Turkish Geopolitics/ Foreign Affairs

[GlobalMillitary96]

Turkey is a regional power I believe Turkey's influence can be felt in the Islamic World and the Turkic World.

I believe these places to be Turkey's sphere of influence due to religious, historical and cultural reasons.

-Balkans
-Middle East
-North Africa
-Caucasus
-Horn of Africa
-Central Asia

Turkey's sphere of influence is pretty big I can see why so many feel threatened by it. Imagine the potential for Turkey in these regions.

These places are perfect for soft and hard power.

I think Turkey can win through hard power however it has already lost the soft power war in North Africa and the Middle East. The Arab-Israeli alliance has spent billions countering Turkish soft power. Like always, we will be forced to use hard power, which means that we will grow in influence by expanding borders and launching operations. We never should have supported the Muslim Brotherhood. It was probably our biggest blunder. In general the Middle Eastern countries hate us and are easily manipulated by the US. We cannot trust any Middle Eastern country, I'm even slightly suspicious of Qatar.

The situation in the Balkans is rather complex. However as a general rule of thumb, Balkan countries are looking to Turkey as a power that can help them stay afloat, same way they look at Russia. We should continue to make relations better with Balkans countries, and try to make sure that if anything happens that they won't support Greece against us. I can see us working closely with Macedonia in the years to come.

The horn of Africa is a very strategic area. It can host military bases that can threaten Saudi hegemony in the region and possibly even serve as missile launch and airbase sites. However more pragmatically speaking, we can help Sudan and Somalia fight against militants so we can gain a foothold in the region. This can have many benefits as you can imagine.

Our main goal in the Caucasus should be to win back occupied Azerbaijani territory and deny American military presence in Armenia. Both Georgia and Azerbaijan are very friendly towards us, which makes our job a lot easier. Across the Caspian Sea we can find our Turkic brothers in central Asia. As the most populated and arguably most powerful Turkic country we should ensure that all Turkic countries are peaceful towards each other. We have the ability to mediate any issues in Central Asia. We should strive to learn from each other and set up joint cultural and archaeological projects. We need to stick together in order to preserve our culture and our ancient traditions. Together we can build an enviable union which other countries will even want to join.

So to some it up we have a lot of potential. Our biggest threats are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Greece and Israel. together they have made most other Middle Eastern and North African countries disapproving of us. Unfortunately we can't do much right now except for protecting our immediate interests (Eastern Mediterranean Gas and Northern Syria). As for the other areas, we can form a military, economical and cultural pact that can change the balance of power.

 

[bsruzm]

Also if Russia stepped in to help Syria then what makes you think that they won't help out Iran?

Well, I didn't say anything about Russia but that would be a different story completely. I wouldn't compare a chaotic situation in Iran to Syrian front.

Iran is too big of a fish to fry.

It's actually not that big of a fish... It has many problem at home that is waiting for some air but still, it is dangerous to play with Iran for a neighboring country.

I just can't see Iran being invaded any time soon.

I wasn't speaking of an invasion but possible clashes both in Iran and Pakistan which would lead to disaster. US is already in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Recently that CENTCOM's Votel spoke of ISIS-K (ISIS Khorasan) and it's South Asian elements. It is actually too early to speak but it already started when India breached Pakistani sovereignty based on claim's. It is going to get only worse but hopefully, it doesn't.

 

[Nein]

I think Turkey can win through hard power however it has already lost the soft power war in North Africa and the Middle East. The Arab-Israeli alliance has spent billions countering Turkish soft power. Like always, we will be forced to use hard power, which means that we will grow in influence by expanding borders and launching operations. We never should have supported the Muslim Brotherhood. It was probably our biggest blunder. In general the Middle Eastern countries hate us and are easily manipulated by the US. We cannot trust any Middle Eastern country, I'm even slightly suspicious of Qatar.

The situation in the Balkans is rather complex. However as a general rule of thumb, Balkan countries are looking to Turkey as a power that can help them stay afloat, same way they look at Russia. We should continue to make relations better with Balkans countries, and try to make sure that if anything happens that they won't support Greece against us. I can see us working closely with Macedonia in the years to come.

The horn of Africa is a very strategic area. It can host military bases that can threaten Saudi hegemony in the region and possibly even serve as missile launch and airbase sites. However more pragmatically speaking, we can help Sudan and Somalia fight against militants so we can gain a foothold in the region. This can have many benefits as you can imagine.

Our main goal in the Caucasus should be to win back occupied Azerbaijani territory and deny American military presence in Armenia. Both Georgia and Azerbaijan are very friendly towards us, which makes our job a lot easier. Across the Caspian Sea we can find our Turkic brothers in central Asia. As the most populated and arguably most powerful Turkic country we should ensure that all Turkic countries are peaceful towards each other. We have the ability to mediate any issues in Central Asia. We should strive to learn from each other and set up joint cultural and archaeological projects. We need to stick together in order to preserve our culture and our ancient traditions. Together we can build an enviable union which other countries will even want to join.

So to some it up we have a lot of potential. Our biggest threats are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Greece and Israel. together they have made most other Middle Eastern and North African countries disapproving of us. Unfortunately we can't do much right now except for protecting our immediate interests (Eastern Mediterranean Gas and Northern Syria). As for the other areas, we can form a military, economical and cultural pact that can change the balance of power.

Saudis and UAE literally made so many Middle Eastern and North African countries become hostile to Turkey due to them constantly showering money onto them. They are trying to do the same thing with Somalia and Sudan.

