Turkey thumbs nose at U.S. sanctions
When I say that Turkey is openly defying U.S. sanctions, I don't mean it in one particular way.
I mean that Turkey is defying U.S. sanctions in four different ways.
It appears that Turkey is intentionally antagonizing Washington. As if they are daring Washington to do something about it.
The Trump administration has made it “very clear” that Turkey will face consequences if it goes through with the purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system that is expected to be delivered to Ankara within days, a top State Department official said Wednesday.
#2 Russian gas
Opponents of Nord Stream 2 claim that it will make Europe more dependent on Russian gas, but while the same argument could be made against Turkish Stream, little has been said about the latter as most of the pipeline runs through Turkey, which is not an European Union (EU) member and so the EU has no leverage over Ankara’s decision to go ahead with the pipeline.
Iran exported $2.235 billion of non-oil products to Turkey in spring of this year, rising 430 percent from $421 million in spring of the previous year.
And it is while the Islamic Republic has imported just $1.26 billion of non-oil commodities from its neighbor, Turkey, in the mentioned time span.
With sanctions blocking Venezuela from selling oil to the United States, state-owned energy firm Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) has turned to several little-known buyers, mostly companies from China and India, says the Reuters news agency.
Among the purchasers is a small company based in Turkey with no refineries but ties to the government of President Nicolas Maduro, according to internal documents and a PDVSA source.
Normally Turkey wouldn't have much leverage on Washington.
But if Washington wants war with Iran, and regime change in Syria, then Washington is going to have to deal with Turkey.
Otherwise things will go sideways very quickly. Even the status quo is untenable for our Syrian Kurd allies if Turkey decides otherwise.
Comments
Don't we have a really big base in Turkey?
Ankara? If so then how far can we push Turkey before they decide to kick us out? Or is that not an option? How many countries have bought the Russian system instead of ours? 5? Then there's Boeing who is losing billions because people aren't buying their planes that can't fly for many more months. Hope it was worth it for Boeing to outsource its engineers so they could save money by only paying them $9 hour. lol..
Just how far can Trump push the allies before they tell him to farce off? Sanctions here and tariffs there is very costly for our allies. Didn't you post on how sanctions have cost Russia $50 billion, but the EU $240 billion? The Huawei edict from Trump where no company could deal with China costs them buko bucks.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Incirlik --
"Don't we have a really big base in Turkey?"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incirlik_Air_Base
... from the Wikipedia article --
"Tactical nuclear weapons are stored at the base."
When Cicero had finished speaking, the people said “How well he spoke”.
When Demosthenes had finished speaking, the people said “Let us march”.
Thanks for the help
Wonder how much of a say we have in whether it stays there? Or I should say, wonder how much of a say Turkey does?
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Once those S-400s are in place...
Turkey will have a LOT more say....
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
So Turkey Farts in 'Murica's General Direction, then.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWBUl7oT9sA]
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
Oh please.
For our country to demand the (hashtags) patriot missile system as a replacement for the S-400 is a joke to be written.
While most of the world is looking for defense against america, america is looking for offensive.
Can it become more offensive? Like, not wanted?
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Heh..we offered to help Turkey pay for building the base
for where the missiles go. Or something.. aren't they on trucks? Anyway we offered them a billion to offset their cost if they would buy ours. Now that's desperate.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
america
no longer builds to achieve peace.
We are, beyond a doubt, a warmongering nation. We will take it all or everyone will have nothing.
Mad max would be an overachievement. Nobody survives this.
Tell your children and grandchildren, if you have them, not to have children.
They're just cannon carbon.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.