FILE IMAGE: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP
The diplomatic relations between Washington and Ankara are rapidly deteorating amid the ongoing Turkish military effort in Syria’s Idlib province.
The US Mission to Turkey said on October 8 it was suspending non-immigrant visa services at its diplomatic facilities in Turkey following the arrest of a consulate employee, prompting Turkey to halt visa services in the US.
“Recent events have forced the United States government to reassess the commitment of government of Turkey to the security of U.S. mission and personnel,” the mission in Ankara said in a statement. “In order to minimize the number of visitors to our embassy and consulates while this assessment proceeds, effective immediately we have suspended all non-immigrant visa services at all U.S. diplomatic facilities in Turkey.”
The Turkish embassy in Washington followed suit with a similar statement:
“Recent events have forced the Turkish Government to reassess the commitment of Government of the U.S. to the security of Turkish Mission facilities and personnel. In order to minimize the number of visitors to our diplomatic and consular missions in the U.S. while this assessment proceeds, effective immediately we have suspended all visa services regarding the U.S. citizens at our diplomatic and consular facilities in the U.S.”
On October 4, Turkish authorities arrested Metin Topuz, a US Consulate employee of Turkish nationality, for alleged links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the Turkish government blames for last summer’s failed coup, Turkish Anadolu agency reports. Topuz is charged with espionage and attempts to damage the constitutional order and Turkey’s government.
Coincidentally, the Syrian rebel fighters backed by Turkish forces launched a military operation in Idlib province on October 8. Turkish forces shelled areas along with its border with Idlib. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Free Syrian Army was carrying out the operation in Idlib, while Turkish forces provided support from inside Turkey’s borders. According to Erdogan, Russian forces are to provide support from the air.
The operation is being conducted after Iran and Russia, which back President Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey, which supports the rebels, agreed on September 14 in Kazakhstan to reduce fighting between insurgents and the government in the northwest. The agreement laid out four de-escalation where rebels and government forces should halt hostilities, including air strikes, for six months. These zones covered the territories of Eastern Ghouta in the northern Damascus countryside, and the provinces of Idlib, Homs, Latakia, Aleppo, and Hama. The deal had been conducted with the the US representative observing, essentially leaving the US left out from the talks.
That’s what happens when you’ve been a bully for decades, people try to distance themselves from you at every opportunity.
The US corporation is throwing a tantrum. Rarely as an ‘Indispensable Nation’ looked more foolish.
While I’m no fan of Erdogan , it would be sweetness if he helped move the US out of Syria and Iraq .
Russia iran iraq syria and turkey must cooperate to kick usa out of these lands. Usa only brings more blood .
3 days later HTS and Turkey working together and Turks moving with closer ties to Ukraine so many fools on here.
You are seeing only the superficial events, if that.
The true events can not be made public.
Then how come HTS gives turks escorts?
Where did you hear that? Check your sources.
Turk Lira Lost 4% of its value overnight. That is a huge drop. Turk has been seizing dozens of EU & US citizens as hostages. US Congress already voted unanimously to sanction Turkey for attacking old men & women during Erdogan’s visit in May.
now must we buy
If you buy today, it will be worth less tomorrow. Turk will have to raise interest rates to keep lira from falling, but raising rates will wreck the turk economy which is already shaky.
then also tomorrow. but ecb and wall street suggest to buy turkish papers. this is like sinuscurve. but you are right, must buy carefully. :)
The Turks are arresting spies in Turkey this happens it’s normal when spies are caught generally warrants are made as is with proper Geneva conventions regarding spies.
Since the failed coup, Turkey has arrested over 100,000 people. Turks have arrested dozens of US citizens and even admitted they are being held as hostages until the US gives over Gulen to the Turks.
Many are spies and they rake on different roles like getting involved in local politics while being a foreigner violates the Geneva convention especially as a member of the diplomatic or press corps. Trump is holding no cards as he was stupid enough to expend them while the Turks are holding all the cards.
Please spend some time researching the Turkish economy. The amount of foreign debt is 27% of Turk GDP. Bankers aren’t going to lend Turks money if it isn’t safe to travel to Turkey. Without foreign loans the Turk economy will collapse.
