Military coup underway in Turkey

I know what you mean. It's as though the world has switched everything around.

Turkey unlikely to drop Syria rebels in latest realignment
August 09, 2016
BEIRUT (AP) — Minutes after news broke of a coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, government-held areas in Syria broke out in celebratory gunfire, heralding what they believed was the removal of the leader they blame for fueling their country's five-year civil war.
http://www.mail.com/int/news/europe/4532816-turkey-unlikely-to-drop-syria-rebels-latest-realig.html#.1258-stage-hero1-2

It suited his old best friend in Washington for Erdogan to support the 'nice rebels', so I suspect he'll be doing whatever his new best friend in Moscow wants....

Turkish, Russian officials to discuss solution for Syria
August 10, 2016
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A delegation of Turkish foreign ministry, military and intelligence officials is traveling to Russia for discussions on finding a solution to the Syria conflict, Turkey's foreign minister said Wednesday.

The announcement by Mevlut Cavusoglu came a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Russia's Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg for the first time since the countries agreed to mend relations soured by Turkey's downing of a Russian plane in November.

http://www.mail.com/int/news/europe/4533898-turkish-russian-officials-to-discuss-solution-syri.html#.1258-stage-hero1-1

I suspect that whoever shot down the Russian plane has been 'dealt with', somehow, LL...

This is an interesting, if cynical, piece:

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/08/09/the-sultan-and-the-tsar-erdogan-travels-to-russia/

AUGUST 9, 2016
The Sultan and the Tsar: Erdogan Travels to Russia
by ROBERT FISK

I can see a lot of and shafting going on; will be most interesting who exits out of this covered in roses and who sinks into the doodoo.   I see no good coming out of this.   LL

Me neither, LL, about the best that can be hoped for is a period of enforced stability in the Middle East. The worst, I'd rather not dwell on....

Steve Lovell 48% ‏@Marcus_von_Skym 3m3 minutes ago
President Erdogan must uphold human rights in #Turkey even in a State of emergency. Sign the petition: http://bit.ly/2aK6gY3
0 retweets 0 likes

Do they seriously imagine that Erdogan will pay the slightest bit of attention? I don't think they are quite grasping the seriousness of what has happened.....

Emre PekerVerified account ‏@wsjemre 1m1 minute ago
#Turkey's southeastern cities Diyarbakir & Mardin rocked by car & IED bombings wounding 25, officials say initial assessments point to #PKK

Oh, great idea - give Erdogan even more excuses to round up 'traitors'.

SIGH.......

There's also a big problem with the Turkish Kurds aka the PKK, which does not apply to other Kurdish communities:



They are just about the last actual communist guerillas left on the face of the earth.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-10/after-turkey-warns-west-may-lose-country-nato-reminds-ankara-it-still-alliance-membe

After Turkey Warns West May "Lose" The Country, NATO "Reminds" Ankara It Is Still An Alliance Member

I can't even begin to count the ways in which Washington is losing this chess game - as is pointed out, even the UK is playing nicely with Moscow:

And so, having tentatively roped in Turkey into Russia's growing sphere of influence, yesterday Putin made an unexpected beeline for Europe's latest casualty: the UK itself. As the Telegraph reports, Putin and the UK's new PM Theresa May, spoke for the first time since she took office and both expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of Russian-British relations.

Yahya Najafizada ‏@yahyanajafizada 3h3 hours ago
Gulen will go to hell, he's going to be extradited #US will choose between #Turkey & #Gulen, president #Erdogan



Surely, if Obama allows the extradition of Gulen - whatever he has, or has not, done - he will lose the little 'face' Washington still has?

Oh wait, what am I talking about? This is Obama - of course he'll send Gulen to Turkey.

This seems to be the line being pushed:

libbyliberal ‏@libbyliberalnyc 3h3 hours ago
VanAuken:DC played a central role in backing the abortive July 15 coup to overthrow #Turkey's elected president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

libbyliberal ‏@libbyliberalnyc 3h3 hours ago
VanAuken:When it comes to cynicism and duplicity, the #NYT has no equal. How can it claim that US had nothing to do w/#Turkey coup attempt?

libbyliberal ‏@libbyliberalnyc 3h3 hours ago
VanAuken:only reason #Turkey's Erdoğan escaped shortly B4 military assassination squad arrived at vacation home was #Russian intel warning

libbyliberal ‏@libbyliberalnyc 3h3 hours ago
VanAuken:recklessness & criminality of US policy now w/#Turkey breathtaking. Having killed/maimed millions Iraq,Libya,Syria, #Turkey's turn?

This is beyond bad; it doesn't actually matter whether or not it is entirely true, it's believable.

http://aa.com.tr/en/politics/turkey-israel-deal-to-be-signed-before-sept-fm/626615

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said a reconciliation agreement between Turkey and Israel will likely be signed before parliament goes on recess next week.

Taking journalists' questions at Anadolu Agency's Editors' Desk on Wednesday, Cavusoglu said parliament’s approval of the pre-agreed deal was delayed due to last month’s defeated coup but that it will be done "as soon as possible."

"I think we will finalize the issue before parliament’s recess. Israel has met our terms, paving the way to normalize ties. Therefore, we must do this as soon as possible," Cavusoglu said.

Parliament, by the end of next week, will go on recess until Sept, 20, Justice and Development (AK) Party Group Deputy Chair of Mustafa Elitas said Wednesday.

