Monday, July 18, 2016

'Recent Improvements' In Relations Between Russia And Turkey




Russian-Turkish Reconciliation as Seen from the Middle East | New Eastern Outlook



Recent improvements in the bilateral relations between Russia and Turkey have provoked intense discussions among analysts and media experts across the Middle East.

Ankara, in the opinion of local commentators, has paid a high price for the downing of the Russian SU-24 over Syria. President Tayyip Erdogan, as the Arab commentators, “is not used to recognizing his mistakes,” yet he “drinks the bitter cup of apology.”

The UAE newspaper Al Khaleej is convinced that Moscow acted wisely in this situation, while refraining from reckless steps and spontaneous claims, choosing the path of applying the economic pressure on Ankara.

Many analysts projected the bilateral relations between Moscow and Ankara on the situation in Syria, that has become the point of intersection of different geopolitical interests of the external forces.

The responsibility for the decline in Turkey’s role in the region, according to some political analysts, lays on the shoulders of the Turkish political elites. Ankara didn’t expect that the flames which that were devouring its neighbor would spread to set the region ablaze. Turkey would have to recognize that it was silly to watch those flames in apathy.

The editor-in-chief of the influential Al-Hayat newspaper George Samaan believes that Erdogan was late to recognize the need for pragmatism in country’s foreign policies, while being unable to turn his back on the old Ottoman dreams. The new pragmatism in Turkey now returns its economic well-being home, which has been the basis of the weight and influence this country has been enjoying in the Middle East.

In clearing of blockages in the relations between Moscow and Ankara, according to the Turkish journalist Hakan Aksay, the former will make hastily steps, since it will be observing Turkey’s steps in Syria, since it will have to stop supporting jihadists and extremist groups fighting there to achieve reconciliation with Russia.

But what can be ultimately achieved is the normalization of relations between the two countries, there’s now returning to the point where bilateral relations were before the crisis.
A prominent Lebanese expert on Turkish affairs Dr. Mohammed Nuriddin notes that there can be no serious discussion of Russia’s relations with Turkey unless the latter would change its standing on the support of radical groups in Syria and Iraq.

Experts continue to argue that the normalization is only a matter of time, provided that the parties will continue moving gradually towards overcoming the bitter aftertaste of the downed Su-24 and the different challenges in order to improve their relations.

Turkish President Erdogan has found himself in a Syrian trap, says a prominent Lebanese-American expert Raghida Dergham, and he’s convinced that he needs Russia in order to get out. Vladimir Putin has benefited from the evolution in the position of the Turkish leadership not only because he received an apology from Ankara’s leader, but also because it drew Erdogan on the track of reconciliation in Syria.

The Iraqi newspaper Al-Zaman sees the joint actions that Russia and Turkey make take to fight terrorism will benefit both of these states. This would be by far a more productive step that Turkey’s cooperation with Washington, which policies have been plagued by vagueness, uncertainty and unreasonable delays.





6 comments:

Caver said...

WELL, Well, well....one more former staunch ally that's now merely a treaty bound ally.

As the world turns and the worm squirms.

ally said...

Scott there was 4.3 earthquake at coordinates 37.3N 81.93W , very early this morning. It was picked up by all Virgina feeds I used Va Techs, picked up in Europe to. I've spent 3 hours on the phone this morning trying to talk to the right person at USGS. When I finally got him, you wanna know why they tell me they haven't posted it. Oh let me give you the easy location. The corner where WVA, Va and Kentucky collide. It's at a fracking station. You can clearly see it.
The seismology says "well the last time we had an earthquake in va we got hundreds of people saying they felt it. So we think it wasn't an earthquake" seriously that's what seismology is now? I told him the last earthquake was a 6 and on the I95 corridor. If course you get hundreds of calls when it hits Ann area with millions of people. There aren't millions of people out there. It had a true signature, not like a mining blast or anything.
He seemed very nervous. Very nervous.
I seriously think they really aren't posting things now. I'm just telling you this experience because it's first party ya know. WVA did you feel it? It was like 4 something in the morning....

WVBORN56 said...

No, Ally I did not feel it. I did see it posted on EQ site I visit. It was sizable EQ...around 4 or so as I remember. It was in VA and I'm in northern WV....at least 4 hours away. In a weird way I'm bummed out because I have never experienced an EQ in life. The one that hit her 3-4 years ago I was out of town. My brother experienced it and said not much to the one we had. I was still envious. LOL

ally said...

Don't worry we get to be at the one that splits the mount of olives in half!!!!!!! That's going to be like a 40 on the Richter scale ;)

ally said...

I called the deputy director of the usgs. Sometimes I get mad and get a little ballsy. Is that ok to say that? Sorry if I offend anyone. That just seems like the most accurate word for it.

Mrs.C said...

The earthquake in VA was a 3.4, not a 4.3, and only 30 people even noticed it according to V-Tech that was referenced. The 5.9 in DC that encompassed the I95 was in 2011 five years ago. The seismologist was correct, it wasnt a natural earthquake at all, but rather a "roof collapse" or "mine collapse" in a mining operation. It was reported to USGS, and posted by USGS.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20006fi5#executive

There is no conspiracy by the USGS for goodness sake, that would be near impossible to pull off. USGS only reports what is provided to them, as it has been for years. Seismic stations located around the world report the data to the USGS,and they just pass it along. The numbers with large earthquakes for example, can fluctuate in intensity measurement, due to the fine tuning that is done after the initial event. Monitoring stations, can triangulate to pin down the most precise conclusion for a final magnitude. Having lived in Caliland for decades, and going through some major quakes, the folks themselves there can estimate a magnitude just from their own experience. You find yourself saying "oh, that was a 4.0" or "that was a big one, at least a 5.0 or above". Big quakes are coming, with certainty, but as Jesus continually reminded us, "fear not". He said that for a reason :)