Turkey threatens to shut down Incirlik and ground our planes

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lets get out of the middle east

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and let Putin bulldoze that sand box

Eight years of Obama, give the man another Nobel Peace Prize.

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When does the press stop calling Turkey a "key US ally in the region"

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When they finally kick us off the airfields we've been using to fight wars for 15 years?

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The quote you posted should never have been said by Dorrian. By saying that its absolutely invaluable gives Turkey ALL of the cards.

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Meh, he is probably trying to get air support for the Turks, who we have fought tooth and nail to control, and who at our request are working with YPG kurds to fight in ISIL controlled areas.

Turks won't do shite, they are just making noise. At most they will just be petty and put some restrictions on our air ops at the airbase. If you recall, the Turks were adamantly opposed to our invasion of Iraq, and denied use of their airspace initially, one of our first missions (Ugly Baby) into Iraq had to go the long way around because of that.

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ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey agreed to open its airspace to U.S. warplanes but defied Washington by voting to send its troops into northern Iraq -- a move that White House officials fear could trigger a standoff with U.S. forces and complicate the war effort.

The granting of overflight rights by Turkey's parliament came just hours after the U.S. launched its first missile strikes against Baghdad. But it fell far short of the Bush administration's original plan to use Turkey as a launchpad for a massive tank-led invasion of northern Iraq.

The government-backed motion on airspace rights, which garnered 332 votes with 202 against and one abstention, allows U.S. planes to fly over Turkey to attack targets in Iraq -- although they won't be able to use Turkish air bases or refuel in Turkey.

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Originally, the task force planned to infiltrate northern Iraq via Turkey. However, Turkey didn't grant permission for an invasion of Iraq from its soil or over its airspace. Coalition commanders instead undertook a complicated and roundabout infiltration via Jordanian airspace beginning the evening of 20 March 2003. This operation was known as "Ugly Baby". The "Ugly Baby" operation was the longest infiltration mission since World War II and the longest MC-130 Combat Talon infiltration in history.[5]

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Ugly Baby wiki

They blinked first, as usual. Usually when Muslim countries don't blink, we invade them.

ps I didn't downvote you.

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Turkey provides more tangible benefit to the US in the last 15 years than Israel has in its lifetime.

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Not a fan of the Erdogan government, but this is historically true and it isn't close.

The same could probably be said of a well-organized rookery of Emperor Penguins, thogh.

Does this mean I never have to deploy to Turkey again??

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Banned up until a few days ago. Thanks!

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Well happy New Year and welcome back from purgatory ya filthy animal!

Did you have a meltdown election night?

You too.

ETA. No. Went to a party at the Cornell Club and left early when the women started misting up. I took it with a shrug. Election was a joke. I was more hopeful about the prospects of the next four years the day after than I am since he re-discovered his twitter and decided a war with the IC would lay the groundwork for a successful presidency.

This is more of a generic comment, not specific to this exact situation:

I hope that all these shite countries that rely on us for financial and military support get told to eat a dick over the next 4 years.

Don't take our money, our soldiers, our firepower and our technology, and then talk shite.

frick Turkey, Israel or any other country that wants to be frenemies.