You do some work and figure out the US debt it’s way beyond their actual 12 trillion dollar economy, can’t keep printing paper assets forever.
US has a $23 to $27 trillion economy. While it dies have a high debt load at $20 trillion, that debt is almost all held by US citizens & banks. Turk economy is nor as stable.
Turk economy: Bad. OK. Whatever you say.
But how is it related to them catching spies?
They aren’t catching spies. They are harassing people. The 100,000 people arrested weren’t spies.
So, wouldn’t it be easier to just say so, you know, instead of the review on the Turkish economics?
They are working to undermine the country isn’t that the definition of a spy especially US citizens in Turkey.
Fully agreed. What I meant is instead of telling stories about how Turkish economy is bad,@Kennethllindsy:disqus could say what he really wanted to say.
It’s what these people do. They just jump between subjects and whenever feel they are cornered, pull something new and wild out of their bottoms and continue to spread disinfo.
Where did you come up with that figure they have been making up these numbers to hide the massive debt keep dreaming. When the petro dollar breaks the US cradle will fall then down will come US …..
They lend to the USA, still, don’t they? And America’s debt to GDP ratio was around 106% last year. Not sure how much of that was foreign and how much domestic.
I personally think that the Turkish coup was a fake, and the ultimate beneficiary was Erdogan (as he had a gold-plated reason to arrest everyone who isn’t him).
Now US can stuff SDF and KRG full of heavy waepons and relocate Incirlik to either KRG of Northern Syria, likely the former.
F*ck the Turks.
relocating Incirlik airbase to KRG will not make any difference … Turkey, Iran, Iraq can simply declare a no fly zone for US. Turkey can simply disallow US military planes on its airspace … there will be nothing US can do … Moreover … Incirlik Airbase is a NATO airbase …Its part of NATO vital installation … US will still need it after Syria …. Other NATO countries will complain … if US made a unilateral decision that effected other NATO country …
Germans already left Incirlik.
As for no fly zone, theoretically. correct. On the other hand, US has no real problems with Iraq and they are not bothered by Syria at the moment. So later?
At the moment, you can be sure, alternative plans are being formulated right now in case Turkey either leaves Nato or gets booted out.
NATO is not only america. kurdistan will not by accepted by europe and europe will have turkey in nato.
I find it hard to see Turkey getting booted out of NATO … They are a getaway to Middle East .. and geo-location wise very strategic as they are close to Iran and Russia.. .thats why they were in the NATO to begin with … If they expel Turkey … it will be a victory for Russians … and this will also mean that Turkey will start to re-align itself with Russia by default and spite … NOT what US wants … Turkey contributes more to NATO then some of those riff raff eastern countries …
http://www.iraqiairways.co.uk/en/flight_schedule-oct17.html HAHAHAHAH
Are you all right? That’s “Iraqi” airways, not “Barzani” airlines. Based on the constitution of Iraq, international airports (and all border crossings) are under federal government’s provision. I will join you in the laughter: HAHAHAHA!
the funny thing is that they closed the airspace after the referendum, but it is open again!! so is the pipeline to turkey and the landborder! Hahahahah!
Not funny as you think. They re-opened because Barzani was afraid enough to steal a chunk of Iraq, so everything back to normal. KRG “IS” a part of Iraq after all, why would Iraq close it’s own airspace and airports? Ever thought of that?
Perhaps it is a hysterical laughter?
no, they still run their own affairs and that will not change…. it is funny and a first step towards freedom for ALL kurds
Yes they do, as envisioned in the constitution of their own country, Iraq.
Oh that pesky constitution, right!?
Iraq is a product of colonialism and borders can change
Then until the borders change, deal with it. KRG is part of Iraq.
But not for long i hope and so does the mayority of the kurds. You should deal with that
Who knows… a week, a year, never? I promise you when the time for border change comes – that’s if it comes – I will deal with it. Until then, dealing with it is your burden!
You know what? Iraq is not even my country but If Barzani didn’t act like that and didn’t take areas outside KRG using armed forces, they had my and a lot of other Iranians’ blessing to be independent. We see Iraqi Kurds as our blood brothers, not strangers.
I take it you are a Turk.
What gave it away? It’s interesting, how did you reach to that conclusion, if you please?
