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Thread: Turkey Threatens To Retaliate If US Blocks Sale Of 116 F-35s

  1. #1

    Turkey Threatens To Retaliate If US Blocks Sale Of 116 F-35s

    In the latest sign that Turkey is seriously considering leaving NATO as its relationship with the security bloc (and the US in particular) continues to deteriorate, Turkish Prime Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned on Thursday that the country would retaliate if a bill being pushed by House Republicans to block arms sales to Turkey becomes law.
    As Reuters reports, lawmakers released details on Friday of a $717 billion annual defense policy bill that included a provision to temporarily halt weapons sales to Turkey. During an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk, Cavusoglu criticized the measure, saying it was wrong to impose such a restriction on a military ally, alluding to the fact that Turkey has graciously allowed the US to use its Encirlik air base to launch its air strikes against ISIS (as well as against Turkey's enemy the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad).
    "If the United States imposes sanctions on us or takes such a step, Turkey will absolutely retaliate," Cavusoglu said. "What needs to be done is the U.S. needs to let go of this."
    While still a ways away from becoming law the proposed US National Defense Authorization Act would block sales of "major" arms to Turkey until a report on the relationship between the US and Turkey (which is also a component of the law) is completed by the Pentagon.

    The implied target of the bill would be the 116 F-35 Lightning II fighters that Washington has promised to sell Ankara, of which 100 are almost ready to be delivered.
    The bill is in many ways a response to Turkey's recent purchase of S-400 air defense systems from Russia. Though Turkey's relationship with Russia is still far from amicable (indeed, the two countries almost became embroiled in a military confrontation after Turkey shot down a Russian jet that was allegedly flying through its airspace back in 2015), the purchase has unnerved NATO and the US. The Russian weapons, Reuters notes, aren't compatible with NATO's defense systems.

    More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...sale-116-f-35s
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

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  3. #2
    The German language Der Spiegel magazine in a recent editorial attempted to sound the alarm of encroaching Russian influence in NATO connected with Russia's advanced S-400 anti-aircraft systems.
    "The Turkish government wants to buy the state-of-the-art Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system. NATO considers this a serious provocation: the system is not only incompatible with the alliance's existing defenses, but it could also expose secrets of the new US F-35 fighter jet to Russia, which Turkey also wants to buy,"according to a rough translation from the German.


    Der Spiegel's editorial was published at end of a week in which the NATO/US and Turkish relationship threatened to reach a breaking point. As we previously reported Turkish Prime Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu recently warned that Turkey would retaliate if a bill being pushed by House Republicans to block arms sales to Turkey becomes law.
    US lawmakers released details earlier this month of a $717 billion annual defense policy bill that included a provision to temporarily halt weapons sales to Turkey. During a subsequent interview with broadcaster CNN Turk, Cavusoglu criticized the measure, saying it was wrong to impose such a restriction on a military ally, alluding to the fact that Turkey has graciously allowed the US to use its Encirlik air base to launch its air strikes against ISIS (as well as against Turkey's enemy the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad).
    "If the United States imposes sanctions on us or takes such a step, Turkey will absolutely retaliate," Cavusoglu said. "What needs to be done is the U.S. needs to let go of this."
    Will Turkey's retaliation come in the form moving forward with installation of Russia's S-400 missile system?
    While still a ways away from becoming law (and its unclear if President Trump, who has publicly praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan) the proposed US National Defense Authorization Act would block sales of "major" arms to Turkey until a report on the relationship between the US and Turkey (which is also a component of the law) is completed by the Pentagon.
    The implied target of the bill would be the 116 F-35 Lightning II fighters that Washington has promised to sell Ankara, of which 100 are almost ready to be delivered. The bill is in many ways a response to Turkey's recent purchase of S-400 air defense systems from Russia.
    And interestingly, NATO is now pushing the idea that Russia supplying a NATO member with the advance S-400 would open up Turkey to unprecedented access to Russian spies, especially as the system installation would require months of technical training and Russian-Turkish military-to-military cooperation.

