Turks and Syrians exchange rounds

[Uncle Fester]

AP is reporting the Turks shelled Syrian batteries today, in retaliation for the Syrians hitting a village on the Turkish side.

It's going to get interesting quickly out there, I think. After the F-4 shoot down earlier this year, the Turks have been under a lot of domestic pressure to respond.

 

[jmcquate]

AP is reporting the Turks shelled Syrian batteries today, in retaliation for the Syrians hitting a village on the Turkish side.

It's going to get interesting quickly out there, I think. After the F-4 shoot down earlier this year, the Turks have been under a lot of domestic pressure to respond.

The Syrian rounds were morter fire. The Turks aren't sure if it was the Syrian Army or rebels.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Turks have renewed shelling Syrian positions, and NATO is officially unhappy.

The NATO military alliance, of which Turkey is a member, met at an emergency session in Brussels, condemned the attack on Turkey and demanded "the immediate cessation of such aggressive acts against an ally."

Sounds like now it's just going to depend on how far Turkey wants to take it.

 

[Fog]

. . . and the Russians are telling NATO to stay out of Syria. Everyone needs to keep his head here.

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

. . . and the Russians are telling NATO to stay out of Syria. Everyone needs to keep his head here.

I always wonder why Russia and China are so quick to back up countries like Iran and Syria. I know that they are trading partners, but are they really that valuable to them?

 

[BusyBee604]

I always wonder why Russia and China are so quick to back up countries like Iran and Syria.

"The enemy of my enemy...is my friend!"
BzB

 

[Uncle Fester]

I always wonder why Russia and China are so quick to back up countries like Iran and Syria. I know that they are trading partners, but are they really that valuable to them?

Yep. Lots of money in the stuff they sell the more unsavory countries.

And sometimes, it's just to try and stick a thumb in the eye of NATO/UN/US, etc. The Russians particularly.

 

[Fog]

And now the Turkish parliament has authorized the military to engage in operations outside their borders. The price of poker has just gone up again.

 

[scoober78]

Does anyone really think that Russia has the stomach for this? I know that their play is to convince the world that they do...but I just don't see O'le Vlad committing military power to this fight, even if it's between Turkey and Syria. Their play is to try to keep Western intervention at bay vis-a-vis removing Bashar al Asad, not to stick their noses into a border war between Turkey and Syria, NATO member or not.

The logistic issues alone are pretty vast...short of Russia committing major naval muscle to the Med proper, the only real route for mobilization looks like something out of a horror story...Georgia, Azerbaijan and or Armenia, Iran, Iraq...No way they pull that off.

 

[Recovering LSO]

The logistic issues alone are pretty vast...short of Russia committing major naval muscle to the Med proper, the only real route for mobilization looks like something out of a horror story...Georgia, Azerbaijan and or Armenia, Iran, Iraq...No way they pull that off.

They could land one of these:



at one of these.... Seems like a steady stream of those monsters could deliver quite a few beans and bullets.

 

[Brett327]

Does anyone really think that Russia has the stomach for this? I know that their play is to convince the world that they do...but I just don't see O'le Vlad committing military power to this fight, even if it's between Turkey and Syria. Their play is to try to keep Western intervention at bay vis-a-vis removing Bashar al Asad, not to stick their noses into a border war between Turkey and Syria, NATO member or not.

The logistic issues alone are pretty vast...short of Russia committing major naval muscle to the Med proper, the only real route for mobilization looks like something out of a horror story...Georgia, Azerbaijan and or Armenia, Iran, Iraq...No way they pull that off.

Is someone suggesting that Russia will get involved militarily? I don't see it either.

 

[scoober78]

With overflight from who? Iraq? I think not.

 

[Uncle Fester]

The Russians will make diplomatic noise and political trouble, probably. Direct military intervention? No way.

NATO is sending out smoke signals that they're considering this an attack on a member state. In other words, countries that support Syria would be supporting an attack on NATO. In still other words, back the fuck off.

 

[Renegade One]

NATO is sending out smoke signals that they're considering this an attack on a member state...

That generally means that they will lower flags to half-mast and send a "Book of Condolence" to local Turkish embassies. The operative word of the phrase "NATO is sending out smoke signals" is "smoke".

 

[Brett327]

Turkey will likely not invoke Art. 5 (definition of Europe notwithsatanding), but if they did, what might that look like? On general principle, NATO is fighting our war in Afghanistan because we invoked Art. 5 after 9/11. Seems like it would be a hugh dick move to parse words and not respond in kind if Turkey asked for help.