“We see Iraqi Kurds as our blood brothers, not strangers.”
Well, I’m Iranian, a Persian if you meant for ethnicity.
Well, Garga, I wondered, because you did mention Iran. But I would think the Kurds were more related to the Turks, than the Persians (Indo-Aryans).
Kurds are Iranic people so is their language. Even Syrian Kurd’s language is full of Persian words. Azeris too are the same. The people we call Turks today are a mixture of several ethnicities. The real (or original) Turkic people are a mixture of Mongoloids and Caucasoids, originated from Central Asia and so their facial features can be from Caucasoid to Northern Mongoloid. They’re also called Turanids. Take a look at these groups facial features, it becomes more clear.
You may be right, Garga. I just looked up a brief synopsis of the intertwining “peoples” that may have contributed to the Kurdish, what shall I say? DNA, and Turkish was not mentioned. It did mention that there may have been pre-Indo-Iranian influence, as well as Medean, and now I think there may have been some Scythian influence. At any rate, what is fascinating is that these people maintained a separate identity and culture through thousands of years—amazing. I wonder why they preferred to remain in the Zagros mountains instead of migrating elsewhere. I would love to do more research.
There are a lot of different groups of people in Iran which are identified by their ethnicity while all call themselves Iranians. Some used to live in cities and some were nomadic. Nomad tribes of greater Iran has always been the backbone of Iranian armies, as Iran rarely attacked others and usually only defended, there wasn’t a need to have a permanent and professional army, except for the Kingsguard (max. 10k mounted). So in times of need, by king’s request nomadic tribes sent soldiers. By their loyalty and bravery Iran managed to stop Ottomans for more than 500 years, where they ravaged every other nation they came face to face.
A group of Kords (by Kord I mean Iranian Kurds) live in Khorasan, NE of Iran. They migrated there during the reign of Shah Abbas I, to defend the border against Uzbek, Mongol and Turkman raiders. Another great ethnicity is Lurs, also mountain dwellers in Zagros. Their lands has never been conquered, ever. Many other groups exist and all of them paid tribute to Iran’s rich history.
If you are interested in dogs, I suggest take a look at Persian war dogs which these tribes used to breed for war..They still breed the dogs and keep their secrets jealously, by the same methods which was used 3 millenniums ago. If you compare picture of dogs with their statues in Persepolis, you see they didn’t change. They also used them to hunt, like Saluki, but to hunt bear and panther. More like a monster than dog. Look it up: Sarabi dog, Mazandarani dog, Qahdarijani dog and Ghafghazi dog. For Qahdarijani I think you have more luck if you search in Persian: سگ قهدریجانی Then compare them with this: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e4/87/65/e48765d90d352064645d620d0167a555.jpg and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Persepolis_-_statue_of_a_mastiff.jpg/576px-Persepolis_-_statue_of_a_mastiff.jpg
I admire the Iranians quite a bit. I think they are great statesmen. However, I differ with you on your statement that Iran rarely attacked others. The Byzantine-Sassanid wars for instance, that weakened each empire, and allowed the nascent Muslims to enlarge the extent of the Islamic religion, even into Persia. I do love dogs; I was in Vet School many many years ago. I will look these up.
And the Kurds as well. An interesting people, who need more insight into their identity and culture. I first need to “stabilize” my own situation.
Thanks for your help.
Don’t mention it and thanks for the nice words. Regarding Byzantine-Sassanid (continuation of Rome-Parthians wars, about 700 years of war), Sassanids (shall I say Iran?) rarely started the clashes and on occasions which did attack, it was to retaliate a defeat before that and retake the lost territory Historically Euphrates used to be the border between the two powers, but Byzantine (and Rome before that) regularly attacked in order to expand. Rome and Byzantine (Just like the Ottomans later) expanded in every direction but not east. If you look at the 700 years of war between the two sides, the clashes more or less always started by the western neighbour. Of course it doesn’t mean Iran never attacked, it did but it’s very rare.
