Originally Posted by
CrowBat
For years - read: long before the USA ever came to the idea to ask Turkey for permission to deploy its combat aircraft at Incirlik AB so they could fight the Daesh from there - Turkey, a loyal NATO-ally since 50+ years, demanded few things, from the USA and from the NATO. Between these was the NATO to provide full support if they (Turks) go into Syria to fight the Daesh (and Assad, of course). Foremost on behalf of the NATO (even more so considering what happened afterwards; see below).
Half the NATO said 'nyet' (literally, because of all the various talking-heads there on Putler's paylists) and the other couldn't bother to pay attention.
When nearly 3 million of Syrian refugees flooded Turkey, NATO just couldn't give a damn: it was the EU that began screaming when about half a million of these began flooding Greece...
Meanwhile, Turkey did grant permission for the US aircraft to deploy to Incirlik AB, and even began flying air strikes on Daesh in Syria - only to have the CENTCOM call it to stop immediately: supposedly, Turks were 'disturbing' US operations...
A month later, Russians forgot to announce ops of their Su-24s along the Turkish border, prompting Turks to conclude these would be Assadist Sukhois - and shoot one down, which was fully in line with currently valid NATO's ROEs for such cases ('unidentified aircraft, violating airspace, deploying weapons...').
Instead of informing themselves properly about what happened, all the possible NATO-relevant talking-heads de-facto sided with Russia and accused Turkey for doing that....
As next, certain official with job description 'President of the USA' ordered a significant contingent of the US-supported, Sunni-Arab 'Syrian Democratic Force' (a US-supported coalition of Sunni Arabs and YPG's Kurds, specifically created with the aim of fighting Daesh) to be transferred over 300km via Turkey to the Afrin enclave. And this in support of the YPG, which is an offshot of the PKK - considered a terrorist organization by all of the NATO.
Two weeks later, the same official then ordered Turkey to close its borders to Syria.
You know, I'm not the least pro-Erdo, and surely not curious to defend him. From my POV, he couldn't get bashed any more.
But, every story has two sides. Especially this one. And foremost because the US official in question - who, BTW, is the very same character repeatedly insisting on respect for 'Iranian interests' from all possible US-alllies - seems not to consider Turkey even for a sovereign state.
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