Turkey Coup

[Randy Daytona]

Interesting analysis from George Friedman this week (he is a native of Hungary). He seems to think Eastern Europe is becoming more and more concerned with an expansionist Turkey.

https://geopoliticalfutures.com/journeys-end-warsaw-budapest-1/

I got the sense, particularly in Hungary and in Romania during past trips, that they see a significant increase in Turkish power, which they perceive as a threat to the region. This leads to the idea of a Three Seas alliance. This initiative would expand the Intermarium concept by focusing on Turkey in addition to Russia...But the concept goes somewhat further. It seems Turkey is acquiring a desire to spread its power in several directions: south into the Arab world, west into the Mediterranean and northwest into the Balkans. This mirrors the Ottoman Empire, which did not extend into these regions by accident. When Turkey is a great power, geography causes it to expand this way...

Former EUCOM Combatant Commander James Jones just spoke about the Three Seas in Dubrovnic last August. http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/comp...three-seas-initiative-presidential-roundtable

 

[Uncle Fester]

Interesting analysis from George Friedman this week (he is a native of Hungary). He seems to think Eastern Europe is becoming more and more concerned with an expansionist Turkey....

Interesting, but I don't see anyone trusting the Turks further than they can be thrown. Erdogan is too Islamist to be trusted by the secular Muslim Mediterranean militaries, like Algeria or Egypt. The Shi'a states like Syria and Iran don't trust him, the Sunni states flat-out hate him. And he's alienated all the NATO governments.

 

[Randy Daytona]

From Foreign Policy Magazine today after the vote in Turkey.

RIP Turkey, 1921 – 2017
Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn’t just win his constitutional referendum — he permanently closed a chapter of his country’s modern history.

http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/04/16/rip-turkey-1921-2017/



And in the Economist.

Turkey’s referendum
The vote that will determine the fate of Turkey’s democracy
Turks are split over giving new powers to Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Be warned: he would use them without restraint

http://www.economist.com/news/brief...ep-tayyip-erdogan-be-warned-he-would-use-them