But these events happened a millennia ago. The last time we invaded another country (and I mean another country, not crushing a rebellion) was Nader Shah’s conquest of India which would never happen if Mohammad Shah of India didn’t the stupid things he did. Anyway, it was even before the US becomes a country. Expansionism was not popular in this part of the world. Iranian, Indian and Chinese kings and emperors were generally satisfied by keeping their huge countries in one piece. The most sever attacks on this 3 came from central Asia, not the west.
Hope you manage to take care of your situation quickly and painlessly.
If you want to believe that, it is okay with me. No people want to believe they are the cause of aggression. Yet it was the Medes and the Persians who conquered Babylonia-Sumeria-Mesopotamia. Not saying that was a particularly bad thing. One other thing, though. Indo -Iranians and Indo-Europeans are related, I hear. And Indo-Europeans are not known for their pacifism. So I assume that near relations are not either. And the former Ayatollah did threaten to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Something like that. At any rate, it’s time to get rid of the nukes.
Yes, but these are ancient incidents. Thousands of years passed since the era of ancient Persian empire’s conquests. I think in humans pacifism and aggression are more related to the culture than genetics (like in dogs). Common roots exist between the two and their languages, but they separated thousands of years ago .
Well, I would need to do more research, but either that part of the Near East is exceptionally attractive to other nations, or Persia/Iran is as much a marauder as any. Medes/Persians vs. Babylon Persians vs. Greece Sassanids vs. Byzantium Safavids vs. Ottomans (A particularly bad relationship, because as the Kurds will tell you, when the Ottoman Sea [Ottomans] and the Tajik Sea [Persia] start agitating, the ground becomes “soaked with the blood of the Kurds”. as the 17th century Khani Ahmede wrote in “Mem and Zin”. Thanks for asking about my “unstable” situation. I’m hoping it will get better soon, because as you see, I have a lot more to learn.
I could see any kind of people as “blood” brother. I have a good Brazilian friend, a good French friend, a good South African friend, A good Dutch friend, Colombian, English, Syrian, just some examples….
Good for you. I hope your “good” Dutch friend is not dutchnational, for your own sake!
a real smart ass, like me ; ) but no, i don’t know anyone here on this site.
First step by Kurds to abject slavery by US/Israel. Afghanistan is doing really well after 16 years of US occupation and colonisation! They have no say in anything. That’s what the Kurds are in for, but don’t tell them! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
We’ll see about that. Rosneft isn’t exactly american or israeli is it?
Well … wait and see what happens if Kurds ever declares Independence in Northern Iraq … They have already backed out now …
kurdistan has mno geopolitical significance. it is ease to close the airspace around this island on soil.therefore usa wil NEVER, never, never chene turkey to kurdistan. therefore always will piss on kurds. they will be used, misused. the role of fools.
Correct. Geography is on Turkeys side and always will be. Still, such a shame that Constantinople fell to the Turks. Maybe it was unavoidable… Sorry, I’m rambling.
Still, such a shame that Constantinople fell to the Turks.
big shame
Kurdistan has a potential value geoplitically, but its isolation from the sea is indeed a big handicap. On the other hand, how many borders are right now exactly the same as a 100 years ago?
can be formed new persia :P
http://www.iraqiairways.co.uk/en/flight_schedule-oct17.html
HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
of course, kurds are gypsies, they wolk everywhere. but wil come day d, when all countries around close the airspace, and kurds can moce only with donkeys.
dream on….
you are dreaming.
US broke its assurances to Turkey that it will only use YPJ to fight and defeat ISIS at Raqqah .. but now YPJ is suddenly going across to East along the Euphrates river to reach border .. thereby going on a land grabbing spree under the explicit command of US to deny SAA their own territory and also to deny Iran influence in Syria …
This was the red line given to US by Erdogan and now he sees that US lied to him … YPG controlled areas in Syria have increased dramatically and suddenly …. even though US said they will not let that happen …
And with the Northern Kurds referendum on independence in Iraq … Erdogan is seriously spooked … and him being a megalomaniac .. he will try something drastic and he will not give a damn what US thinks … Turkey may just deny US war plane use of its airspace … or use of its Incirlik Airbase…
All the more reason to have alternatives, even if they are not as good as Incirlik in optima forma.
That little skinny Zionist weasel Bernard Henry Levy manipulated Referendum and all this Mid East bullshit starting with Libya and elsewhere ,with a lot of help from all those Zionist scum.
