Turkey could join Shanghai bloc: President Erdoğan

[Glass]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-turkey-idUSKBN13G0SS


China said on Monday it was willing to consider any application from NATO-member Turkey to join a Russian and Chinese-led security bloc, after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country could join.

China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2001 to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighboring Afghanistan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Turkey was already a "dialogue partner" of the regional bloc and had for a long time closely cooperated with it.

China attached great importance to Turkey's wish to strengthen that cooperation, he told a news briefing.

"We are willing, together with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and in accordance with the rules of its legal documents, to seriously study it on the basis of consensus consultation," Geng added, without elaborating.

Erdogan was quoted on Sunday as saying that Turkey did not need to join the European Union "at all costs" and could instead become part of the SCO.

Turkish government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday that closer ties with the SCO would not mean Turkey turning its back on other allies.

"Turkey, with its history, culture, geopolitics and potential, is one of the few countries in the world that can cooperate with every corner of the world simultaneously," he told a news conference in the capital Ankara.

"A step taken (with the SCO) does not mean it will end Turkey’s relations with another country."

Turkish membership of the bloc would nonetheless be likely to alarm Western allies and fellow NATO members.

Having long been critical of Turkey's record on democratic freedoms, European leaders have been alarmed by Erdogan's crackdown on opponents since a failed coup attempt in July, and Turkey's prospects of joining the EU look more remote than ever after 11 years of negotiations.

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The EU is treading a fine line as it needs Turkey's help in curbing a huge flow of migrants, especially from Syria, while Ankara has grown increasingly exasperated by what it sees as Western condescension.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan speak Turkic languages, and Ankara signed up in 2013 as a "dialogue partner" saying it shared "the same destiny" as members of the bloc.

Mongolia, India, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan are observers, while Belarus, like Turkey, is a dialogue partner.



(Reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Andrew Roche)

 

[brokk]

If Turkey would be a nuklear power ( i mean if it has some nuklear missiles. Not many! May be 15-20) , than i agree to be a fully independent country and be an observer in all pacts (eu, nato, sco , africa union, even nafta and safta lol.... ).

We need a nukleer umbrella and air defence protection basicly. If we go out from western unions with a sudden anger, it means we be out of umbrellas. We cant depend on russia's or china's nuke umbrella.. and sco is not that kind of pact either.

So, have a nukleer missiles first. Thus, be an equal partner and power in every kind of relation . Than attend to where you want or not..

According to some Russian experts, Turkey already has its own nuclear weapon technology since the mid 90's, which it got unofficially from the US, and the black market at the time. The exact amount is unknown, but it is exactly the same situation as Israel. Note, that these aren't the Nato B61's that were located in Incirlik airbase.

 

[Baybars Han]

According to some Russian experts, Turkey already has its own nuclear weapon technology since the mid 90's, which it got unofficially from the US, and the black market at the time. The exact amount is unknown, but it is exactly the same situation as Israel. Note, that these aren't the Nato B61's that were located in Incirlik airbase.

These are just stupid theories with no grounds for reality. We don't even have a nuclear power plant yet.

 

[ALPfollowerOF373]

believe me guys he is asking for another coup ......

plz Turks

be humble we have very few examples of Economic success & Turkey is one of these examples .... I just don't want to see political or social chaos in Turkey ....



No ... at least not till to date....

We dont need your best wishes, just national security. NATO is ...ing place no need to stay there more. Shanghai five very good alternative for our national interest, no need dummy preach of anyone.

 

[brokk]

These are just stupid theories with no grounds for reality. We don't even have a nuclear power plant yet.

Well, stupid theories, conspiracies are fun especially when there are many reporting the same thing in many different languages, as in the end they turn out to have a piece of truth to them.

On power generation look up "Çekmece Nükleer Araştırma ve Eğitim Merkezi" which is a tiny plant of 1MW-5MW, but has been generating power since January 1962 when it became critical (active), that is 52 years.

Here is some material in english :

"Turkey's role in the nuclear black market has been well documented, though poorly reported in the US. Turkey acted (and may continue to act) as both a manufacturing base for nuclear hardware, as well as a trans-shipment point for goods on their way to the end-customers such as Libya and Pakistan.

In 2000, Bill Clinton signed an order to allow Turkey access to US nuclear technology, but this order was blocked because, according to President Bush, certain Turkish entities were actively engaged in "certain activities directly relating to nuclear proliferation."

