Look at the whole picture: Turkey at the crossroads or in the crosshairs?

Islam in Turkey: Turkey, steadily since the rise of the AKP party took power in 2002, has been investing considerable resources in expanding its reach both in the Islamic and in the Western world, by the use of Islamic organizations that spread in dozens of countries and are mainly composed of Turkish-descent citizens. The web of relations and transactions between them and with Turkey are multiple and far-reaching.

Part of NATO missile defense goes live : The station is located in the city of Malatya, about 400 miles southeast of the capital Ankara, and is manned by both Turkish and U.S. personnel, the spokesman said. Turkey is one of five countries that have agreed to deploy parts of the U.S.-designed defense system. Portugal, Poland, Romania and Spain have also agreed to participate.

I remember a couple months back when Iran said as soon as the site in Turkey was on line it would be a valid target for Iran. I also just caught that Russia and the United States are pretty close to an agreement on being partners on the MDS. The only problem now is getting the US to put on paper that Russia is not a target. That should not be a problem one way or the other. Sign the damn paper.

On the new Turkish naval strategy: Turkish Naval Forces Commander Adm. Murat Bilgel outlined the new Turkish naval strategy in the latest issue of the Proceedings magazine of the United States Naval Institute. In the same issue, naval force commanders of other NATO member countries also outlined their new perspectives ahead of the strategic turn in the coming NATO summit in May in Chicago.

Therefore, one of the two main factors framing the needs of the new Turkish Navy is in parallel to the new NATO needs. Adm. Bilgel summarizes this as “focusing on sophisticated, modular designs that allow us to move toward economy in our operations with fewer crew and lower fuel costs. The objective is to maintain and develop a credible naval force despite budget constraints.”
The other main factor is in parallel to the new Turkish military approach, which is integrated with the Turkish foreign policy and economy needs.

Turkey is an up and coming Nation straddling the middle east, Europe, Islam, and the west. As such they are walking a fine line. They are serving us and the middle east well.

We just discussed this! We need Turkey, the EU needs Turkey, the world needs Turkey. However the US and the EU as you know has long frustrated Turkey. Supposedly she is turning towards Iran but while we tighten sanctions and money Iran is using Turkey to fill the void but in the end Iran as you know will go her own way and Turkey will stay with us.

I again reiterate the whole story: Turkey's future is tied to a pipeline!

It really drives me crazy but the more you research the more you realize all throughout the middle east, Georgia, Afghanistan, everywhere, all the wars and controversy can be tied back to gas and oil. Russia's interest in Iran in numerous and as such is not singular to nuclear cooperation. You might have already known Russia was also interested in Iran's gas and oil but an interesting possible relationship and cooperation just dawned on me.

I am sure you remember Russia creating a crisis recently shutting off Europe's gas and oil supply after its confrontation with Georgia, that and the fact that Turkey has long desired and endeavored to become a member of the European Union. This opens up a win, win for all involved!

* Center pin Turkey, King pin Russia, center pin Iran! Winner US, European Union, Iran, Russia, and all our union and future! Remember the missile defense shield President Obama killed as an issue by switching to the Aegis? The missile Defense shield was starting to look like a necessity with N Korea in pressing on missiles capable of carrying war heads and the ability to reach Hawaii or so we hear. Iran we still do not know about but they will not compromise their nuclear desires so with a responsible credible ally if Russia is one, the responsibility to ensure Iran's real intentions would be there's under scrutiny of course. There is room here.

** The winners in all this is everyone, but Turkey and the EU above all! Russia wants the franchise for Iran's gas and oil! Turkey is at the crossroads of the middle east and the European Union. This is a major point for compromise in all our problems! Give Russia the franchise, the EU lets Turkey join in turn for Turkey allowing a pipeline from Iran through Turkey into the EU. Everyone wins! A win, win for all and a chance for us to move into the future as one.

I reiterate the future is up to a pipeline!

In the Middle East we have been living a total lie from 9/11 on! You have not heard the truth once! Not on the events of 9/11, the Anthrax attacks which scared Congress to pass the so called Patriot Act and give Bush the abusive power he needed to attack Afghanistan for not allowing his pipeline through Afghanistan.

 The only remaining obstacle on 9-11 was the remaining agreement between the Taliban and Bridas Corporation. The Bush Administration, Congress, many in our major media, and even the 9-11 Commission and Cheney Energy Task Force all know about Bridas Corporation because that Argentine oil and gas company was standing in the way of our US oil companies and UK oil companies. The Caspian Basin oil is landlocked and there are only so many ways to get that oil out of the ground, to the ocean ports and into your gas tanks or home heating oil tanks.

What a coincidence huh? There is the direct route from Turkmenistan across Iran to the ocean, but that is not politically popular since the overthrow of the Shah of Iran many years ago. There is: 1.) the route across the Caspian Sea westward, which is extremely costly; and through Azerbaijan through Turkey to the Mediterranean; and 2.) from Turkmenistan through Georgia to the Black Sea; and 3.) through the Ukraine to Europe; and 4.) the Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to the ocean. Until one of those solutions was in place, the holes being drilled into the ground by British Petroleum, Chevron, Exxon and others could not go anywhere and could not produce revenues for those companies. A route northward through Russia would put US oil companies at risk to changes in Russian politics and the Eastward route through China was not deemed secure enough since China is soon to become the second largest user of petroleum in the world after the United States.

Lastly!

Many of us have said numerous times that Bush was advised before hand that if he attacked Iraq he would destabilize the Middle East. He knew before he ignored all good advice that the neighbors would get involved and they are. He knew that it was most likely that Iraq would be divvied up between the Kurds, the Sunni's, and the Shiite and it will be. In the past I have written extensively the entire Middle East would blow and then the entire world would be involved in war.

I know that both Turkey and Iran are fighting Kurds that are looking for Autonomy but never really thought that a free Kurdistan would encompass areas of Iran and Turkey as well as Iraq. Knowing the close American Kurdish relationship I really have to rethink what Bush's real goal was here after I discovered an old story. Tell me what you think!

Kurdistan Observer: A Free Kurdistan! Recent nuances and nudges in government policy as well as tacit support for the most obscene anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism by the ruling political party of Turkey ought to cause the United States to begin to rethink its comprehensive policy toward Asia in general and toward one non-Arab minority in Iraq in particular: the Kurds. What, today, is the most intractable political problem in Iraq? It is the very real political and religious aims of Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish regions of the nation. Since the inception of Operation Iraqi Freedom, President Bush maintained that the unity of the nation of Iraq was non-negotiable. In politics and in war, however, nothing should be non-negotiable.

This sounds vaguely familiar but Iraq is not a nation in any real sense, it was rather three separate concentration camps each with differing degrees of oppression. An answer? Maybe but there are numerous counties involved and they all want their answer as a result there will be none I am afraid because peace and prosperity is not the goal but getting ones way and individual National Sovereignty is!

The US needs Turkey for its Middle East policy but it is obvious the rest of the world does too. Turkey and the world are at a crossroads which way will we go!? Let Turkey join the European Union! There are drawbacks as membership would give them freedom in the rest of the member countries but it can be managed and I think there are more positives than negatives.

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com