.
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  slimboyfat

  Very unlikely at this stage Russia would do anything, but if it becomes very unstable in Turkey who knows. It's a close neighbour. Russia thinks it has a right in the region. America has its Monroe doctrine after all. Even the remote possibility of conflict between Russia and NATO over Turkey is something to worry about.

  The idea of Trump as president has made me dwell more recently on the fragility of continued human existence in the nuclear age. I am very pessimistic about our prospects of surviving the century. In fact you could say we are lucky to have survived as long as we have. View any more years avoiding nuclear war as a kind of bonus, looking on the bright side.

  Read this story recently about a strategist who asked US general what procedures were in place to stop an irrational president setting off a nuclear war. The answer was basically that there are no safeguards, the president can do as he wishes. The only safeguard against an irrational president is "not to elect one".

  http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-05-11/possible-trump-presidency-showcases-fatal-flaw-in-nuclear-command-safeguard
  
• 

  cofty

  do you not think it's more probable the innocent people you want to protect from an evil president will be killed as the attacks are indiscriminate, especially air strikes, - Kate

  The RAF have launched hundreds of air missions in Syria and Iraq with zero reported civilian casualties. Modern weapons are very expensive for humanitarian reasons. In the 1940s we would have carpet bombed ISIS territory with not a moment's thought for the ethics.

  But let's keep it on topic. Events in Turkey are developing by the minute.
  
  
• 

  Coded Logic

  I genuinely hope things are resolved very quickly in Turkey. Civil wars are often the most deadly.
• 

  DJS

  It's almost a certainty that the West has known these events would occur. The number and movement of US carrier groups are higher now than in many years.

  Vlad, Syria and the rest of the ME are contributors, but the resources the US has placed nearby are enormous.

  The words being used by W embassies suggest caution. If this was not expected to go down well for the W, the official notice would likely be to get the hell out of Dodge.
• 

  KateWild

  But let's keep it on topic. Events in Turkey are developing by the minute.-cofty

  oops sorry to go off topic on your thread. I am going to bed now. Look forward to your response on my thread when I wake up, so is K99. Goodnight all xx
  
  
• 

  Slidin Fast

  The worry is that whilst a sectarian more moderate state is desirable, the urban middle class are probably hoping the coup will prevail. There is of course a large population of government supporters who support the Islamist cause.

  If this leads to civil war the future for the region looks bleak. I hope that sense prevails and peace is restored quickly, preferably with the secularists prevailing. If the coup fails Erdogan will wreak havoc.
• 

  slimboyfat

  It doesn't look good. I wouldn't like to be the generals if they fail...

  I wonder what I would do in the middle of a coup.

  1. Try to figure out which side has the upper hand an jump on board quickly.

  2. Decide which side I think has justice on their side and join them regardless of the odds of success.

  3. Steer clear of making any sort of commitment to either side and lay low until it's all settled.
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  Coded Logic

  I don't like the serious religious leaning the Turkish President has imposed nor how he has repeatedly shut down of protesters. That said, I don't think a Coup is in anyway justified. If you want Erdoğan out of power use the democratic system to vote him out. If he over rules the democratic system THEN your justified to force him out. Not before.
• 

  DJS

  Read Obama's official response. Support democratically elected gov, avoid violence, blah blah.

  No sense of outrage such as when Vlad took Crimea or parts of Ukraine.

  What the W isn't saying is deafening. Unintended consequences are many, but if the anti Islamist beliefs permeate the military it doesn't bode well for the PM. THAT is the $64 question.

  He is popular however which greatly complicates things.

  What a mess.