Originally Posted by
Just This Once...
For all intents and purposes Turkey has left NATO. NATO countries have withdrawn all but essential personnel from the country and the US have withdrawn all dependants. All Turkish military personnel serving with NATO have been immediately arrested on their return to Turkey and those who have not returned home are seeking asylum in various NATO countries. Some of these asylum applications have already been granted.
In these testing times a war with Turkey is no longer unthinkable.
Not quite true. LANDCOM is up and running (and couldn't survive without Turkish HN support) as is NRDC (T) in Istanbul. US dependents are likely to return shortly (not all left, contrary to popular opinion). Turkey commits resources to SNMG 2, SNMCMG, and is gradually repopulating overseas posts. Turkey reconfirmed its commitment to NATO during Tillerson's visit - and continues to run QRA in the Black Sea.
Remember that the coup attempt on 15/16 July was very real. Imagine, if you will, elements of the Household Cavalry running over protestors on Westminster Bridge (gulp!) and Tower bridge and tanks shelling both the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. AAC Apaches scything through protestors on the Mall and in Whitehall with chain guns and Typhoons bombing Parliament, New Scotland Yard, Holyrood, Hereford and BT Satellite Ground Stations ...meanwhile rogue SF teams attack Gleneagles to attempt to kill the PM and to Sandringham to kill HM, lead by Commander HMNB Clyde. Other teams occupy Broadcasting House and hold guns to the heads of announcers.
Meanwhile CDS is taken hostage by his own PSO; CAS's house staff take his family hostage and AOC 22 Gp holds a gun to CAS's head at a wedding of COS Ops's daughter. Meanwhile DSF is shot at point blank range by his ADC (who is then killed by his Staff Sgt). All the sS chief are bound and flown by helicopter to RAF Coningsby and locked up in rooms in the Mess. This is what happened.
There was nothing soft and fluffy about the coup attempt and Turkey is taking a long time to recover - sacking 30% of its F-16 pilots and 44% of its General/Flag officers because of their complicity.
Yes, Erdogan is exploiting the crisis for political gain, but as the UK has seen, supporting Turkey is a better optic than tactitly hoping the coup had been sucessful.