    More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...pying-germanys
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  4. #3
    We should punish Turkey by giving them the F-35's for free.
    Quote Originally Posted by timosman View Post
    This is getting silly.
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    It started silly.
    T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men

    "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." - Plato

    We Are Running Out of Time - Mini Me

    Quote Originally Posted by Philhelm
    I part ways with "libertarianism" when it transitions from ideology grounded in logic into self-defeating autism for the sake of ideological purity.

  5. #4
    We should send Turkey a bunch of turkeys, with a note reading "Go fly these."

  6. #5
    Now Turkey, being faced with a possible embargo in Congress against purchasing other American high-performance equipment, such as the F-35, is threatening to purchase the Russian stealth fighter, the SU-57.
    Turkey is looking at buying Russian Su-57 fighter jets in case the United States refuses to sell its F-35 warplanes, Turkey’s YeniSafak reported on Sunday,” wrote Russian state news agency TASS. With Moscow’s state-controlled media, this little tidbit would not be released unless it was intended for Western consumption.
    Congress is right. Why would we trust Mr. Erdogan with such sensitive technology? Who could be sure he wouldn’t just turn over one of the jets to his new BFF, Vlad?
    It’s time we look at Turkey with clear eyes. NATO needs to move against this clear and present danger to the alliance. Creeping Sharia law and anti-American behavior, anti-EU behavior, is not congruent with being a member of NATO. How can we trust Turkey in any future conflict with Russia?
    Yes, perhaps Turkey could change with the removal of Erdogan from the presidency, but that is unlikely.

    More at: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news...ussian-su-57s/
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  7. #6
    Erdogan tells Turks ‘change dollars and euros to lira’
    https://aml.ink/9k3be





    =====



    Russia And Turkey Reach Deal On "Southern Stream" Gas Pipeline, Infuriate Washington
    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...d-gas-dispuite


    One and a half years after Russia and Turkey signed a deal to build the strategic "Turkish Stream" gas pipeline in October 2016,
    on Saturday Russian state energy giant Gazprom and the Turkish government reached a deal on the construction of the land-based part of the Turkish Stream branch
    that will bring Russian gas to European consumers.

    The 2016 Turkstream consists of two branches
    first branch will deliver gas to Turkish consumers
    second one will bring it to the countries in southern and south-western Europe.
    The European leg is expected to decrease Russia’s dependence on transit through Ukraine.
    Each of the lines has a maximum capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters a year.

    Gazprom finished the construction of the deep-water part of the first line of the Turkish Stream in April.
    The first Russian gas could start flowing through both legs of the Turkish Stream by December 2019.

    The greenlighting of the Turkish Stream project is sure to infuriate the US
    which previously announced it was considering sanctions of European firms that would participate in the NorthStream Russian gas pipeline.

    President Trump went as far as to threaten Angela Merkel two weeks ago,
    telling her to either drop the Russian gas pipeline or the trade war with the US was set to begin.

    How Europe reacts to US threats involving the NorthStream and, soon, the Turkish Stream,
    will determine whether Europe will once again find itself a subservient vassal state to US military and energy lobbying powers,
    or if Brussels will side with Putin in this growing conflict, resulting in an unprecedented breach within the so-called "democratic west."
    Last edited by goldenequity; 05-27-2018 at 06:45 PM.

  8. #7
    Turkey's Erdogan offers Putin to jointly produce new S-500 missile system
    https://aml.ink/oeFpf


    Anadolu news agency has quoted the Turkish president as saying that Russia had given Ankara a loan to buy the S-400 missile systems on “very acceptable terms.”

    “During the second and third stages we will proceed to the joint production of the S-500 systems,” Erdogan said.

    The S-500 air defense system, to replace the current S-400 system, is being developed and is scheduled to enter service within the next 25 years.

    Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu earlier said that the new system would start being supplied to the armed force in 2020.

    In February, then-Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told the newspaper Kommersant that the production of truck-mounted S-500 and S-400 systems was already underway in Nizhny Novgorod.

    Moscow and Ankara inked a loan agreement for the acquisition of four S-400 air defense missile battery systems in December 2017. The initial delivery of the Russian-made advanced missile system to Turkey is planned for the first quarter of 2020.

    According to the Turkish Defense Industry Secretariat, Ankara will buy two batteries of S-400 missiles which will be manned by Turkish military personnel.

    The S-500, to form the upper tier of Russia’s layered air defenses, is expected to be able to engage targets at altitudes of over 60 miles, to engage targets which are out of reach for all missile defense systems now in existence.

    The system will be able to detect and simultaneously engage up to ten ballistic missile warheads flying at speeds of over four miles a second. Its one-of-a-kind self-homing warheads search for their targets and, finding them, switch to an automatic-homing mode.

    The S-500 is also the only missile defense system capable of engaging hypersonic targets.
    (hmmmm....)
    Last edited by goldenequity; 06-14-2018 at 06:26 AM.

  9. #8
    Turkey's veiled threats fell on deaf ears and late on Monday the US Senate voted to block the transfer of the F-35 fighter jet to Turkey, reflecting not only US unwillingness to cooperate with any counterparty that does concurrent deals with Russia, but also increasing tension with a NATO ally, in a move that could ultimately hold up the sale of 100 warplanes worth close to $10bn. As the FT reports, a bipartisan clause added to the National Defense Authorization Act, and passed by the Senate late on Monday by a vote of 85 to 10, will prohibit the transfer of F-35s to Turkey until a plan is submitted to cut Turkey from participation in the program.
    As we previewed last month, senators predictably made the intervention given concerns over Turkey’s intent to install the Russian-built S400 air defense system, which Pentagon officials fear would put the secrets of the F-35 and the data it collects at risk.
    “Turkey is buying a missile system that will collect data on Nato’s frontline jet and, for various reasons, the US is trying to prevent that,” said Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council. “Kicking Turkey out of the consortium won’t make anyone in Ankara happy and underscores how the two sides may not yet be at rock bottom in terms of the relationship.”
    It's not quite an international diplomatic scandal quite yet: last night's vote is just the first step of the process: the bill, which must still be passed by the House, could undergo further changes in the reconciliation process and is not expected to become law until later in the summer.
    Understandably, Turkey was angry: Binali Yildirim, Turkey’s prime minister, described the Senate decision as “lamentable” and against the spirit of the Nato partnership. In comments published by the Turkish broadcaster Haberturk, he also said Ankara was “not without alternatives” and would not be weakened by the move. An additional reason for Turkey's ire at the Senate decision is that the nation has been one of 14 NATO members that helped construct the stealth jet, along with the UK, Norway and Israel.

    More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...n-missile-deal
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment



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  11. #9
    The turks might have to buy some Chinese jets, are they any good?
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    You only show up to attack Trump when he is wrong
    Make America the Land of the Free & the Home of the Brave again

  12. #10
    Both Ankara and the Pentagon are set to complete a deal for F-35s, ignoring a decision by US lawmakers to torpedo the shipment of 100 fighter jets to Turkey. Their opinion doesn’t matter, Ankara has said.
    “Necessary contacts have been made with the US, and delivery of the F-35 jets will be on Thursday,” Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters on Wednesday, two days after the US Senate voted overwhelmingly to block the deal.
    Senators chose to call off the long-expected sale, citing Ankara’s plans to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries from Russia, and the detention of an American citizen. The same decision had earlier been made by the House of Representatives, but the bill is yet to be signed by the president.


    The vote in Congress does “not hold values for us,” another Turkish deputy PM, Hakan Cavusoglu, stated. “We will also definitely take the F-35s,” he said.
    Ankara’s defiant stance is in tune with the Pentagon, which confirmed that the first jets will indeed be handed over on June 21. The manufacturer of the aircraft, Lockheed Martin, “will hold a rollout ceremony for Turkey this Thursday in Fort Worth, and the two jets will follow-on to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona at a later date,” Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mike Andrews told CNN.