Well … even with the new airbase in Kurds region in Iraq … US still needs to fly from somewhere to bring supplies in let alone materials to build up the airbase …. I don’t see Turks nor Iraq agreeing to seeing Kurds getting all that materials … anything that entrenches Kurds position .. neighbours will just not agree too… U forget … US is simply just not good at Diplomacy … !
but isn’t syria a sovereign nation ? you dik
Never bothered anyone if they wanted to stuff a country or organisation to the hilt, sovereign nation or not.
Palestinians are not a sovereign nation too. Have you ever seen how many weapons they have? Like IS, HTS and other islamists. All have weapons.
But Palestine is a sovereign nation. At least 138 countries recognize it while only 9 are against it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_the_State_of_Palestine#Diplomatic_recognitions
unfortunately it is not a nation, but a couple of almost prison peaces of land, completely controlled by israel. The two state solution will not work, better a one state solution with a secular constitution for israel and the surrounded palestinian areas
138 member-states of UN beg to differ. I sincerely doubt your personal opinion has any weight against them. If an aggressor occupies your land, it doesn’t mean you don’t exist.
However, I agree somehow on one-state solution, but first the current state needs to be dissolved and a new one created, by the vote of all locals. No? Two-State it is.
its too small for a two state, and how you connect gaza with the west bank? a tunnel? silly plan, but who knows it could work. In the meantime arabs in israel have a better life then in most surrounding countries and FAR better then the palestine lands. Cooperation would be best for all
Too small? What kind of excuse is this? Do you know how many tiny countries are in the world? Let them worry about how they connect, will you? Let them worry about if that works or not, will ya? Let them worry about their living conditions, OK? These aren’t your problems, are they?
But I agree, cooperation would be best for all, like, NOT occupying their land perhaps?
it is my opinion, you have one as well…
Yes I do, you know what they say about the opinion, like …. everybody has one. I respect your opinion even if I don’t agree with you, just please make it clear that it’s your opinion you’re expressing, not a fact.
You have every right to have an opinion and I fought with other commenters to let people like you express theirs without harassment or harsh words. But at the end, it’s just an opinion and you can’t rob other people’s rights or change facts based on that. Have a nice day.
Thanks, you too. When did i use the word FACT?
You didn’t point that it’s your opinion or didn’t say “I think”.
did u? ;)
Nobody likes a smartarse. :) I started by posting a link regarding the countries supporting the statehood of Palestine, then proceed with saying there are tiny nations, smaller than Palestine, which I can back by posting their names, areas and populations. Then told you “let them worry about…” I even agreed with you two times, that’s how you repay me? :D
i like your style : )
That’s so not gonna happen. KRG can’t survive long term on sole US/Israel support. Masterful coldheaded play by Mr. Putin pays out with Turks becoming Russian allies, which was unimaginable a few months ago.
they opened the airspace again: http://www.iraqiairways.co.uk/en/flight_schedule-oct17.html HAHAHAHAH, the oil pipeline going to turkey and the border with turkey is still open
Just a curiosity, not really related to anything.
Do you pronounce an H after you finish laughing? Is it like, HAHA-HAHA-H? Or like HAH-AH-AH-AH?
Darn! It occupied my mind since I first saw your “laughter”. Now I can’t sleep.
Russia needs Turkey in middle east. Russia should help Turkey in his fights. By that way Turkey can stop being Usa’s ally who is betraying turkey frequently.
Erdogan is right about Fethullah Gulen, but of course Trump thinks he has to hold all the cards.
With Turkey onboard the Iran/Russia alliance the days of the US in the region are truly numbered. I hope Turkey has finally woken up to the fact that the US is not an ally of any nation in the world with the exception of its owner (The criminal terrorist psychopathic genocidal state of Israel). Not only is the US not an ally of Turkey, they have been actively working for decades to infiltrate and destroy Turkey from within, something they unsuccessfully attempted to do during the recent failed Coup. Iran and Russia on the other hand do not desire to destroy Turkey nor have they ever taken any steps in that direction.
I would never trust the terrorist Erdogan. I hope the Russians realize they can’t.
Look like an fool right now don’t you?