Moscow’s “Eye In Turkey”: Transfer Of S-400 Missiles Will Open Turkey To Russian Spying, NATO Warns

 

The German language Der Spiegel magazine in a recent editorial attempted to sound the alarm of encroaching Russian influence in NATO connected with Russia’s advanced S-400 anti-aircraft systems.

“The Turkish government wants to buy the state-of-the-art Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system. NATO considers this a serious provocation: the system is not only incompatible with the alliance’s existing defenses, but it could also expose secrets of the new US F-35 fighter jet to Russia, which Turkey also wants to buy,” according to a rough translation from the German. 

President Erdogan says ‘era of a submissive Turkey’ is over

Turkey’s President and the leader of ruling Justice and Development Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey on July 25, 2017.

 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan prepares for a meeting with top European Union officials in the midst of an intensifying diplomatic row with Germany.

JULY 25, 2017  BRUSSELS—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ramped up his anti-Western rhetoric Tuesday ahead of a meeting between his foreign minister and top European Union officials, saying the era of a submissive Turkey bowing to every Western demand is over.

Turkey has been mired in an escalating diplomatic row with European Union powerhouse Germany following the arrests last week of a group of human rights activists, including a German national, on terror-related charges. Earlier, a German-Turkish journalist was arrested for allegedly spying and aiding Kurdish rebels.

Germany Blocks Defense Exports To Turkey In “Worst Crisis Since World War II”

The “worst crisis between Germany and Turkey since World War II” just took another turn worse, after German media reported that in the latest escalation to date between Berlin and Ankara, Chancellor Angela Merkel will freeze present and future Turkish orders of defense goods amid souring diplomatic relations between the two nations, Bild Zeitung said citing unidentified govt officials.

This effective trade embargo comes just hours after Germany’s issued a safety warning to tourists traveling to Turkey and warned investors against doing business there. As discussed this morning, in unusually bold language Germany’s foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel announced a “re-orientation” of German policy towards Turkey, saying Berlin would reconsider the economic aid and export credit guarantees it provides for the country.

Turkey Refuses To Grant Germans Access To Incirlik Airbase

(ZeroHedge)

 

While Angela Merkel is busy sowing the seeds of the next cold war between Germany and the Trump administration (and therefore the US, if only for the next three and a half years), a troubling flashpoint for Germany continues to grow in Turkey where on Tursday, Turkey’s foreign minister said it is not possible to allow German lawmakers to visit troops stationed at Turkey’s Incirlik air base now, although he said Ankara may reconsider if it sees “positive steps” from Berlin. It was not immediately clear just what Turkey’s “demands” or expectations, monetary or otherwise, were from Merkel for it to change its view.

Ankara threatens to ground US fighters at key Turkish air base

Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said Wednesday that his country would consider not allowing the US to use its Incirlik Air Base in light of Washington’s refusal to help the Turkish air force carry out operations in the area of the Syrian city of Al-Bab. He said the US lack of assistance “is leading to serious disappointment in Turkish public opinion” that “is leading to questions over Incirlik.”

Iranian UAV attacked Turkish troops in Syria, senior source in Ankara says

An Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle participated in an attack on Turkish troops operating in Syria that left four dead and 10 wounded in late November, a senior Turkish government source told the Turkish press on Wednesday. The attack took place just two days before Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Hakan Fidan, head of the country’s MIT intelligence agency, made a surprise visit to Tehran on November 26.

Turkey warns of ground offensive in Iraq if threatened

A member of the Iraqi forces holds a position at the al-Shura area, south of Mosul, on October 24, 2016, during an operation to retake the main hub city from the Islamic State (IS) group jihadists. (AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye)

 

Ankara vows forceful response in event of attack; foreign minister says ‘it is our most natural right’

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that Ankara could launch a ground operation in Iraq to remove any threats to Turkey that may arise.

“If there is a threat posed to Turkey, we are ready to use all our resources including a ground operation… to eliminate that threat,” Cavusoglu said in an interview with Kanal 24 broadcaster.

Erdogan Set to Flood Europe With Millions of Migrants as EU Refugee Deal Falters

© AP Photo/ Tolga Bozoglu

 

The European Commission is set to release a report finding that Turkey’s human rights practices failed to comply with the terms of the deal – a finding that would end all hope of Turkish citizens receiving visa-free travel and likely forcing Erdogan to open the floodgates.

…

The Erdogan government became enraged after a senior European official claimed that Turkey is not committed to doing what is necessary to join the 28-nation bloc and that its residents should be denied visa-free travel within the EU as was initially agreed upon by the two parties. The spat between Turkish officials and the European Union comes at a time when Europe desperately needs to preserve the migrant deal.

Germany says EU ‘will not be blackmailed’ as Turkey threatens to ditch refugee deal over visa-free travel

President Erdogan says: ‘You cannot demand the refugee agreement without fulfilling obligations’

Europe “will not be blackmailed” into granting Turkey visa-free travel by the threat to back out of a deal on refugees, Germany’s Vice Chancellor has said.

