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 mattyrm wrote:
Lol.

Funny.. it didn't sound that harsh when I typed it.

You shouldn't take it too harshly, I'm an elitist green beret so I think almost everyone sucks!

On the plus side, you lads spend $18 billion a year on your military, so I think its a safe bet the Turk Silahlı Kuvvetleri can happily smash the Syrians.

Won't happen though will it? I mean.. the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Its not like you guys like the Israelis very much either!

Don't worry although I'm relatively new member I've been lurking around much longer, from the near end of mod-Frazzled era if I'm not mistaken, so I know most people's opinions about stuff.
Also I agree the conscripted soldiers are not great and they're being replaced with professional ones at the eastern parts.
Other than some conspiracy nuts most people are either indifferent to Israel or see some of their actions in Palestine as cruelty. But there wasn't a death to Israel mentality and probably there never will be.

 Lone Cat wrote:
Thanks. but I don't appreciate the remarks villifying feline attires i'm wearing in my avatar and signature and a vow to provides no answer to any 'history lessions' you think i will ask you about that.

so now I drop the 'Turks VS Israelites, Turkey a friend of Syria, and Greeks still living in Turkey and longing for Russian help' remarks.

what will you say about this?

I'll say having a sound knowledge about things you'd wish to form an opinion on maybe helps the process? And sorry about the ear thing if it upsets you that much.

Syria may actually benefit from Turkish military action. Could be the only thing to finally dislodge the Assad regime.

 Albatross wrote:
Finally, a war in the Middle East I can get behind:

One that doesn't involve young British and American lads coming home in bodybags and stretchers. Let 'em sort it out amongst themselves.

Turkey is a NATO member. If this turns into a serious conflict we'll essentially be obligated to provide aid of some sort.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Frazzled wrote:
Looks like their legislature authorized a full year of action against Syria if needed. When the US does that its effectively a declaration of war....

They authorized cross-border operations, which is close to war but not quite there. They want to avoid violence and refugees (especially Kurdish refugees) spilling over into Turkey.

 dogma wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
Finally, a war in the Middle East I can get behind:

One that doesn't involve young British and American lads coming home in bodybags and stretchers. Let 'em sort it out amongst themselves.

Turkey is a NATO member. If this turns into a serious conflict we'll essentially be obligated to provide aid of some sort.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Frazzled wrote:
Looks like their legislature authorized a full year of action against Syria if needed. When the US does that its effectively a declaration of war....

They authorized cross-border operations, which is close to war but not quite there. They want to avoid violence and refugees (especially Kurdish refugees) spilling over into Turkey.

I know we can send BLT sandwiches, tamales, and tequila.

I wonder who fired those mortar rounds into Turkey?

- Assad loyalist soldiers who were ordered to shoot Turks because they ran out of targets south of the border.

- Or rebel soldiers who want Turkey to invade and take out the Assad regime..

 Frazzled wrote:

 dogma wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
Finally, a war in the Middle East I can get behind:

One that doesn't involve young British and American lads coming home in bodybags and stretchers. Let 'em sort it out amongst themselves.

Turkey is a NATO member. If this turns into a serious conflict we'll essentially be obligated to provide aid of some sort.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Frazzled wrote:
Looks like their legislature authorized a full year of action against Syria if needed. When the US does that its effectively a declaration of war....

They authorized cross-border operations, which is close to war but not quite there. They want to avoid violence and refugees (especially Kurdish refugees) spilling over into Turkey.

I know we can send BLT sandwiches, tamales, and tequila.

They can have the LT Sandwiches. We keep the rest.

What do we look like, Santa Clause?

 dogma wrote:
Turkey is a NATO member. If this turns into a serious conflict we'll essentially be obligated to provide aid of some sort.

Yeah, but for once, we'll be able to do it in a way that other NATO members like Belgium provide support for us.

 Seaward wrote:

 dogma wrote:
Turkey is a NATO member. If this turns into a serious conflict we'll essentially be obligated to provide aid of some sort.

Yeah, but for once, we'll be able to do it in a way that other NATO members like Belgium provide support for us.

So six cases of shoe polish and a five gallon can of diesel then. Excellent.

 Orlanth wrote:

- Assad loyalist soldiers who were ordered to shoot Turks because they ran out of targets south of the border.

