Category: Regions

Why is Turkey still in NATO?

It is obvious that the Erdogan’s Republic of Türkiye has always played a double game.

epa01389608 French soldiers of NATO\’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) patrol Arghandab district, Afghanistan after NATO and Afghan military forces have driven out hundreds of Taliban militants from around restive Kandahar, Afghanistan, 20 June 2008. At least 57 Taliban insurgents were killed and dozens more were wounded as NATO and Afghan forces drove out militants who had recently infiltrated several villages in the southern province of Kandahar, officials said 19 June 2008. EPA/HUMAYOUN SHIAB

A NATO presence but also special relations with Putin’s Russia. It seems that between dictators, we like to stick together …

On September 12, 2017, the Republic of Türkiye signed a contract with Russia for the purchase of S-400 systems for an amount of 2.5 billion dollars with delivery initially scheduled for 2020.

On this occasion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared, “We alone make decisions that fall under our independence.”

However, NATO, and more particularly the United States, did not see it that way and believed that this decision greatly threatened the Republic of Türkiye’s ties with its Western partners as well as the security of NATO materials.

America then sanctioned the Republic of Türkiye and denied it access to the purchase of American military equipment. The Turks were thus unable to renew their aging F16s with F35s.

However, it is not possible to exclude Erdogan’s Republic of Türkiye because the Republic of Türkiye occupies a strategic position between Europe and Asia. To deprive oneself of Turkey would greatly weaken NATO.

Everyone knows this, and that is why despite all of Erdogan’s eccentricities and the fact that he plays a double game, Turkey will remain in NATO.

Sylvain Saurel’s Newsletter

February 17, 2023
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There are several reasons why the Arabs did not revolt against the Ottoman Empire over the course of its rule. One reason is that the Ottomans maintained control over the Arab regions through a combination of military force and political manipulation. Additionally, the Ottomans were able to co-opt local leaders and elites, and maintain a system of patronage that helped to maintain loyalty among the population. Additionally, the Arab population was largely rural and dispersed, making it difficult to organize large-scale rebellion. Finally, the Ottomans also maintained a strong religious and cultural identity, which helped to bind the population together and discourage rebellion.

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Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has supported its eastern neighbour in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Before the start of the offensive, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform weeks-long military drills on its territory; however, the Russian troops did not exit the country after they were supposed to finish. Belarus allowed Russia to stage part of the invasion from its territory, giving Russia the shortest possible land route to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

Belarus initially denied involvement with the conflict, but has since admitted to allowing Russian missile launchers stationed on its territory to shoot at Ukrainian targets. Several reports emerged among the Belarusian opposition and Ukrainian military that Belarusian troops were in Ukraine fighting together with Russians, but Belarus’s leader Aleksander Lukashenko dismissed them and said that the Belarusian Armed Forces would not participate directly in the conflict.

The involvement of Belarus was condemned in Western countries, with the European Union, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan imposing sanctions against Belarus. According to Chatham House, Belarus’s participation in the military conflict is unpopular among the general population; protests were held on 27 February, the day of the constitutional referendum which asked to revoke Belarus’s non-nuclear country status, but were quickly dispersed. Several hackers affiliated with the Belarusian opposition, the Ukrainian military or with Anonymous have targeted Belarusian government agencies as well as the country’s critical infrastructure, with the aim of disrupting the Russian war effort in Belarus.

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Hitler tried to hide these pictures from the world.

You can see why he did it.

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BMC Kirpi (Turkish for “Hedgehog”) is a Turkish made Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle manufactured by BMC. Kirpi provides significant protection against mine and ballistic threats. It combines standard and add-on armor providing protection against ballistic threats while its V-shape underbody and monocoque allows it to protect the personnel inside from land mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

BMC Kirpi is a heavy armored troop carrier and its primary objective is to transfer personnel from one place to another while protecting them against all kind of threats. However, it can receive different operational roles by being equipped with required mission equipment.

Used in:

2012 Syrian-Turkish border clashes
Turkey-ISIL conflict
Libyan Civil War
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2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

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Sweden joining NATO would crush Russian power
- Both Finland and Sweden are set to join the NATO alliance this year.
- The two countries, previously neutral, changed their minds after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Finland and Sweden will both have to rejigger their armed forces away from territorial defense and toward helping defend an entire continent.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created an unwanted situation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and one of the most unexpected effects of his actions is the flipping of former neutral states Finland and Sweden into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Instead of intimidating his Scandinavian neighbors into accommodating his demands, Putin’s invasion has pushed them into the waiting arms of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, where they will join 30 other countries in the collective defense of Europe.
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