Our Allies- the TURKS

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by Demerzel
The Turks are asking for an awful lot, it just comes down to who needs the other more I guess.

On the Kurds issue and the respective human rights issue, now you can see why the EU has refused even to start talks on admitting Turkey in for at least another year or two.

The Turks aren't helping their case by showing themselves to be over chargers.

[Demerzel]

Originally posted by DuncanK


The Turks aren't helping their case by showing themselves to be over chargers.

they certainly aren't, heh now the American govt. knows just like the EU govt how annoying the Turkish can be when they want something

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by DuncanK
Why would the Turks want northern Iraq? Aren't they worried about having too many Kurds in Turkey?

Because the Kurds have, to all intents and purposes, set up an independent government there that the Turks want the opportunity to dismantle.

As far as I can tell, part of the US/Turkey deal is allowing them to do just that - oppress the Kurds AGAIN! Which kind of shows a callous disregard for Kurdish welfare when not in US interests...

I find it laughable that the US is demonising Saddam about his danger to other countries, when he is unable to fully control his own...

Plus there are the Northern Oilfields nearby.

Anyway, I really can't seeing either Turkey or Iran seriously pissing the US off. Although, asking for 93b does make them suspect.

You quote an impossible fee, so that you have bargaining room to strike the deal you actually want - I still maintain that americans are crap at haggling...

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by MOBIUS
You quote an impossible fee, so that you have bargaining room to strike the deal you actually want - I still maintain that americans are crap at haggling...

Thank you for telling us that we are suppose to haggle when we are charged 93 billion dollars for a widget.

[Shi Huangdi]

"As others have said here, I hope Turkey does not accept our offer. We can then deal with the Kurds fairly."

That is a silly position. One key to succeding in the War on Terrorism is prevention of new islamist pro-Al Queda groups from forming. Why should we want to do undermine a secularist government that has been a loyal ally?

[Demerzel]

yes never pay more than 92.89bn dollars! daft Americans paying 93bn dollars for a widget!

[tandeetaylor]

It's nice to know that my tax money is being used as a bargaining chip to bribe someone into participating in something so horrible.

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by DuncanK
Thank you for telling us that we are suppose to haggle when we are charged 93 billion dollars for a widget.

Well, if they'd started at 30 billion, I'm sure you'd got them down to 10 billion - hence the high starting price...

[DuncanK]

If my government pays 93b I will have to raise hell just so that MOBIUS will not go on about Americans causing the high price of widgets with their inability to haggle.

[axi]

Well, for 2/3 of our annual GDP I'd let you use Canadian bases for any attack against Iraq...

Us too, us too!

Eh, wait a sec, the US WILL be using our bases for an attack against Iraq! And we're supposed to be opposing them!

[Ted Striker]

It might be better to not use Turkey anyway because in the long run it will pay off to keep Iraq as a whole.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
"As others have said here, I hope Turkey does not accept our offer. We can then deal with the Kurds fairly."

That is a silly position. One key to succeding in the War on Terrorism is prevention of new islamist pro-Al Queda groups from forming. Why should we want to do undermine a secularist government that has been a loyal ally?

I am thinking that if the Kurds are not treated fairly but instead are given over to Turkey, they will react in somewhat the same manner as the Palestinians now do under Israeli occupation.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Part of what's going on is explainable by Turkish culture. As a friend of mine, and American who works in the corporate sector here, puts it: "In America, you know you've struck a good deal when all the participants walk away happy; in Turkey, you know you've struck a good deal when all the participants walk away equally pissed off."

But also, let's face it: Turkey is the only US ally that stands to get really screwed by a war in Iraq, just like last time. The combination of losing Iraq as a trading partner and having to cope with the flood of Kurdish refugees cost Turkey far, far more than it did any other member of the coalition; their economy still hasn't recovered. That's why so many Turks are against the war. And that's why, if I were Prime Minister Gul, I'd be asking for the moon, too.

[MarkG]

US doesnt own the moon

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by MarkG
US doesnt own the moon

Well, if someone tells Dubya there are terrorists with WoMD's on the moon I would expect an invasion force to be on its way pretty quickly.