 

[Elvin]

Turkey should re-direct it's focus on other Turkic nations in Central Asia. Form strong political, economic, cultural and military agreements with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenista ( the STAN family). After all you guys are all Turkic so it makes sense. Then re-direct your attention to the Balkans, for example Kosovo and Albania, and you guys could do more in Bosnia too, you have plenty of support there but we are squeezed between two Dusman countries ( Croatia, Serbia) who despise anything Ottoman-related. Eastern Africa (Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan,) even Nigeria is a good move to start building relationships. The ME is a waste of time, once the oil dries up and or the world moves away form it the ME will be of no use.

 

[MKALE1]

Turkey should re-direct it's focus on other Turkic nations in Central Asia. Form strong political, economic, cultural and military agreements with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenista ( the STAN family). After all you guys are all Turkic so it makes sense. Then re-direct your attention to the Balkans, for example Kosovo and Albania, and you guys could do more in Bosnia too, you have plenty of support there but we are squeezed between two Dusman countries ( Croatia, Serbia) who despise anything Ottoman-related. Eastern Africa (Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan,) even Nigeria is a good move to start building relationships. The ME is a waste of time, once the oil dries up and or the world moves away form it the ME will be of no use.

Everywhere in our scope bro. ME is our neighbour, there is no possibility to moves away there. And they are our muslim brothers.

 

[azyr]

Everywhere in our scope bro. ME is our neighbour, there is no possibility to moves away there. And they are our muslim brothers.

The Middle east is plenty rich, even if we're looking at the poor countries there are other Muslim brother countries that are incredibly rich that can help them out.

But Turkic countries are generally poor or have problems that no one else cares about.

I agree that the ME is our back garden and we should always have influence there - but that shouldn't come at the cost of shying away from Turkic countries - or European Muslim ones such as Bosnia.

 

[Nein]

Turkey should re-direct it's focus on other Turkic nations in Central Asia. Form strong political, economic, cultural and military agreements with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenista ( the STAN family). After all you guys are all Turkic so it makes sense. Then re-direct your attention to the Balkans, for example Kosovo and Albania, and you guys could do more in Bosnia too, you have plenty of support there but we are squeezed between two Dusman countries ( Croatia, Serbia) who despise anything Ottoman-related. Eastern Africa (Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan,) even Nigeria is a good move to start building relationships. The ME is a waste of time, once the oil dries up and or the world moves away form it the ME will be of no use.

As much as we are beefin with the Arabs and Israelis.

We cant leave the Middle East it has been our zone for 1000 years.

Even during the Independance war Ataturk even tried to take back Mosul. What this shows that Turkey will never leave the Middle East.

Leaving the Middle East to the Arabs, Jews and the Persians would be a mistake.

 

[bsruzm]

Leaving the Middle East to the Arabs, Jews and the Persians would be a mistake.

What policy would you follow to keep Persian's in check?

 

[Quasar]

Unfortunatly, so far the only meanigful and realistic foreign policy initiative concerning Middle East ( an extended understanding of it) in the whole history of Turkish Repubic so far was Saadabad pact by ATATURK which was based on equal relations among sovereign (nation) states instead of unrealistic and anachronistic concepts like muslim brotherhood, ummah or caliphate. Especially when you consider the fact that except little jewish and christian minorities the whole Middle East is a muslim land and still the diffrent interpretations of the very same religion is the main cause of the decades old conflicts and trouble. Further, most of so called artifical countries in the region have failed to achieve pecularities of ''NATION STATE'' and the real danger is From being an example to whole region now we became one of them.

 

[bsruzm]

Saadabad pact

Sadly, Sadabad Pact continued to until the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, and then the agreement has terminated. Afghanistan had lot's of trouble, that wasn't good for the pact also.

 

[bsruzm]

"However, had Bulgarians been really forced by sword and fire to become Muslims for half a millennium, there would have been no Christians left in 1878 from which to build a Bulgarian nation."

Bulgaria’s denial of its Ottoman past and Turkish identity

 

[Nein]

"However, had Bulgarians been really forced by sword and fire to become Muslims for half a millennium, there would have been no Christians left in 1878 from which to build a Bulgarian nation."

Bulgaria’s denial of its Ottoman past and Turkish identity

The Bulgarians also deny their Turkic origins while at the same time they use Turkic symbols like the IYI.

Its well known Bulgarians deny the Bulgars were Turkic and their founding fathers were Bulgars who were Turkic.

Bulgarians have also been hijacking Volga Bulgaria by saying they are not Turkic or even Muslim for that matter.

If they hate Turks so much they should stop hijacking Turkic History and Turkic symbols.

 

[UkroTurk]

Mercedes opened a factory in Russia!!
@Bismarck

 

[Bismarck]

Mercedes opened a factory in Russia!!
@Bismarck

I know. Let me repeat what Oskar Lafontaine has said times ago. "Since one century USA try to stop relation between Russians huge resources and German technology."

In other word, Russia is a huge market with same population and recourses and we want to participate of that. Politics changes from time to time, but there are some constaces. One of them is business.

 

[Islamic faith&Secularism]

Despite some in Turkey or even here in denial mood or try to stop others factual concerns by hiding behind some key words like ''racist'' or ''facist'' to silence them... The factual reality grows faster than ever thanks to their denial and covert support by silencing others.

The factual reality is wideopen for everbody in the rest of the world, here is the example:

The Krdish Awakening

The source: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/turkey/2019-02-12/kurdish-awakening

Before the year of 2002:

Now: