.There must still be descendants there who identify with their Welsh history - I'll have a root around on the interweb when I have time.
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You know my opinion of Turkey - it plays both sides. It also can easily control the access to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus, and therefore can control Russian (both military and commercial) traffic to the whole of the Black Sea via the Bosphorus - if it chose. But to date, it hasn't chosen to do that. Instead, it takes Russian money from wealthy Russians going on Turkish Black Sea cruises.A very important link, thank you
I have to remind myself sometimes that Turkey is in NATO, its second biggest army.
So, effectively, NATO has replaced Russian influence in Syria, is preventing it in Chad, and is challenging Russian strategy in Libya. And, Turkish influence in the Caucasus countries, even Russia controlled Abkhazie (sp?).
AND Putin never mentions this - he is terrified of Turkey and Erdogan.
The Russian propagandist in that video even said the biggest threat to Russia blowing up internally...is from the south.
Hmmm, we hear a lot about US and EU views and actions re Ukraine, but hear very little from Turkey.
What aid (financial or military) has Turkey provided to Ukraine? ( I can look it up).
I guess they think it's not their fight, meanwhile they will erode weakened Russia's influence in many regions.
www.youtube.com
Yes, they frequently positioned themselves as the mediator. In fact Lavrov was very upset they provided Bayraktars to Ukraine in parallelYou know my opinion of Turkey - it plays both sides. It also can easily control the access to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus, and therefore can control Russian (both military and commercial) traffic to the whole of the Black Sea via the Bosphorus - if it chose. But to date, it hasn't chosen to do that. Instead, it takes Russian money from wealthy Russians going on Turkish Black Sea cruises.
When the war is over, and we are wondering where all the guilty Russians have fled to, Istanbul and Dubai would be my bet.
But you mentioned the most interesting bit. The official Kremlin view that its biggest threat of internal unrest is from the south. What that means exactly, I'm not sure. Turkey has got a head start in the Stans, due to the commonality of the Turkic languages. But is Turkey a disruptor? No, I don't think so. Do you recall that Turkey, at least at global diplomacy level, has often sought to place itself as a mediator or peacebroker? It looks like that is where Turkey wants to see itself.
Here's one Turkish news agency I have come across. The presentation is polished, but the content is repetitive. Think of a well-spoken 30 year-old Miriam Margolyes.
ANKA Daily News
We are ANKA! This is what we said as a team when we first started preparing the news. Then, more than a million people heard this slogan every day while watching our news. Now we continue to flap our wings with hundreds of thousands of ANKA followers, dozens of regional experts, copywriters...
..
Who knows - it could be anything. For me, the fact that the defenestrations are allowed to take place, seemingly without consequence, is the interesting bit. Remember Aunt Elvira, who I think said that people higher up the social hierarchy can do anything to those below them? This presumably includes throwing them out of windows.I wonder what they did wrong
I think describing them as 'medieval' is being unkind to medieval people Eric. Society in Russia is just sick to the core
I was trying to convey the brutality and entitlement to inflict it. Maybe the word feudal would have been a better choice. However you describe it, it belongs in a different time.
It was interesting when Aunt Elvira talked about 'clans' I think
. I was unsure if she meant mafia type groups, or family structures, or peer elite levels. Anyway, the result is probably the same.Miriam Margolyes, indeedYes, they frequently positioned themselves as the mediator. In fact Lavrov was very upset they provided Bayraktars to Ukraine in parallel
Yes, the propagandist video viewpoint was interesting, but as you say is Turkey a disruptor, or an opportunist?
Maybe they will just slowly assume more influence in those regions on Russia's southern border.
Thanks for the Anka Media link
... I was chuckling all evening! The attached comments were funny, still accusing her of being AI even though she'd denied it in the video .
