Coordinated fires wrote:
> John, I'm wondering, do you think Turkey will side with NATO or
> with the other Sunni states in the coming wars, or will they seek
> to forge their own path? How much revanchism exists among the
> younger generations with regard to Turkey's historical regional
> hegemony?
> I understand that this will be closely related to the two
> competing visions of Turkey's national identity and which faction
> is ascendant and in power. What is the generational breakdown
> here? To an outsider it seems like the consertive Islamists are
> ascendant. There are also many, such as George Friedman,who
> believe Turkey will return to its historical role as regional
> hegemon. What light can GD shed on this question?
Turkey is a Sunni Muslim state. Russia is an Orthodox Christian
state. The Sunni Muslim and Orthodox Christian civilizations have
been bitter enemies for centuries, and have fought many crisis wars.
That they will fight another crisis war is 100% certain. George
Friedman is dreaming.
As for Nato, Turkey and Nato are already having difficulties.
Relations between Germany and Turkey are so tense that Germany is
moving all its assets out of Incirlik air base. And memories of the
Ottoman Empire still provoke bitter memories in the Balkans. So
Turkey's relationship with Nato will not survive.
As I keep pointing out, short-term political alliances become
irrelevant during a generational crisis war, when a country is
facing an existential threat to itself and its way of life.