Last month, Turkey and Israel agreed to normalize diplomatic relations following a six-year hiatus.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has said that Tel Aviv had met all of Ankara’s preconditions for normalizing ties, which were severed in 2010 after Israeli commandos stormed a Gaza-bound Turkish aid vessel in international waters.....etc.

Newsweek Middle East ‏@NewsweekME 44m44 minutes ago
#BREAKING: Turkish ambassador to Russia says Ankara thinks current Syrian leadership could take part in peace talks - RA

Newsweek Middle East ‏@NewsweekME 43m43 minutes ago
#BREAKING: Turkey's Foreign Minister: We may seek other options for cooperation in defence sector outside of @NATO

Newsweek Middle East ‏@NewsweekME 43m43 minutes ago
#BREAKING: Turkey's foreign minister: First option is always cooperation with @NATO allies, but we can cooperate with others

Newsweek Middle East ‏@NewsweekME 42m42 minutes ago
#BREAKING: Turkey foreign minister: Deal to normalize ties with Israel will be signed in parliament next week
3 retweets 1 like



Someone's pressed the Reset button, but it sure wasn't Obungle or Hillary.

AP Interview: Turkey open to conditional terror law talks
August 11, 2016
BRUSSELS (AP) — Turkey would be willing to modify its anti-terror law if the changes don't impede the fight against terrorism and if Turkish citizens are guaranteed visa-free travel in Europe, Turkey's ambassador to the European Union said Thursday.

Ambassador Selim Yenel told The Associated Press in an interview that "it's very difficult to change the legislation, but we're not closing the door." "As long as it doesn't affect our fight against terrorism, in all its forms, then we can look at some wordings," he said.
http://www.mail.com/int/news/europe/4536910-ap-interview-turkey-open-to-conditional-terror-law.html#.1258-stage-hero1-5

Right now, I wouldn't trust anyone from the Turkish government as far as I could throw them, LL......

I truly understand what you mean.

The political tectonic plates are shifting:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/11/boris-johnson-says-britain-must-normalise-its-relationship-with/

Britain must "normalise" its relationship with Russia after years of hostility, Boris Johnson has told the country's foreign minister.

Sergei Lavrov and the Foreign Secretary spoke by phone on Thursday and discussed a possible normalisation of bilateral ties.

The Russian foreign ministry said: "Both sides expressed hope for a normalisation in Russian-British ties and underscored the desire to step up political dialogue."

The pair also discussed the fight against terrorism and Syria during their first discussion since Mr Johnson took up the post.

It comes just days after Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and Theresa May both questioned the current state of Russian-British relations.

In the phone call, which Moscow said was initiated by Britain, both leaders "expressed dissatisfaction with the current parameters of cooperation in both the political and economic sphere"......etc.

Now, Perfidious Albion hasn't survived, through thick and thin, for centuries by being stupid (apart from one or two unfortunate incidents) so all this sudden friendship with Russia suggests which way the wind is blowing.

The EU, helped by Washington, restarted this Cold War 2 via Ukraine. Now the EU is in trouble, and Obungle is a failed lame duck. It is looking more and more like Washington did indeed have a hand in the failed coup, or whatever it was and by their own actions have succeeded in handing a real triumph to Moscow.

Look at the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean - they're now virtually Russian lakes. I somehow don't see the UK being caught on the losing side; oh, Mrs May will make noises about 'democracy', but she's no idealist.

I suspect Merkel and co are going to tie themselves in knots trying to appease Erdogan, and at the end of the day, he will stick two fingers up to them and do as he pleases.

And the UK will be looking for trade deals with Turkey and Russia.

I like what you have written, Bonny.

Bear in mind that, if Washington's pawprints really are all over the failed coup, then Whitehall will know, and won't want to be associated with it.....

Report: US-based Turkish navy officer 'missing' after coup
August 11, 2016
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Two Turkish military attaches working in Greece have fled to Italy after the failed military coup attempt, Turkey's foreign minister said Thursday, while reports said a naval officer based in the U.S. has also gone missing
http://www.mail.com/int/news/us/4536686-report-us-based-turkish-navy-officer-missing-coup.html#.1258-stage-hero1-7

I don't think they'll be rushing to return, somehow......

https://www.today.ng/news/world/166357/turkey-receiving-positive-signals-gulen-extradition

Turkey said Friday it has received “positive signals” from the United States over its requests to extradite Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara accuses of ordering last month’s attempted coup.
“We have started to receive some positive signals on the calls we have made” for Gulen’s extradition, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara, saying further documents relating to the case for his deportation were being drawn up to send to Washington.
Gulen is accused of ordering the July 15 coup during which a group within the military tried to remove President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power. He strongly denies the claim.
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Since then, Turkey has sent several documents to the United States which Ankara claims proves that Gulen was involved.
“Everyone in the world knows who is behind this coup attempt,” Cavusoglu said. Last week, an arrest warrant was issued in Turkey for Gulen.
The minister said Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden expressed their intention to come to Turkey but would not confirm previous comments made by Ankara that Kerry would visit on August 24.


There's no way of telling how true any of that is, but IMO, if Obama is weak enough to hand over Gulen - whatever he may, or may not have done - then the US had better abandon any claims of being a 'superpower'.

And yes, Obama is quite capable of doing it.