    More at: https://www.infowars.com/pentagon-ig...rkey-jet-deal/
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  13. #11
    I did what I could .
    Do something Danke

  14. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by oyarde View Post
    I did what I could .
    It is all up to @Danke now.
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  15. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Swordsmyth View Post
    It is all up to @Danke now.
    I am doubtful he will come clean about his role .
    Do something Danke

  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by oyarde View Post
    I am doubtful he will come clean about his role .
    Has he ever?
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  17. #15
    Lockheed Martin on Thursday delivered its first F-35 stealth fighter jet to Turkey, despite objections from some in Congress over Turkey's detention of a U.S. pastor and its plan to buy a Russian air defense system.
    The F-35A Lightning II emblazoned with the star and crescent from the Turkish flag was unveiled at Lockheed Martin's sprawling Fort Worth plant in front of about 1,000 spectators, who also enjoyed Turkish traditional folk music and dancing.

    The Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act approved this week expressed opposition to Turkey's purchase of a Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system, and its detention of U.S. pastor Andre Brunson.


    But it's not yet known what form of the bill might clear the House and wind up on President Trump's desk.
    Meanwhile, the first and second F-35s built for Turkey are headed to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Turkish pilots and maintenance workers will train on the aircraft for many months before taking them to the country, which straddles Europe and Asia and has long been considered a key U.S. ally.


    Several Turkish contractors including Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc., play crucial roles in assembling parts for the F-35, said Doug Wilhelm, Lockheed vice president for the F-35 program.
    About 30 percent of center fuselages installed on F-35s are built in Turkey, he said. Also, Turkish contractors play a prominent role in building components of the landing gear, forward fuselage, the electronics used by the pilot and some of the aircraft's composite skin, he said.


    Plans call for Lockheed Martin to build at least two more planes for Turkey soon — and long-term, Turkey wishes to buy up to 100 of the stealth fighter jets.
    On Thursday, some Senate members inserted language in an amendment that would prohibit the transfer of the F-35s to Turkey unless the secretary of state's office certifies that Turkey has not gone through with plans to buy the Russian S-400 air defense system. But that language could be difficult to enforce, given that Turkey was among nine nations who partnered beginning in 1999 to build the fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
    The F-35 is believed to be among just a handful of military weapons that get past the Russian S-400 anti-aircaft missiles.

    More at: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/bu...213519199.html
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  18. #16
    Following upon previous warnings, the US State Department has again threatened that Turkey will be targeted by sanctions if it receives the S-400 from Russia under a contract finalized between Ankara and Moscow at the end of 2017, said to be worth $2.5 billion.

    The State Department recalled that this decision is a result of the bill President Donald Trump signed into law last summer, which seeks to punish companies that do business with the Russian defense industry.
    On Tuesday a top State Department official — Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell — stated the following at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee:
    “We made it clear that if Turkey buys S-400s… there will be consequences. We will introduce sanctions within Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).”
    “We believe that we have existing legal authorities that would allow us to withhold transfer under certain circumstances, including national security concerns,” he said. “We believe that we continue to have the time and ability to ensure Turkey does not move forward on S-400 before having to take a decision on – on F-35. We’re being very clear in our messaging to the Turks that there will be consequences.”
    And notably Mitchell also highlighted Turkey's deteriorating human rights record, estimating that about two dozen Americans remain illegally detained in the country, many of them dual nationals (though we should note that Washington only plays the 'human rights' card on allies selectively and when convenient).
    In spite of Lockheed Martin's formal "handover" the US has plenty of time (perhaps years even) to block the F-35 contract while Congress firms up the legal basis for such a maneuver after the Senate Appropriations Committee recently added an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2019 that would put a stop to future deliveries should Ankara refuse to cancel the S-400 deal.

    More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...s-400-purchase
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment



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  20. #17
    A U.S. official has said the United States is offering to sell Turkey the Patriot missile defense system as it attempts to persuade Ankara not to purchase Russia's S-400 system, Reuters reported July 16.

