Intersting article on Turkish bellicosity

[Mister D]

Snip

Were Athens to claim its full EEZ, Kastelorizo’s presence would make its EEZ contiguous with the EEZ of Cyprus, a factor with great import now, at a moment of massive off-shore gas and oil discoveries. Kastelorizo with an EEZ benefits the emerging Greece-Cyprus-Israel alliance by making it possible to transport either Cypriot and Israeli natural gas (via pipeline (http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000585066&fid=1725)) or electricity (via cable (http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5E8CN25B20120123)) to Western Europe without Turkish permission. This has taken on special urgency since November 4, when Turkey’s minister for energy, Taner Yıldız, announced that his government would not permit Israeli natural gas to transit Turkish territory; Ankara will likely also ban Cypriot exports.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/290295/kastelorizo-mediterranean-flashpoint-daniel-pipes

[MMC]

Turkey seems all about making things difficult for Israel. IMO that is.

[Mister D]

No surprise as faras the AKP is concerned.

[Mister D]

According to former minister Hüseyin Çelik (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/H%C3%BCseyin_%C3%87elik), "the AK Party is a conservative democratic party [but] the AK Party's conservatism is limited to moral and social issues." The Economist (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/The_Economist) characterizes the party as "mildly Islamist" while Reuters (http://thepoliticalforums.com/wiki/Reuters) refers to the AKP as "Islamist-rooted" and "Islamic-leaning." The party objects to the frequent descriptions of it in the Western media as Islamist. In March 2010 Çelik complained that "in the Western press, when the AK Party administration... is being named, unfortunately most of the time 'Islamic,' 'Islamist,' 'mildly Islamist,' 'Islamic-oriented,' 'Islamic-leaning,' 'Islamic-based' or 'with an Islamic agenda,' and similar language is being used. These characterizations do not reflect the truth, and they sadden us."[5] (http://thepoliticalforums.com/#cite_note-4)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_and_Development_Party_(Turkey)#Ideology

[MMC]

Yeah.....truth usually does make one sad!

[Conley]

Turkey seems all about making things difficult for Israel. IMO that is.

No doubt, and things really came to a head with the flotilla incident last year.

[Mister D]

Yeah.....truth usually does make one sad!

That shit can hurt! :laugh:

[MMC]

Don't they do belly dancing in Turkey? Aren't the women allowed to show skin?

[Peter1469]

I was in Istanbul for 5 days in December of 2009. Many of the older women where the traditions Muslim garb. Most younger women where western cloths. It was in the low 50s so not a lot of skin. I imagine that there would be more in the summers when it gets really hot there.

[MMC]

Thanks Peter wouldnt you say they are more modernized than even the Saudi?

[Peter1469]

Thanks Peter wouldnt you say they are more modernized than even the Saudi?

I was never out in public in Saudi, but I would think Istanbul, at least, is much more Western than any place in Saudi. I actually liked it there.

[Captain Obvious]

Ok - I had to google bellicosity. Wondered if "Turkish bellicosity" was a sex act or a tobacco or something.

Lengthy but interesting read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Turkey

Another interesting clip I heard on the radio the other day:

http://blogs.wsj.com/emergingeurope/2012/02/07/turkish-minister-thumbs-nose-at-swiss-authorities/

[Conley]

Ok - I had to google bellicosity. Wondered if "Turkish bellicosity" was a sex act or a tobacco or something.

Lengthy but interesting read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Turkey

Another interesting clip I heard on the radio the other day:

http://blogs.wsj.com/emergingeurope/2012/02/07/turkish-minister-thumbs-nose-at-swiss-authorities/

I knew about the French law recently passed and figured that was just a charge led by politicians pandering to their local constituencies, but didn't realize Switzerland had a law like that on the books. Good read. BTW, the sex act is called Turkish Delight. :wink:

[MMC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZCO_ndO0KI
I thought these were Turkish Delights..... :wink: but I would say Pete is right. They are more Americanized than I thought. :undecided:

[Peter1469]

I think it depends on where you go. Go too far east, on the Asian side of the country and you might run into trouble.

