Turkey’s Balkan comeback

[bsruzm]

"Turkey considers the Balkans part of its natural sphere of influence as the former imperial power, with the Ottoman Empire famously stopping only at the gates of Vienna at its peak."
Turkey’s Balkan comeback

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@Vergennes

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Whats the point?Either you have big trade like ASEAN which they don't - miniscule compared to trade with west,or capture its market or have strategic purposes,otherwise its just photo op.Turkey would have been really powerful if it could have somehow become leader of balkan confederation or economic bloc ,but that doesn't seem to happen.Turkey itself seems confused on whether it wants to be a western european oriented country or a eastern muslim civilization oriented country - a difficult choice due to its geography.Culturally and personally erdogan wants to go east,but his economy wants to go west as middle east is an economic wasteland.Also they have russia stepping on their toes at every move,erdogan can't move anywhere without putin's consent and he dare not leave NATO even though he dislikes it,because of this russian presence.In the East erdogan despises israel ,but can't join hands with its enemy shia iran.Iran is creating its own sphere of influence right on turkey's doorstep with syria,lebanon and iraq under iranian defacto control.More problems with gulf arabs due to qatar.Its a big mess.

 

[Dai Toruko]

Ottomans were ruling there for centuries. Balkan is like Turks' backyard.

 

[xenon54 out]

Ottomans were ruling there for centuries. Balkan is like Turks' backyard.

Lets just not be delusional, apart from Bosnians pretty much everybody in Balkan has negative views of Turkey, even Albanians and Kosovo Albanians.

 

[bsruzm]

Lets just not be delusional, apart from Bosnians pretty much everybody in Balkan has negative views of Turkey, even Albanians and Kosovo Albanians.

Despite your description of Turkey's position in Balkans, MIT still makes wonders. I wouldn't say everybody, you would be surprised.

 

[DejanSRB]

Feelings about Turkey changed dramatically in past three months here in Serbia.

Turks become most populous tourists in Serbia or Belgrade to be more specific,
more then 450.000 since january 2018.
Serbs make contacts with ordinary Turks and we rediscover very similiar culture to ours.

Second, Erdogan.

I dont want to put myself into Turkish politics.
But from early 2000s, Vladimir Putin was most loved and celebrated international world leader in Serbia. Even today.
Second is Erdogan. He is catching up.
Why?
Becouse mentally Erdogan is similiar to ordinary Serb then Putin.
Putin is cold blood politican, manipulative, smart, tactician, patient, with wider strategy, he is culturally FinnoUgric man.

On the other hand, Erdogan is impulsive, loose cannon, patriotic, he says what he thinks, he is direct, agressive, for average Serb he is like “man from neighborhood”, trustful, working class hero. When he says “ We will enter Afrin in a matter of days” he DO THAT.

Serbs admire Putin but Erdogan would suited them better, he is almost like prototype of politican for average Serb.
If he is corrupt, who gives a shit, he will return glory to our homeland. That’s all that matter for ordinary Serb.

Relations between Serbia and Turkey is probably on the highest level since King Alexander of Yugoslavia and Mustafa Kemal bromance, and I really think it will be more and more closer.

 

[Königstiger]

Bad and unprofessional behaviour from Serbia. Serbia should join the EU or cooperate with NATO.
The problem is they were put here by the ruling party, to look like a scary nationalist, and then they come and save the day. This will only speed up your EU integrations.

 

[DejanSRB]

Bad and unprofessional behaviour from Serbia. Serbia should join the EU or cooperate with NATO.
The problem is they were put here by the ruling party, to look like a scary nationalist, and then they come and save the day. This will only speed up your EU integrations.

I am pro EU.
European Union is nothing special for European standards. Europeans are capable of creating something more sophisticated, powerful, progressive then modern EU. But still it is best place to live in the world.

On the NATO. I support cooperation but I will never accept our membership in that organization. They stole 15% of our teritory, killed more then 2500 Serbs back in 1999, supported Albanians, create two Albanian states, full of coruption, drug trade and prostitution.

 

[Königstiger]

I am pro EU.
European Union is nothing special for European standards. Europeans are capable of creating something more sophisticated, powerful, progressive then modern EU. But still it is best place to live in the world.

On the NATO. I support cooperation but I will never accept our membership in that organization. They stole 15% of our teritory, killed more then 2500 Serbs back in 1999, supported Albanians, create two Albanian states, full of coruption, drug trade and prostitution.

Come on buddy let get real!! Kosovo is not Serbia, 90% of the population is albanian, you need to recognize them and not act like barbaric animals.