The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[Queequeg]

Heh, even assuming NATO does fuck-all while Russia beats on the Turk, the one thing Putin needs right now is ... another war. With Turkey. 

The country is already leaking money at the seams, and has already bitten off more than it can chew. What possible sense could there be in a fight with Turkey?

I find the idea that Russia could win a one on one war with Turkey to be questionable. They have a large, well equiped and well trained military, and have the advantage of defending some of the most harsh terrain in the world. As long as the conflict remained conventional, the Russians aren't going to get far.

Russia and Turkey have fought maybe 15 wars.  The Turks have won maybe 3, and most of those were due to perfidious Western intervention.  If it weren't for the British, Anatolia would be grazing ground for Cossacks and the Armenians would have a homeland.

[jimmy olsen]

Heh, even assuming NATO does fuck-all while Russia beats on the Turk, the one thing Putin needs right now is ... another war. With Turkey. 

The country is already leaking money at the seams, and has already bitten off more than it can chew. What possible sense could there be in a fight with Turkey?

I find the idea that Russia could win a one on one war with Turkey to be questionable. They have a large, well equiped and well trained military, and have the advantage of defending some of the most harsh terrain in the world. As long as the conflict remained conventional, the Russians aren't going to get far.

Russia and Turkey have fought maybe 15 wars.  The Turks have won maybe 3, and most of those were due to perfidious Western intervention.  If it weren't for the British, Anatolia would be grazing ground for Cossacks and the Armenians would have a homeland.

The 21st century is different time and place than the 18th or 19th.

[Tamas]

Heh, even assuming NATO does fuck-all while Russia beats on the Turk, the one thing Putin needs right now is ... another war. With Turkey. 

The country is already leaking money at the seams, and has already bitten off more than it can chew. What possible sense could there be in a fight with Turkey?

I find the idea that Russia could win a one on one war with Turkey to be questionable. They have a large, well equiped and well trained military, and have the advantage of defending some of the most harsh terrain in the world. As long as the conflict remained conventional, the Russians aren't going to get far.

Russia and Turkey have fought maybe 15 wars.  The Turks have won maybe 3, and most of those were due to perfidious Western intervention.  If it weren't for the British, Anatolia would be grazing ground for Cossacks and the Armenians would have a homeland.

Turkey has a well maintained and constantly in-action army. It would be defending its homeland against underpaid Russian conscripts driving 70s Warsaw Pact equipment. It would be a horribly one-sided conflict and because of that probably pretty hard to keep non-nuclear.

[Queequeg]

Heh, even assuming NATO does fuck-all while Russia beats on the Turk, the one thing Putin needs right now is ... another war. With Turkey. 

The country is already leaking money at the seams, and has already bitten off more than it can chew. What possible sense could there be in a fight with Turkey?

I find the idea that Russia could win a one on one war with Turkey to be questionable. They have a large, well equiped and well trained military, and have the advantage of defending some of the most harsh terrain in the world. As long as the conflict remained conventional, the Russians aren't going to get far.

Russia and Turkey have fought maybe 15 wars.  The Turks have won maybe 3, and most of those were due to perfidious Western intervention.  If it weren't for the British, Anatolia would be grazing ground for Cossacks and the Armenians would have a homeland.

Turkey has a well maintained and constantly in-action army. It would be defending its homeland against underpaid Russian conscripts driving 70s Warsaw Pact equipment. It would be a horribly one-sided conflict and because of that probably pretty hard to keep non-nuclear.

Constantly in action against Kurdish grandmothers and against Cyprus.  They haven't fought a war since Korea.

[Queequeg]

Erdogan also made a point of gutting the entire Turkish officer class.

[Grinning_Colossus]

Heh, even assuming NATO does fuck-all while Russia beats on the Turk, the one thing Putin needs right now is ... another war. With Turkey. 

The country is already leaking money at the seams, and has already bitten off more than it can chew. What possible sense could there be in a fight with Turkey?

I find the idea that Russia could win a one on one war with Turkey to be questionable. They have a large, well equiped and well trained military, and have the advantage of defending some of the most harsh terrain in the world. As long as the conflict remained conventional, the Russians aren't going to get far.

Russia and Turkey have fought maybe 15 wars.  The Turks have won maybe 3, and most of those were due to perfidious Western intervention.  If it weren't for the British, Anatolia would be grazing ground for Cossacks and the Armenians would have a homeland.

Turkey has a well maintained and constantly in-action army. It would be defending its homeland against underpaid Russian conscripts driving 70s Warsaw Pact equipment. It would be a horribly one-sided conflict and because of that probably pretty hard to keep non-nuclear.

Constantly in action against Kurdish grandmothers and against Cyprus.  They haven't fought a war since Korea.

As opposed to Chechen militias and Georgia?

Russia spends almost four times as much on its military and has a much larger reserve force, though the Turks have NATO technology and would have higher morale in a defensive war. It would be a hard war for Russia, but they might win if a one-on-one conflict were ever to happen, which it won't.

[Tamas]

Excuse me but if Ukrainian volunteers in track suits can stand up against a Russian attack, then the Turkish army is able as well.

[Queequeg]

Honestly, all Russia would have to do is start flooding the Kurdish areas with equipment.  NATO would not support the Turks going full Enver Pasha and the Turks haven't known how to fight a war in 400 years.  Kurds have been fighting n ACTUAL WAR against conventionally stronger opponents for 40 years, and Armenia would probably be willing to work as a conduit even if that monster Assad didn't want to give the Kurds weapons directly. 

[Tamas]

If only you didn't sound like all the RUSSIA STRONK, GONNA REBUILD HUMAN CIVILISATION right-wing scum in Europe, I might even be able to listen to you.

[Queequeg]

I have nothing in contempt for them, in part because we have some similar beliefs/sentiments/priorities. 

[Razgovory]

Is that time period you were talking about when you said Turkey is "dangerously close to peace, prosperity, and international respect"?

No I was talking about early in his tenure.

Unacceptable.  Erdogan is nothing but evil anything he does is wrong.  If he liberalized the economy and oversaw major economic growth, then it's bad.

[Valmy]

Unacceptable.  Erdogan is nothing but evil anything he does is wrong.  If he liberalized the economy and oversaw major economic growth, then it's bad.

I liked him at first. Then something went horribly wrong. I blamed Putin initially, that Erdogan decided to emulate him. Now I am not sure what to think.

[11B4V]

Turkey is a cardboard turkey. My money is on the Russkies.

[Admiral Yi]

Those pictures of Turkish M-48s near Kurt Kobane did not boost my opinion of the Turkish military.

[Razgovory]

I just read that "Turkey is raising the Steaks"