Istanbul would be a great place for a "Hangover" experience.

[Mister D]

Istanbul has always had a reputation for being a cosmopolitan city. Once you get into the hilly/mountainous areas, in the east as Peter noted, I'd imagine it's quite a bit different.

[Peter1469]

The three major waterways of Istanbul not only divide, but also join the city. The Sea of Marmara stretches out along the southern reaches of the city, and meets the Bosphorus Strait - which continues north, separating the city into Europe and Asia. And from the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn cuts through European Istanbul and empties its waters deep in the Belgrade Forest.

Istanbul is at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

[Clawhammer]

I think it depends on where you go. Go too far east, on the Asian side of the country and you might run into trouble.

Istanbul would be a great place for a "Hangover" experience.

I can speak to this. I spent 16 months in Eastern Turkey in the 80s. Based out of Ankara, I saw most of the Southeastern part of the country.

I enjoyed my time in Ankara. It was very Westernized. Lots of pretty women... especially some of the Iranian exiles. Like you saw in Istanbul, older women wore traditional garb while the younger Turks looked Western.

I did not enjoy it when I had to travel east, though. Mersin was like a sewer on the Mediterranean. Diyarbakir and the area around it was like going back a few centuries in time. I was very thankful for MREs back then!

Running into trouble was common. I once had to go to a Turkish military base near the town of Balgat to "rescue" a Captain who was out for a jog and was chased by locals into the base, only to have the Turkish Commander hold him as a suspected terrorist.

[Peter1469]

I can speak to this. I spent 16 months in Eastern Turkey in the 80s. Based out of Ankara, I saw most of the Southeastern part of the country.

I enjoyed my time in Ankara. It was very Westernized. Lots of pretty women... especially some of the Iranian exiles. Like you saw in Istanbul, older women wore traditional garb while the younger Turks looked Western.

I did not enjoy it when I had to travel east, though. Mersin was like a sewer on the Mediterranean. Diyarbakir and the area around it was like going back a few centuries in time. I was very thankful for MREs back then!

Running into trouble was common. I once had to go to a Turkish military base near the town of Balgat to "rescue" a Captain who was out for a jog and was chased by locals into the base, only to have the Turkish Commander hold him as a suspected terrorist.

Thanks for the info. I imagine that the capital would be nice. I would like to see the religious sites along the Med. Other than that I will stick to Istanbul! Cheers.

[Clawhammer]

Funny story...

There are mosques everywhere around Ankara. And the chant calling the faithful to prayer is something you get so used to that you don't even notice it.

Unless the tape gets stuck and slows down...

Four of us just looked at each other and burst out laughing. This did not sit well with the taxi drivers at the stand we were next to.

[Mister D]

The three major waterways of Istanbul not only divide, but also join the city. The Sea of Marmara stretches out along the southern reaches of the city, and meets the Bosphorus Strait - which continues north, separating the city into Europe and Asia. And from the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn cuts through European Istanbul and empties its waters deep in the Belgrade Forest.

Istanbul is at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

I think the term "Asia" is derived from the Roman name for what is now part of modern Turkey.

[Peter1469]

Yes. Istanbul and to the west is in Europe. Cross the Bosporus and the bulk of Turkey is in Asia. Anatolia.

[Captain Obvious]

Funny story...

There are mosques everywhere around Ankara. And the chant calling the faithful to prayer is something you get so used to that you don't even notice it.

Unless the tape gets stuck and slows down...

Four of us just looked at each other and burst out laughing. This did not sit well with the taxi drivers at the stand we were next to.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Mister D]

Yes. Istanbul and to the west is in Europe. Cross the Bosporus and the bulk of Turkey is in Asia. Anatolia.

Asia is in red.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Roman_Empire_Asia.svg/220px-Roman_Empire_Asia.svg.png

Apparently, the term is older than the Roman Republic. In fact, much older. It can be traced back to a Hittite word which makes sense since that was the heart of the Hittite world.