Will Turkey Give China Our Military Secrets?

[amoy]

Michael Rubin 06.14.2011 - 12:32 PM
Will Turkey Give China Our Military Secrets? « Commentary Magazine

Recep Erdogan's re-election at the very least solidifies another four years of Islamist rule. Some analysts argue the election was a victory for democracy because the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) does not have enough seats to impose a new constitution without getting at least some support from other parties. Alas, there might be less here than meets the eye.

The Islamists control the security forces and have eviscerated the judiciary. Anyone who criticizes Erdogan risks getting named a coup plotter in Erdogan's fantastical conspiracy theory. Long story short, four of those elected by the opposition to parliament have already been accused of crimes, and Erdogan can simply threaten anyone who does not comply with the same. If that doesn't work, bribery might. Regardless, Erdogan seems a shoe-in for the presidency if he switches Turkey to a presidential system, as he has indicated he would. Therefore, he may enhance his power even further.

Against this backdrop, it is time Congress stop ignoring its oversight role. The Obama administration seems intent on selling Turkey the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, replete with stealth technology and the backbone of our national defense for generations to come. On one hand, Turkey is part of the consortium building the jet, but their contribution is to the fuselage. They will not have access to the most high-technology parts until we sell them the planes.

The problem is trust: The Turkish Air Force has held secret war games with the Chinese Air Force, and the new head of the Turkish intelligence services has been as much a cheerleader for the Islamic Republic of Iran as he has been an antagonist for the United States. The question, alas, is not whether Turkey would sell America's secrets to Beijing or Tehran, but whether they might simply provide them to our enemies. The simple fact of the matter is trust in the Turkish-American relationship is a thing of the past, and the White House should not leverage America's security secrets because of diplomatic nicety. Regardless, as Turkey brags about its good neighbor policy toward Syria, Hezbollah, Iran and Russia, it's unclear why Turkey would even need such a high-tech jet fighter.

What begs belief is that as the Obama administration prepares to move forward with this sale, the Congress would not do so much as require the Pentagon to report on the F-35's vulnerabilities to technology transfer should it fall into Turkish hands.

 

[Solid Beast]

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[sob]

Turkey is today at a crossroad and they have to take a hard decision and they have to take it very fast. They had invested too much intO the EU membership and it does not seem to be happening anytime soon.

They are also trying to wrest a dominant role in the Muslim world and that will pitch them against the Saudis as well as the Iranians. To me they look to be playing the Chinese card to play hardball with the Americans and also the Europeans.

 

[Yusuf]

Atartuk must be turning in his grave. Really don't understand how Turkey is moving away from being a progressive society to closed narrow society. At least that's the perception it's government is giving.

Turkey's brighter future is better off being allied with the west on secular principles than siding with the Chinese who will use them just to get access to high end tech.

What I also don't get is the tussle in the Muslim world about appointing itself as a leader of the Islamic world, be it KSA, Iran, Pakistan or now Turkey. What the hell are they going to get out of it? It's not going to give them 10% GDP growth, better and secure lives.

 

[Tshering22]

Ataturk must be turning in his grave. Really don't understand how Turkey is moving away from being a progressive society to closed narrow society. At least that's the perception it's government is giving.

It is not the perception but the real image what Erdogan has done to Turkey. He's transformed Ataturk's nation into another wannabe Ottoman Empire.

Turkey's brighter future is better off being allied with the west on secular principles than siding with the Chinese who will use them just to get access to high end tech.

Pakistan is simply encouraging the alliance between the Chinese and Turks. Funny how the once aggressive Turks who protested Chinese actions against the Turkestani rebels. Now the same Turks under the encouragement of Pakistanis are tying up with PRC.

What I also don't get is the tussle in the Muslim world about appointing itself as a leader of the Islamic world, be it KSA, Iran, Pakistan or now Turkey. What the hell are they going to get out of it? It's not going to give them 10% GDP growth, better and secure lives.

