Turkey now against ISIS

[dragon]

And the coalition gets access to Turkish bases for strikes.
Suprising considering how adamant they were about us not using bases for strikes before.

Istanbul (CNN)Turkish warplanes bombed ISIS positions in Syria for the first time early Friday, significantly ramping up the country's fight against the terrorist group.

The strikes -- which struck three ISIS targets inside Syria -- come a day after ISIS militants killed a Turkish soldier in a border clash, and in the same week that a suicide blast blamed by Turkish authorities on ISIS killed more than 30 people.

Turkey's decision to attack ISIS positions was taken during a national security meeting Thursday headed by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

It followed the firefight earlier Thursday in which at least five ISIS militants in northern Syria approached the border and fired on a Turkish border unit, killing one soldier and wounding two others, according to the Turkish military.

Turkey initially responded to the clash by firing artillery into Syria.

The Turkish military has targeted positions in Syria before but only as a response to incoming fire from the Syrian side of the border.

Friday's airstrikes were carried out by three F-16s that took off from an air base in southeastern Turkey, authorities said.

Soon after, news emerged of a deal to increase U.S. and coalition access to Turkish air bases, including Incirlik near the Syrian border. The deal provides the U.S. military with crucial access from Turkey into Syria and Iraq that it has long wanted for the campaign against ISIS.

"Turkey and the US have decided to further deepen this existing cooperation against ISIS," Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.

link

[Metahive]

From what I've read in DER SPIEGEL Turkey is just pretending to be anit-ISIS and is really concentrating on bombing the Kurds. Grand Pasha Erdogan is a big fat fucking stinker and still sore that the kurdish party prevented his ascension to Sultandom. Fuck him and his entire islamist party.

[K. A. Pital]

Yes, very much so. They seek NATO approval of their PKK bombings, which they got anyway. The conflict with the Kurds claimed many lives but NATO was on Turkey's side before and it will be this time as well. Which means the Kurds, who defended Kobane and who keep fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq, are screwed.

I second Metahive's opinion, Erdogan and AKP can go to hell.

[Thanas]

Indeed, it is just disgusting that they are bombing the Kurds of all people.

And with Obama's approval.

Well, I guess if the Turkish-financed and Turkish-supplied and Turkish-mediced ISIS groups can't get the job done, Turkey has to wipe out the Kurds themselves.

[salm]

And with Obama's approval.

And with von der Leyens approval.

[Thanas]

Well, at least the Nato and Germany have started to make noises about not destroying the peace process. Will see if anything comes out of it.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Well, at least the Nato and Germany have started to make noises about not destroying the peace process. Will see if anything comes out of it.

There's no real peace process to speak of. Erdogan probably is now pandering the Turkish nationalists to shore up his position after the thumping he got in recent elections where Kurdish voters abandoned him.

[blowfish]

Well, at least the Nato and Germany have started to make noises about not destroying the peace process. Will see if anything comes out of it.

There's no real peace process to speak of. Erdogan probably is now pandering the Turkish nationalists to shore up his position after the thumping he got in recent elections where Kurdish voters abandoned him.

And now he's doing a great job of regaining their votes :V

[Welf]

Indeed, it is just disgusting that they are bombing the Kurds of all people.

And with Obama's approval.

Well, I guess if the Turkish-financed and Turkish-supplied and Turkish-mediced ISIS groups can't get the job done, Turkey has to wipe out the Kurds themselves.

It could be worse. Imagine Turkey was already in the EU. Then ISIS would probably be eligible for subsidies.

And now he's doing a great job of regaining their votes :V

He is reducing the amount of people who vote against him.

[dragon]

huh typical that so many news agencies seem to be glossing over that fact.

[cosmicalstorm]

The Kurds are the only radical feminists in the region save for Israel. We should be drowning them with AT rockets and kevlar vests. Fuck Erodgan and his IS allies.

[Darmalus]

The Kurds are the only radical feminists in the region save for Israel. We should be drowning them with AT rockets and kevlar vests. Fuck Erodgan and his IS allies.

Could you explain how you are using "radical" in this sense?

[Metahive]

huh typical that so many news agencies seem to be glossing over that fact.

They were actually pretty quick here in Germany to point that out and later to remind Von der Leyen that she was being a massive dumbass for congratulating Pasha Erdogan for it.

[cosmicalstorm]

The Kurds are the only radical feminists in the region save for Israel. We should be drowning them with AT rockets and kevlar vests. Fuck Erodgan and his IS allies.

Could you explain how you are using "radical" in this sense?

Female military commanders for one thing.
It's sickening to see America manage to pick the most disgusting people in the ME and make best friends with them while completely shitting all over the Kurds.

(Kurds do have their fair share of honor slayings and forced marriage, but they seem like the next best place to be a woman except for Israel in this region)

[Simon_Jester]

Female military commanders for one thing.
It's sickening to see America manage to pick the most disgusting people in the ME and make best friends with them while completely shitting all over the Kurds.

Remind me which side was getting air support, and which side was getting bombs dropped on them, during the siege of Kobanî ?

[Welf]

Female military commanders for one thing.
It's sickening to see America manage to pick the most disgusting people in the ME and make best friends with them while completely shitting all over the Kurds.

To be fair: pretty much every side in the middle east is the most disgusting people. And there are a few good reasons to ally with Turkey. From all predominantly Muslim states they are the most democratic, liberal and secular. In the early 2000s they did a lot of reforms like breaking the rule of the military and liberalizing the economy. Now they are regressing with little sultan Erdogan ruining more and more of the country, but a few years ago it looked very well like they might turn the AKP into a Muslim version of the European Christian democrats.

