ill
Superstar
Except that it is and has recognized international boundaries.
Did Turkey just invade Iraq?
Except that it is and has recognized international boundaries.
welp, ww3 should be entertaining
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
I wonder what they're going to say when no one does anything.
Even if they were to take it to the UN it would just get vetoed.
It would be amusing if the US just cut Iraq loose and the world watched as Iran tried to save Baghdad.
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
How is Erdogan still in power
He's a pretty good politician and the AKP has been able to twist a lot of things and they've had good economic growth the last 13 years
Turks don't want to go back to how they were before 2002
And none of the opposition parties really are touching them. The authoritarian nature of Erdogan has grown though even though he is only in a ceremonial post now
ISIS is one hell of a strategic prize, its the chicken that keeps laying the strategic egg. ISIS allows so many people to advance their aims, under the blanket of a runaway terror group.
ISIS is lethal against Kurds, especially the YPG supporting Kurds, the leftists, unlike the Peshmerga who wisely put their faith in the West to protect them.
Erdogan sees eye to eye with these guys in Iraqi Kurdistan, they have shown that they will betray their own people, and do not believe in the greater Kurdistan dream. The Kurdish oil from their fields goes through Turkey. ISIS oil from Mosul and Raqqa also go through the same dealers and trucks in Turkey. Turkey is the Middle man, Israel imports from Kurdistan also have to go through Turkey, also through Turkish banks.
If they are using the same roads and same banks, yes 100% Israel is also buying ISIS oil. They need the energy supply.
Besides, who will know? All the oil gets mixed together along with Iranian oil inside Turkey's storage facilities, so a chemical analysis will not tell you where its from.
The Kurds in Syria are leftists and support the YPG and PKK, these are the guys in Kobane. You saw how Erdogan hates their guts and wants them to just die already. ISIS failed to take them out, because these are people fighting for their lives and will not run or retreat.
Erdogan is in Iraq officially for "training the Peshmerga" but in reality they are there to prevent the Russians and Iranians from supplying the YPG and PKK. Also, to make sure ISIS survives by covering them with Turkish ground troops.
Erdogan is giving this message to the Russians, I dare you to touch ISIS.
We will see if his bluff is called.
what was turkey pre-2002?
Techniec
Drugs and Kalashnikovs
with a much shyttier economy
I don't know how much historic claims on Mosul factor into the equation, I agree with FAH that its really on a macro level, to have a presence in Iraq now that its Syrian aims have gone awry, to keep the TPG/PKK in check, and keep the smuggling operation open.