Talks on the issue and Turkey’s possible accession to the EU have been strained amid a continuing crackdown following the failed attempt to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey Resorts To Blackmail, Warns Europe It Will Unleash Refugees If No Visa-Free Travel

Following months of monetary and diplomatic appeasement of Erdogan, which culminated with a migration deal according to which Turkey would hold Syrian refugees within its borders instead of allowing them to continue onward to Central Europe, things promptly fell apart. As a reminder, less than a month ago, a high-ranking deputy for Turkey’s ruling AKP party, Burhan Kuzu (also a former adviser to President Erdogan) issued an explicit threat to Europe which was at that time discussing whether or not to grant Turkey visa-free travel within the continent. Specifically, he tweeted that “The European Parliament will discuss the report that will open Europe visa-free for Turkish citizens. If the wrong decision is taken, we will unleash  the refugees!.” Many read that as tacit blackmail.

World War 3 Could Start This Month: 350,000 Soldiers In Saudi Arabia Stand Ready To Invade Syria

350,000 soldiers, 20,000 tanks, 2,450 warplanes and 460 mlitary helicopters is not a war drill. It’s the real deal. It would be great if this assessment was wrong, but amassing this insane of an amount can’t be for any normal drill. Historically, war season begins from March and ends in August, which makes this interesting to say the least as the 18 days of exercises spreads into the beginning month. Moreover, this isn’t all about Syria. It’s also about taking Iran out, Saudi Arabia’s enemy, who seeks to dominate the Middle East

What makes this even more dangerous is Pakistan’s involvement. They are a nuclear power who recently in January overtly threatened to wipe Iran off the map should harm come to Saudi Arabia. China has taken the side of Syria and should it get involved expect a Pakistani-Chinese exchange and even a possible strike from India on China. This whole event in the making would just open Pandora’s Box and many scenarios could unfold.

For anyone in the U.S. who thinks this will be “over there”, think again. Stockpile food now because the fallout would crash the markets and even spark terrorist attacks from thousands of sleeper cells on the American homeland due to western involvement.

If you think World War III is a joke or out of a question, then you really need to make a personal assessment. The facts are all there and everything is in motion to make it happen. Where this all currently leads, we can only watch and see.

 

350,000 soldiers, 20,000 tanks, 2,450 warplanes and 460 military helicopters are massing in northern Saudi Arabia for a military exercise that is being called “Northern Thunder”.  According to the official announcement, forces are being contributed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia and several other nations.  This exercise will reportedly last for 18 days, and during that time the airspace over northern Saudi Arabia will be closed to air traffic.  This will be the largest military exercise in the history of the region, and it comes amid rumors that Saudi Arabia and Turkey are preparing for a massive ground invasion of Syria.

If you were going to gather forces for an invasion, this is precisely how you would do it.  Governments never come out and publicly admit that forces are moving into position for an invasion ahead of time, so “military exercises” are a common excuse that gets used for this sort of thing.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia begin joint military drills

The Turkish military said in a statement that the five-day drills started on Monday, adding that six Saudi F-15 fighter jets are involved in the military exercises, Press TV reported.

Analysis: Saudi Arabia Cooking Up Strategic Move Against Russia

One can only assume, since there is no backlash from the United States or NATO in reaction to this buildup, it’s being encouraged behind the scenes by the Obama administration.

 

Saudi-Turkish threat to invade Syria points to the gap between the desire for a cease-fire agreement and reality. Judging by Russia’s conduct so far, Riyadh and Ankara might want to reexamine what could be a dangerous gamble.

The news from Munich on Friday that a cease-fire would be declared in Syria within a week was still fresh when Saudi Arabia announced its own initiative: It would send warplanes to Turkey and special ground forces to fight in Syria against the Islamic State organization. The Saudi-Turkish proposal demonstrated just how great the gap is between hopes for an end to the fighting and the situation on the ground.

Turkey’s Islamist Factory Settings

• Normalization of relations with Israel could bolster efforts to balance Iran’s growing regional clout.
• “In the Middle East, everyone at some point realizes that there is a bigger enemy than the big enemy.” – Israeli official.
• But in the Middle East, reason does not always overcome holiness.

Israel-bashing and the systematic fueling of anti-Semitic behavior have become a Turkish political pastime since Turkey downgraded its diplomatic ties with Israel in 2010. There has been, though, relative tranquility and reports of a potential thaw since June 7, when Turkey’s Islamist government lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since it rose to power in 2002.

Turkish FM says Erdoğan, Obama to open mosque in US

After Turkish Foreign Minister announced that President Barack Obama “accepted in principle” to join President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a trip to Maryland to open a mosque, a White House spokesperson has said there were “no presidential visits or travel to announce” at the moment.

On April 19, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who was on a three-day visit to Washington, visited the Turkish-American Culture and Civilization Center in Maryland that also has a medium-sized mosque, and lunched with representatives from the American Muslim community.