Erdogan’s Ambitions Go Beyond Syria. He Says He Wants Nuclear Weapons.


President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey addressing legislators from his party this month in Ankara, Turkey. Credit Credit Burhan Ozbilici/Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wants more than control over a wide swath of Syria along his country’s border. He says he wants the Bomb.
In the weeks leading up to his order to launch the military across the border to clear Kurdish areas, Mr. Erdogan made no secret of his larger ambition.
With Turkey now in open confrontation with its NATO allies, having gambled and won a bet that it could conduct a military incursion into Syria and get away with it, Mr. Erdogan’s threat takes on new meaning. If the United States could not prevent the Turkish leader from routing its Kurdish allies, how can it stop him from building a nuclear weapon or following Iran in gathering the technology to do so?
The Turkish autocrat is a master of keeping allies and adversaries off balance, as President Trump discovered in the past two weeks.
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With Turkey now in open confrontation with its NATO allies, having gambled and won a bet that it could conduct a military incursion into Syria and get away with it, Mr. Erdogan’s threat takes on new meaning.
If the United States could not prevent the Turkish leader from routing its Kurdish allies, how can it stop him from building a nuclear weapon or following Iran in gathering the technology to do so?
Its become quite obvious that despite Trump's obsessive boasting about his superior "negotiating skills" he is clearly no match for the likes of even a second rate leader such as Erdogan!
Like Clinton, Obama, or Bush Jr would have done any better.
None of the NATO countries including Britain and France have done anything to rein Turkey in.
Turkey it seems has aspirations beyond just being a member of NATO. In fact Turkey is likely contemplating life outside of NATO very soon. Hence the need for nuclear weapons; and allying itself with Russia.
My thought is that Erdogan just told Trump, what his payment would need to be for him to open up a Biden investigation.
You give us nuclear capability and I'll formally announce a Biden investigation...
My thought is that Erdogan just told Trump, what his payment would need to be for him to open up a Biden investigation.
You give us nuclear capability and I'll formally announce a Biden investigation...
Yep.
The trump administration is fond of sleazy Quid Pro Quos.
After trump's betrayal of our Kurdish allies, probably some of them are wishing he had offered them one of his corrupt deals:
BTW that cartoon is one of a most excellent series of seven -- here's a link to that seed:
7 Brutal Cartoons About Trump's Ongoing Syria Disaster
What is clear is that in developing its nuclear program, Turkey has found a partner: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. In April 2018 , Mr. Putin traveled to Turkey to signal the official start of construction of a $20 billion nuclear plant on the country’s Mediterranean coast.
Has Trump's puppet-master & BFF has found another lover?
Putin would be courting Turkey no matter who was president; but I guess TDDS must have the final word.
Perhaps.
But he really out-foxed the gullible Mr. Trump this time around, eh?
Of course that's par for the course:
'Are We So Weak And So Inept Diplomatically That Turkey Forced The Hand Of The United States Of America? Turkey?!'
So where the fuck is the rest of NATO? Want to tell me that France, Britain, and Germany can't handle Turkey? What good are they then? Trump's point about NATO not pulling their own weight and being worthless to the US is backed up.
Putin outfoxed Trump? Really. He didn't outfox Obama first by getting Syria to concede a port, military bases, and an air field to Russia? Obama overplayed his hand by putting US special forces into Syria; and then pressing for Assad to be removed. Of course that is Trump's fault as well I guess. How about Putin annexing Crimea under Obama's watch; and backing Russian Ukrainian separatists in a civil war? Seems Barack grew jelly legs after backing a coup of a duly elected pro Russian Ukrainian government. Left Ukraine out to dry against the Russians. Wouldn't even discuss selling them arms, or giving them logistical support.
The last President to put anything over on Putin was Clinton in Kosovo. Putin hasn't been our patsy since.
Since you like to bash Trump about trying to get out of endless foreign wars, I will ask the question again. What would it take to declare victory (what a joke), and under what conditions remove troops from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan? I will make up some popcorn and get prepared for the unreasonable list that will never be met.
There is more to the world than the US wasting countless resources and lives in never ending quagmires.
cool. where does he want them?