The biggest problem with Turks is manifest in Canavar. They still believe they are the Ottoman Empire. Ultra-nationalists who view themselves as superior to everyone else.
Fortunately, regardless their beliefs, their government is a bit more pragmatic than the likes of Canavar. Remember his chest-thumping that Turkey was just going to invade Iraq and go after the Kurds and if they US tried to stop them we'd get our asses kicked too?
Reality didn't quite work out that way. Probably why canavar was nowhere to be found. He as pouting in the corner in his room because the Turkish government actually worked out an agreement with the US before doing anything.
Turkish nationalism is not based on being superior to anyone else.
We also are not the Ottoman Empire.
We are Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (Turkish Republic). As such haveing no imperial past since foundation in 1923.
Turkey has much what Ottoman Empire didn't have and vice-versa. Ottoman Empire in its endings was a primitive farmer state dealing with spices and such. Also it did loose military backwater over its rivals.
This theme is totally complex and can be subject to academical writings, so here is not the place to talk about, just polarizing and summarizing in 2 sentences.
The point, GunnyL, is, that you have almost no clue about geo-politics of Turkey in regard of its influence over this region.
And this is not meant negative as we do not have an imperial past and did drive a isolationistic strategy the last 85 years.
15 years ago there was the Soviets, 10 years ago a hostile Greece and Syria, 5 years ago a hostile Iran and an UN-sanctioned Iraq.
So Turkey did concentrate mainly on direct neighbors. No option of expansion in general and specifically for example 10 years ago we did not have that clear advantage over neighbours like Greece (military speaking, although creating Northern Cyprus). Greece? Yes, they are armed with High-Tech from all over the world from toe to teeths. The strongest conventional country on earth in similar population size category.
Today its totally different. We can dominate our neighbors excluding Russia, with which we do not have any problems but are cooperateing. It is a must for Russia and Turkey as well.
10 years ago, political and hostile differences did block Turkish economical expansion into neighbouring countries. Today we expand therein and beyond that.
And that is not because Turkey is the world's economical superpower, but we are in comparison to our Hinterland the very economic power, while most of our Hinterland are fucked-up states due to different reasons and ideologies. This also is very complex.
As Turkey is also currently in Transantlantic system in general and in EU customs union specifically our economy did have to to adapt not being imperialized.
And this is also working. Turkish-EU complete trade is more than 100 billion € a year, makeing Turkey every year more important also to our traditional focus points. Today Turkey is 5th biggest trade partner of EU whilst we do import many things, we do also export a shitload of different things. Turkish mid-high technology exports rising every year paralell to Turkish brands accomplishing in traditional markets, like EU.
We are in comparison to our neighbours THE economical, industrial factor.
Only political differences can stop Turkish expansion into Hinterland. So strategy is zero-problems politics, so it is ensured that Turkish economical expansion is not hidered.
Imagine you are a country boardering to 10 countries and 1 country is UN-sanctioned and 6 others block your business activity just because you have hostile relations to them. Substantial development can't be made in these circumstances. Tell an Iran about WTO
In Iran for example everything state planned or in hands of religious bonjads (Mullah trusts). Other neighbours do not even have a substantial industry.
Once boarders open (i do not speak specifically of Iran) Turkish exports skyrocket.
No "tigers" around us.
That is currently happening:
Sustainable growth rates in traditional markets and finally flooding of Turkish goods into markets of surrounding region.
Turkish private business entrepreneurship is successful and expanding. As a consequence Turkish state by wealthier citizens and higher taxes has more to spent.
Military is also a factor, 2nd largest standing force within NATO. This does not necessarily mean anything, because we do not fight with swords. But everything what a modern-day army makes it a powerhouse, Turkey has.
Exponentially rising self-sustaining. Turkey developing fighter aircrafts we will not see. F-35 is latest import product for airforce allthough we do have a workshare within F-35 project. By saying last it does not mean, that Turkey will leave te order at the initial order of 100-116 units. Beyond initial requirement they will replace other squadrons of F-4E 2020 Terminator, F-4E Phantom II, F-5 2000.
All of them modernized in last years in co-production with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
First requirement is 100-116 F-35. Paralell we have about 248 F-16 CCIP.
The future is UCAV and TAI is researching in these areas haveing developed indigenious UAV's.
In Navy, and Army Turkey has major indigenious projects going on. Some of them in delivery, some in development phase.
Not that shit products of reverse-engineering of North-Korean missiles for example.
If we cooperate in development then with Italy, Germany, South-Korea and Israel.
And we actually do.
Military is the biggest factor and GunnyL what he might think in general about Turkey can not deny, that TSK will bring a major shitload of destruction over our neighbours (some of them simultanouesly) once war-machinery rolls. A power which does have stronger army then Turkey (and they are not many) has as a start to bring its war-machinery into this region. For example on paper UK is militarily more advanced (especially Royal Navy) then Turkey. But our war-machinery is here, in-tact, flexible and deployable beyond our boarders.
So UK might be a bigger military power then Turkey, but in its own region.
Or don't you agree?
So what do we have? Being THE factor in this region
- econimically
- industrially
- militarily
This is a broad-spectrum strength to which you can add also factors like environment (water, agriculture, animal husbandry). It will be a critical factor in near future. 2025 onwards. Turkey is industrializing all its environment ressources.
Water is subject of national security and as such utilized and investments canalized. I will not talk of being able to stop waterflow of transnational lifelines like Euphrates and Tigris. We are able. GAP project has a flooding of size of Benelux countries and will have prognosticallly agricultural output of half California once it is completed.
Scientific output, which we do also lead in this region is mainly a sub-subject of economy. So i count it. Except knowledge which is utilized by state.
Turkey has Thorium research activities and is in development phase of uranium nuclear reactors. Uranium reactors are being indigeniously developped for 3 Billion YTL = 2,3 Billion $.
http://www.ntvmsnbc.com/news/402183.asp
Off course this is only development costs and setting them up economically will raise total costs. It is only development. Not taking 10 reactors online into grid.
If Turkey once wants to be a nuclear power, we have the knowledge to. And the whole cycle is in Turkish state's hand (TAEK= Atomic Energy Institution).
This blackmarket-activity is not equitably to our past and present.
Turkey can dig into Toros-mountains and build nuclear weapons nobody even knowing about. It's those relying on blackmarket countries where IAEA comes to step on your foots. See Iran.
What misses is the delivering mechanism. ICBM's etc..
This will be solved paralell to Turkish space missile in 2014, which will bring a scientific satellite either to Mars or Moon. It is not decided yet.
Space programme is under authority of Airforce and financed from its budget.
Developer is Roketsan.
Here you can access a study of Engineering Directorate of Roketsan giving a roadmap.
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=1512698
In Turkish sources it is being said 2014.
2011 beginning of construction of space station.
My point is working against the equatation of acting aggressively and being "important". What cliches some people do have here on board is not that important. In the end i am a nobody just writeing in his free time in a forum. Allthough on a factual basis. And I came here on a specifical subject, and after writeing that much i find it pity to let this account in the annals of Internet data-garbage after that specifical subject is getting less important.
If you do impute me megalomania, dreaming, fixing + fakeing it does not interest me at the end of the day.
I am sure, i hope so, that there are maybe people interested in Turkey beyond those few people who actually respond to my posts.
Off course, to those people imputeing me these things: It is far from over.
As there is dynamism in Turkey, there is much to write about.
And yes, GunnyL, i am nationalistic and there is nothing wrong about. Nationalism may have a negative bridge to fascism in west, but not in Turkey's history and practizing of my positions. I am the antonym to what you link me and permanently direct or indirect label me.
It will be the straw that broke the camels back when it comes to the amount of rapes etc we will put up with before we say **** it scumbos, I suppose we will have to suck it and see.