Note the timing here. Turkey was known to have been involved in the nuclear black market at least three years prior to the 'official' outing of the AQ Khan ring when a ship containing nuclear hardware, from Turkey and elsewhere, was intercepted on its way to Libya.

President Bush recently re-signed Clinton's order allowing Turkey access to US nuclear technology, although there is no evidence that Turkey has rectified any of these problems.

Turkish Procurement
According to IAEA investigators, the nuclear hardware supplied by Turkey to the AQ Khan ring - including 7000 centrifuge motors - "could be used in manufacturing enough enriched uranium to produce 7 nuclear weapons a year."

In fact, the entire deal to supply Libya with a nuclear weapons program began in Turkey with a meeting in 1997 involving AQ Khan, his Chief Operating Officer BSA Tahir, and Libyan representatives.

The known Turkish suppliers to the network, Selim Alguadis and Gunes Cire, were not indicted for their criminal participation in the ring, and their companies,EKA and ETI Elektroteknik, continue to operate freely today.

Further, Turkish businessman Zeki Bilmen and his US based company Giza Technologies, was caught supplying nuclear hardware to Pakistan's military program in 2003 via South African-based Israeli Asher Karni.

Bilmen was also overheard on wiretaps translated by Sibel Edmonds prior to 2002 organizing nuclear shipments, apparently with members of the Turkish and Israeli military and diplomatic community in Washington DC. According to Sibel, Bilmen was shipping product to and from other hotspots in the Khan/Tahir network such as Turkey, Dubai, South Africa and Spain.

Zeki Bilmen was not indicted, and his company continues to operate freely.

Marco Tinner, a member of the Tinner family that was effectively pardoned by the Bush administration's destruction of evidence, was also recommended for indictment in Turkey in 2005. He faced 32 years in prison in Turkey but that case also appears to have disappeared in the same manner as the Swiss prosecution case.

A Turkish Bomb?
Although there has been no official proof that Turkey is actively building a nuclear weapons, some experts on Turkey's nuclear program have recounted their support, suspicious that the energy program is a cover for a weapons program. In 2006, Mustafa Kibaroglu, a nuclear proliferation expert in Turkey told the Washington Post:
"I'm not supporting Turkey's nuclear energy program anymore because I'm not clear about what the real intention is. Let's put it that way."

...Turkey's involvement in the nuclear black market will remain another 'best kept secret.'"

 

[XILLAX]

A bit old but intresting facts about Turkey

For example 5.27min and much more ..

 

[Attila the Hun]

Out of Nato? I don't think that this will happen so fast.. I belive that a war could happen or better said will happen some day..

But we won't quit NATO just on a whim because we benefit of it.. And they need us, but don't forget, Saddam may also thought they need him or turkey would never sell him out and destroy it's economy.. But our stupidos did it and we also suffered and this could be done by eu and Us Specially when they will have another option another puppet and they are forming this puppets right now!

I am against eu for turkey it's impossible to join the Christian club in its current state.. First you have to throw Islam away make Ayasofya a church again than you can have less than 20% Muslims in turkey maybe it would be a problem to have 20 % Muslims in country to join a. Christian club.. Also changing turkey to byzantine could help because the name Turk is a no go in Eu..

Better get good relations with s. America with Japan, Korea and Russia and China and don't forget the Arabs they may have big problems but they have money.. We should think about our interests..

Sco could be good for us in some way But it could also be destabilize us more.. But being alone would make us a good prey foe all sides..

Maybe we need some Chinese a.-bombs on a Chinese air base in turkey.. That shock on their faces would be great to look at..

Thing is, we have no choice but to get on with our Christian neighbours. weather we like it or not, they are there to stay.
We cannot just cut all ties with them and join this SCO , we still depend on European investment and tourists.
Even a small country like Holland invests a lot in Turkiye.

 

[mike2000 is back]

lol Lot's of emotions and conspiracy theories on here.

Anyway, even if turkey joins SCO, i don't see what's the big deal here. SCO isn't a security bloc AT ALL. Nothing similar to NATO and it wont be for the foreseeable future. So i don't see the issue with Turkey joining this organization for formality sake.
In fact, Even Russia and China who have farrrrrr more common strategic interests haven't formed any official alliance network or organization to this day(and their relations are almost at their best in history), So what does Turkey who doesn't even comes close to the shared interests between these two countries expect? lol Anyway, Turkey is free to choose it's interests like any other country.