That doesn't even make sense. Why shoot Turks simply because you have no more targets?

Syria is, and has been (this is hardly the first time its happened), firing into Turkey for much the same reason that the US uses drone strikes in Pakistan. The Kurdish population that makes up the majority of Eastern Turkey is more than happy to accommodate the Kurdish population that inhabits Northern Syria.

 Frazzled wrote:

I know we can send BLT sandwiches, tamales, and tequila.

And Egg McMuffins. Those bastards are deadly, especially with a dash of hot sauce.

That works although I am more of a sausage biscuit kind of guy (with a little grap jelly - pure awesome).

 Frazzled wrote:
That works although I am more of a sausage biscuit kind of guy (with a little grap jelly - pure awesome).

My dad does that too, must be an old man thing.

yes.

 dogma wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
Finally, a war in the Middle East I can get behind:

One that doesn't involve young British and American lads coming home in bodybags and stretchers. Let 'em sort it out amongst themselves.

Turkey is a NATO member. If this turns into a serious conflict we'll essentially be obligated to provide aid of some sort.

Doesn't the NATO thing only kick in if Turkey is actually attacked by Syria? Not my area of expertise, but that seems to be pretty flexible, in terms of not having to get involved. Regardless, I imagine that the US/UK alliance will probably lend Turkey some form of specialist support to cover any logistical gaps they may have, in the event of any war between the two nations. As long as US/UK troops aren't committed, I'll be happy. They've done too much over the last couple of decade. It's time for the EU to step up, not that they will of course.

 Albatross wrote:
Doesn't the NATO thing only kick in if Turkey is actually attacked by Syria? Not my area of expertise, but that seems to be pretty flexible, in terms of not having to get involved. Regardless, I imagine that the US/UK alliance will probably lend Turkey some form of specialist support to cover any logistical gaps they may have, in the event of any war between the two nations. As long as US/UK troops aren't committed, I'll be happy. They've done too much over the last couple of decade. It's time for the EU to step up, not that they will of course.

Agreed. Let's get the Germans off the bench. They seemed to be pretty good at that war stuff.

 Albatross wrote:

 dogma wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
Finally, a war in the Middle East I can get behind:

One that doesn't involve young British and American lads coming home in bodybags and stretchers. Let 'em sort it out amongst themselves.

Turkey is a NATO member. If this turns into a serious conflict we'll essentially be obligated to provide aid of some sort.

Doesn't the NATO thing only kick in if Turkey is actually attacked by Syria? Not my area of expertise, but that seems to be pretty flexible, in terms of not having to get involved. Regardless, I imagine that the US/UK alliance will probably lend Turkey some form of specialist support to cover any logistical gaps they may have, in the event of any war between the two nations. As long as US/UK troops aren't committed, I'll be happy. They've done too much over the last couple of decade. It's time for the EU to step up, not that they will of course.

I can understand people complaining about US/UK contributions to UN missions.

I can even understand people complaining about UK contributions to NATO things.

But isn't the US the only country so far that has ever utilized Article 5?

 Seaward wrote:

 Albatross wrote:
Doesn't the NATO thing only kick in if Turkey is actually attacked by Syria? Not my area of expertise, but that seems to be pretty flexible, in terms of not having to get involved. Regardless, I imagine that the US/UK alliance will probably lend Turkey some form of specialist support to cover any logistical gaps they may have, in the event of any war between the two nations. As long as US/UK troops aren't committed, I'll be happy. They've done too much over the last couple of decade. It's time for the EU to step up, not that they will of course.

Agreed. Let's get the Germans off the bench. They seemed to be pretty good at that war stuff.

Yep. Although saying that, there was a news story not too long ago about German soldiers killing civilians in Afghanistan, iirc.

It was like the good old days!

 Albatross wrote:
Doesn't the NATO thing only kick in if Turkey is actually attacked by Syria? Not my area of expertise, but that seems to be pretty flexible, in terms of not having to get involved.

It is very flexible, but when I referred to escalation I was referring to open war. Right now its just a vague promise to respond to cross-border violence, and Syria being a bit sheepish about the fact that its been firing into Turkey for quite some time.

If it became an actual war, NATO would be obligated to respond in some fashion if it wants to maintain relevance. Much like it was obligated to respond in Afghanistan.

It gets even worse if Turkey decides to invoke Article 4.