[ArmorPierce]

Breaking the military influence on the political process per western pressure is the reason why Turkey regressed in terms of religious influence to the government. For others, can you provide current vetted objective sources for those assertions?

[cosmicalstorm]

Female military commanders for one thing.
It's sickening to see America manage to pick the most disgusting people in the ME and make best friends with them while completely shitting all over the Kurds.

Remind me which side was getting air support, and which side was getting bombs dropped on them, during the siege of Kobanî ?

They have given the Kurds some limited support. But nothing nowhere near what could be done Simon. Remember they still insist on sending all aid to Bagdad (Ie. to the Shia). The US would have no problem what so ever supplying the Kurds with limitless ammunition and support. The Saudis are doing that with IS. The Turks are covertly aiding IS and sabotaging the Kurdish effort. God it's all such a clusterfuck. Since my coworkers are from Kurdistan I am more aware of their problems than of the others, they are still very bitter about the "betrayal" during the first Gulf war, the Halabaya massacre and all.

[wautd]

Looks like dictator president Erdogan is now targetting the Kurdish HDP democratic party as well. Still being sore that he lost a lot of votes due to this party I guess.

[Simon_Jester]

Female military commanders for one thing.

It's sickening to see America manage to pick the most disgusting people in the ME and make best friends with them while completely shitting all over the Kurds.

Remind me which side was getting air support, and which side was getting bombs dropped on them, during the siege of Kobanî ?

They have given the Kurds some limited support. But nothing nowhere near what could be done Simon...

The important point is this:

The most disgusting people in the Middle East, I think most of us will agree, are probably Da'esh. According to you, the US "makes best friends with" such people. Apparently it expresses its affection for Da'esh by dropping bombs on them.

Conversely, the US "shits all over" the Kurds, by dropping bombs on their enemies.

If blowing people up is your idea of friendship, and blowing up people's enemies is your idea of shitting on them, no wonder you're so confused most of the time.

Since my coworkers are from Kurdistan I am more aware of their problems than of the others...

Do they know about your staggering levels of racism?

they are still very bitter about the "betrayal" during the first Gulf war, the Halabaya massacre and all.

I'm trying to look that up, are you sure you spelled it correctly?

[Metahive]

Heh, the Halabja massacre happened at the end of the Iran-Iraq War which didn't involve the US much and the much vaunted "betrayal" happened to the Iraqi Shiites after Operation Desert Storm, not the Kurds who actually got quite a sweet deal out of the aftermath of said operation. Cosmical Ali here is telling funny stories again.

[Welf]

Breaking the military influence on the political process per western pressure is the reason why Turkey regressed in terms of religious influence to the government. For others, can you provide current vetted objective sources for those assertions?

The daily news about every other country in that region? Or do you think Iran (theocratic regime), Iraq (civil war), Syria (hardcore civil war), Lebanon (sectarian tensions), Saudi Arabia (hardcore theocratic regime), Yemen (war/civil war), the Golf Emirates (authoritarian slave states), Egypt (military dictatorship) or the other north African states (poor/sectarian tension/civil war) are better places to live?

[ArmorPierce]

Breaking the military influence on the political process per western pressure is the reason why Turkey regressed in terms of religious influence to the government. For others, can you provide current vetted objective sources for those assertions?

The daily news about every other country in that region? Or do you think Iran (theocratic regime), Iraq (civil war), Syria (hardcore civil war), Lebanon (sectarian tensions), Saudi Arabia (hardcore theocratic regime), Yemen (war/civil war), the Golf Emirates (authoritarian slave states), Egypt (military dictatorship) or the other north African states (poor/sectarian tension/civil war) are better places to live?

no I don't, which is why I am asking for others to provide current sources for accusations of turkey currently aiding isis add opposed to news from early 2014 or 2013 when the American concensus was Syria was the larger threat and we should be arming the rebel groups.

Btw, just because a group is claiming injustice doesn't mean it's true. The American south made claims unjust oppression from the north too in justifying their split from the union.

[Welf]

Ah sorry, then I misunderstand your post.

[cosmicalstorm]

Conversely, the US "shits all over" the Kurds, by dropping bombs on their enemies.

If blowing people up is your idea of friendship, and blowing up people's enemies is your idea of shitting on them, no wonder you're so confused most of the time.

they are still very bitter about the "betrayal" during the first Gulf war, the Halabaya massacre and all.

I'm trying to look that up, are you sure you spelled it correctly?

The US pretty much created IS with the moronic Bush invasion of Iraq and the subsequent incompetent managing of Iraq (Shias machinegunning crowds of protestors and so on).
Much of their heavy weapons come either directly from looted US military stocks or are supplied to IS by friendly sheiks from the US best friends in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Not to mention the arming of "moderate" rebels in Syria who have subsequently turned over their weapons willingly or under pressure to IS fighters on any number of occasions.

I think the entire US "intervention" in Iraq during the past two decades is ridiculous.

If they had left Saddam Hussein in place he would probably have killed 1/10 of the current body count.
I have a hard time believing that he would have caused as much carnage as has been visited upon Iraq since the 2003 invasion.

I misspelled the name, Halabja.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halabja_chemical_attack

Re machinegunning of crowds, support of Maliki
What We Left Behind
An increasingly authoritarian leader, a return of sectarian violence, and a nation worried for its future.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/ ... eft-behind

Re stolen US weapons
ISIS Stole Some Shiny New Weapons From the Iraqi Army
http://www.vice.com/read/isis-stole-som ... i-army-989

Re "moderate rebels"
US Syria policy in tatters after favoured 'moderate' rebels disband
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/m ... ls-disband

IS funding
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... Islam.html
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/poli ... ng-of-isis
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 24324.html