 

[brokk]

Thing is, we have no choice but to get on with our Christian neighbours. weather we like it or not, they are there to stay.
We cannot just cut all ties with them and join this SCO , we still depend on European investment and tourists.
Even a small country like Holland invests a lot in Turkiye.

Lol, changing direction of the country from EU to SCO or some analog doesn't mean that Turkey will go hostile. As for NATO it is a military alliance and it is no one's business what pact Turkish people prefer or not prefer... I'm sure there is a lot of lovable businesses from Holland active in Russia, Kazakhstan, China....

The only difference that all this will make is that Turkey will dictate its own terms how some 'anti-Turk', 'turqophobic' countries can interact with it.

DO you trust British military ships in the Aegean? or Mediterranean? - after their anti-turk remarks in Brexit Campaigns?, save the kurds campaigns (by giving weapons to them) - I dont.

DO you trust German, Netherlands, French navy, air-force or navy operating near Turkish borders? After their repeated stance of supporting what they call 'Kurds' (terrorists), It is public knowledge the tonnage and types of the military aid that they have air-dropped to Iraq and Syria? - Heck, reading some German news, one wants to hop in a tank and yell "Next stop Berlin"

DO you trust the US military? I mean the US military is one side in Syria, the CIA is another side, and I'm sure they've killed each other and covered it up many times. It is pure lunacy. Not to mention NATO assets that are not protecting Turkish interests, like the missile shield that is supposed to protect EU / US, but not Turkey, or Advanced Radar and Imaging systems that Turkish officers aren't allowed access to... one just wants to strip all US soldiers to their underwear, and ship them back to their country in civilian planes, so they 'get' it..

lol Lot's of emotions and conspiracy theories on here.

Anyway, even if turkey joins SCO, i don't see what's the big deal here. SCO isn't a security bloc AT ALL. Nothing similar to NATO and it wont be for the foreseeable future. So i don't see the issue with Turkey joining this organization for formality sake.
In fact, Even Russia and China who have farrrrrr more common strategic interests haven't formed any official alliance network or organization to this day(and their relations are almost at their best in history), So what does Turkey who doesn't even comes close to the shared interests between these two countries expect? lol Anyway, Turkey is free to choose it's interests like any other country.

Turkey will probably join the SCO as an alternative to EU, but maybe to CSTO or a future version of something similar as an alternative to NATO. As for common interests, well, Turkey has more common interests with Russia, than it has with most EU countries, especially since the cold war, both countries have been pushed together as outcasts of sorts...

 

[Attila the Hun]

Lol, changing direction of the country from EU to SCO or some analog doesn't mean that Turkey will go hostile. As for NATO it is a military alliance and it is no one's business what pact Turkish people prefer or not prefer... I'm sure there is a lot of lovable businesses from Holland active in Russia, Kazakhstan, China....

The only difference that all this will make is that Turkey will dictate its own terms how some 'anti-Turk', 'turqophobic' countries can interact with it.

DO you trust British military ships in the Aegean? or Mediterranean? - after their anti-turk remarks in Brexit Campaigns?, save the kurds campaigns (by giving weapons to them) - I dont.

DO you trust German, Netherlands, French navy, air-force or navy operating near Turkish borders? After their repeated stance of supporting what they call 'Kurds' (terrorists), It is public knowledge the tonnage and types of the military aid that they have air-dropped to Iraq and Syria? - Heck, reading some German news, one wants to hop in a tank and yell "Next stop Berlin"

DO you trust the US military? I mean the US military is one side in Syria, the CIA is another side, and I'm sure they've killed each other and covered it up many times. It is pure lunacy. Not to mention NATO assets that are not protecting Turkish interests, like the missile shield that is supposed to protect EU / US, but not Turkey, or Advanced Radar and Imaging systems that Turkish officers aren't allowed access to... one just wants to strip all US soldiers to their underwear, and ship them back to their country in civilian planes, so they 'get' it..



Turkey will probably join the SCO as an alternative to EU, but maybe to CSTO or a future version of something similar as an alternative to NATO. As for common interests, well, Turkey has more common interests with Russia, than it has with most EU countries, especially since the cold war, both countries have been pushed together as outcasts of sorts...

Of course I do not trust Britain. it would be foolish to trust them. I just don't want Turkey making enemies with them. Yes, they do not support us, and we don't get nothing from this NATO alliance that works in our interest , but, we do depend a lot of tourists from Europe, that is enough for me to want to stay somewhat friendly with them. It is not ideal, but, I am used to it now.

We have no option but to get close with Russia because of the Turks we have living there. I want a Turanian Union of some sort + Russia. Central Asians, and potentially ad other friendly nations of Turkiye in the future. This is all a dream for now though.

 

[blondeturkish]

erdogan says one thing and then does the opposite

 

[Brutas]

Turkey needs to learn to play hard ball. EU will unlikely grant full membership !
Option could be to join SCO and then expand to non EU territories in the Balkans, take western Thrace all the way to Adriatic-Macedonia like Russian annexation of Crimea-parts of Georgia and Eastern Ukraine. Use that as a bargaining chip to balance both NATO and SCO ! Both would want Turks in their camp at least militarily if not economically (particularly in the case of EU).
Mere dialogue won't achieve much. Expansion will.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Turkey needs to learn to play hard ball. EU will unlikely grant full membership !
Option could be to join SCO and then expand to non EU territories in the Balkans, take western Thrace all the way to Adriatic-Macedonia like Russian annexation of Crimea-parts of Georgia and Eastern Ukraine. Use that as a bargaining chip to balance both NATO and SCO ! Both would want Turks in their camp at least militarily if not economically (particularly in the case of EU).
Mere dialogue won't achieve much. Expansion will.

Loool REALLY??

 

[CanerKoseler]

Turkey needs to learn to play hard ball. EU will unlikely grant full membership !
Option could be to join SCO and then expand to non EU territories in the Balkans, take western Thrace all the way to Adriatic-Macedonia like Russian annexation of Crimea-parts of Georgia and Eastern Ukraine. Use that as a bargaining chip to balance both NATO and SCO ! Both would want Turks in their camp at least militarily if not economically (particularly in the case of EU).
Mere dialogue won't achieve much. Expansion will.

Stop playing too much Europa Universails.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Lol, changing direction of the country from EU to SCO or some analog doesn't mean that Turkey will go hostile. As for NATO it is a military alliance and it is no one's business what pact Turkish people prefer or not prefer... I'm sure there is a lot of lovable businesses from Holland active in Russia, Kazakhstan, China....

The only difference that all this will make is that Turkey will dictate its own terms how some 'anti-Turk', 'turqophobic' countries can interact with it.

DO you trust British military ships in the Aegean? or Mediterranean? - after their anti-turk remarks in Brexit Campaigns?, save the kurds campaigns (by giving weapons to them) - I dont.

DO you trust German, Netherlands, French navy, air-force or navy operating near Turkish borders? After their repeated stance of supporting what they call 'Kurds' (terrorists), It is public knowledge the tonnage and types of the military aid that they have air-dropped to Iraq and Syria? - Heck, reading some German news, one wants to hop in a tank and yell "Next stop Berlin"

DO you trust the US military? I mean the US military is one side in Syria, the CIA is another side, and I'm sure they've killed each other and covered it up many times. It is pure lunacy. Not to mention NATO assets that are not protecting Turkish interests, like the missile shield that is supposed to protect EU / US, but not Turkey, or Advanced Radar and Imaging systems that Turkish officers aren't allowed access to... one just wants to strip all US soldiers to their underwear, and ship them back to their country in civilian planes, so they 'get' it..



Turkey will probably join the SCO as an alternative to EU, but maybe to CSTO or a future version of something similar as an alternative to NATO. As for common interests, well, Turkey has more common interests with Russia, than it has with most EU countries, especially since the cold war, both countries have been pushed together as outcasts of sorts...

Lool So according to you Russia and it's proxies in Syria are on the same Side then? Lol
Plus, you really believe every partners or allies should be on the same page or have the same interests at all times? Lol. If that was the case , then there will be no E.U since many members countries have conflict of interests and different v among themselves , In fact even U.K and U.S won't be allies since we don't always agree on everything(e.g joining AIIB etc). That doesn't means we can't agree to be allies or partners since overall we still have common interests and need each other
You people seem to believe every country should toe your line or something. This is impossible even among the most closest of allies.

You need to calm down an look at the night picture, being emotional won't help one bit. Afterall, why is it that you people don't ask yourselves why even after over half a century your leaders haven't left NATO? Afterall, NATO membership is not mandatory, any country is free to leave at any time they desire. Yet Turkey is still in and has no intention of leaving anytime soon.
Without NATO for example you people really believe Russia would have stayed idle after you shot down their fighter jets killing their pilot in Syria recently? Lol Russia would have eaten Turkey alive. It's because of NATO they couldn't retaliate.If it was any other Non NATO country, Russia would have taught them a good lesson. So you people should calm down and think rationally.