KSA is simply a USA lackey, Pakistan lives in a dream world, Iran is a paranoid self-obsessed state while Turkey is moving in that direction. The common factor between these 4 nations is that they still cannot come out of the downfall and destruction of Ottoman Empire.

 

[S.A.T.A]

Erdogan's Turkey's merely rejuvenating its lost connection to its Islamic past,the assertiveness of the Islamist turkey is more marked and reverberating because it completely contrasts with the of the stance of abject servitude Ataturk's Turkey had taken in carrying forward its vision to evovle as western European secular nation.Turkey was rewarded with rebuke and constant humiliation,hence Turkey is making a completely turnaround and revisiting its Islamic roots which gives Turkey greater reassurance.

West cannot clam that it was oblivious to this turnaround,considering they played a more than significant role in getting Turkey to introspect its drive to become a European,probably they always know this would happen.

West having all but evicted Turkey from its exclusive club,should be now in a better position to engage Turkey with more purposefulness,now that Turkey no longer comes to it as a supplicant.

 

[LurkerBaba]

Iran is a paranoid self-obsessed state while Turkey is moving in that direction. The common factor between these 4 nations is that they still cannot come out of the downfall and destruction of Ottoman Empire.

AFAIK Iranians don't like the Ottoman empire. They were rivals

 

[thakur_ritesh]

turkey was not left with too many options after all, they had to take a pick and they did.

them going back to the "roots" was forced down on them and since europeans would in no way allow a turkey under a military dictator to join the EU so there was no one really to check the drift as it would happen, coupled with the economic mess the EU finds itself thanks to the PIIGS, turkey at least for now would not come across as too keen on joining the EU even if they were to be offered the membership.

after the snub and much like the rest of world, with a waning west, a lot of realignments are on offer, may be not quite literally but countries are certainly looking at new emerging options and there is without a doubt an economic surge in the mid-east/south/south east asia, and with economically stronger mid-east who would not want to dominate the region and nothing catches the attention of arab streets more than a strongly independent nation which is not quite seen to be in the laps of the west and if one looks at it, more or less at least other than staging dramas to catch that imagination there is nothing significant that erdogan has done, he has played to the gallery and audience is enthralled. fact remains there is more rhetoric and posturing than much substance, they one day snub the israelis but the next day they are sitting with them and sorting out all that and all the posturing and rhetoric vanishes in a matter of days, but before that happens, erdogan has ensured he gets uninterrupted attention of the arab streets and more importantly he has played to the domestic audience who in him see a strong leader who puts the country's and muslim world's interest first and which in return has ensured him a third 4 year term, also of importance to note is that in these last 8odd years, turkey has done well economically and a smarter electorate will vote for a better tomorrow and erdogan ensures that.

US to me does not come across as too irritated either, on the contrary they seem to be making sure turkey doesnt slip away like pakistan and turks are playing this to their advantage.

turkey is not out to be on the wrong side of the US/west but with the rebalancing of power with new emerging stronger options with china being one such, they also dont want to miss the bus on that one.

anyways the contest is not really a four way one, but a three way one, pakistan has lost it hands down. you take out their nukes and they are no more than hot air!

 

[civfanatic]

AFAIK Iranians don't like the Ottoman empire. They were rivals

Ottomans were Sunnis, Persians (Safavid dynasty) were Shi'a.

It was Suleiman the Magnificent who declared jihad against the Safavids and captured Baghdad in a stunning campaign. Ever since then, Iraq has been a Shi'a majority state ruled by a Sunni minority.


Today, Iranians and Turks have very good people-to-people relations, thanks to Tarkan.


Turkish pop culture has caught the imagination of more than a few Persian girls.

 

[roma]

even if they dont officially give it to china it can be obtained via the back door , unofficially .... on that basis not a good idea to position latest tech weapons on turkish soil - unless manned by us forces stationed in turkey.