    More at: https://worldview.stratfor.com/situa...-russian-s-400
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  21. #18
    Congressional defense lawmakers officially barred deliveries of the fifth-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to Turkish forces, inserting the ban into the final version of the Pentagon’s budget blueprint for the upcoming fiscal year.
    House and Senate conferees adopted the legislation, which prohibits shipments of the advanced, multi-role jet fighter to Ankara’s forces until the Pentagon delivers “an assessment of a significant change in Turkish participation in the F-35 program, including the potential elimination of such participation,” defense lawmakers wrote.
    Defense lawmakers also demanded the immediate release of U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson, as well as any other “U.S. citizens wrongfully or unlawfully detained in Turkey,” in legislative language included in the defense spending bill, now headed to the White House for President Trump’s signature.

    More at: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news...er-shipments-/
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  22. #19
    A Turkish court has ruled that F35 stealth jets..."poor health" is the reason for the transfer of an American pastor who has been held for two years on "terrorism" and "espionage" charges.
    It appears yesterday's controversial Congressional vote to block sale of Lockheed Martin's advanced F-35 stealth fighter to Turkey may already be having an effect as less than 12 hours after the House and Senate adopted the legislation, American Pastor Andrew Brunson has been released from a Turkish prison and placed into house arrest.
    US pastor Andrew Brunson has left jail and is on his way to his way to his home in the city of Izmir, according to Turkish TV station A Haber. He has spent almost two years behind bars on espionage and terror charges. Will remain under house arrest. pic.twitter.com/dFxjuuat6k
    — Laura Pitel (@laurapitel) July 25, 2018
    Brunson's family is "elated" according to media statements. His wife reportedly waited for his release from a prison in the western part of the country.
    He will be confined to his residence in Turkey where he can have interaction with his family and move freely within the confines; however, he will continue to proceed through his trial in the Turkish legal system.

    Pastor Brunson, a 50-year-old evangelical pastor from Black Mountain, North Carolina detained in 2016, faces charges including espionage and aiding terrorist groups after being accused of cooperating with "Kurdish terrorists" and colluding with the Gulenist Islamic movement; he faces up to 35 years in prison if found guilty. He has now been in Turkish custody for nearly two years.
    Turkey's Hurriyet Daily summarized the legal declaration of Brunson's house arrest:
    The Second High Penal Court in the western province of İzmir had rejected Brunson’s plea for release on July 18, deciding to continue listening to the testimonies of witnesses in the next hearing scheduled for Oct. 12.
    Following an objection from Brunson’s attorney İsmail Cem Halavurt, however, the same court ruled on July 25 to move Brunson from prison to house arrest citing the “health excuse” that was stressed in the plea.
    The court also banned Brunson from leaving Turkey and imposed a judicial control decision.
    Previously, President Trump has personally called for Brunson's release in multiple public statements, saying as recently as a week ago on twitter while directly addressing the Turkish president: "A total disgrace that Turkey will not release a respected U.S. Pastor, Andrew Brunson, from prison. He has been held hostage far too long. Erdogan should do something to free this wonderful Christian husband & father. He has done nothing wrong, and his family needs him."
    And in April Trump tweeted about the pastor: "They call him a Spy, but I am more a Spy than he is. Hopefully he will be allowed to come home to his beautiful family where he belongs."
    Pastor Andrew Brunson, a fine gentleman and Christian leader in the United States, is on trial and being persecuted in Turkey for no reason. They call him a Spy, but I am more a Spy than he is. Hopefully he will be allowed to come home to his beautiful family where he belongs!
    — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018
    American diplomats have also previously warned the arrest is part of the Turkish government’s policy of "hostage diplomacy" and further warned the issue could trigger "unprecedented sanctions" — something Congress followed through on in its passage of the 2019 the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which locks transfer of the advanced stealth fighter, each aircraft costing at least $100 million.
    The Pentagon’s budget blueprint for the upcoming fiscal year will now go the president's desk with language in it that calls for the immediate release of Brunson. The bill also mentions immediate release of any other "U.S. citizens wrongfully or unlawfully detained in Turkey" and calls for improved human rights under the increasingly authoritarian Turkish state and - ironically - NATO ally.
    Pastor Brunson's fate has lately become bound up with a broader tense geopolitical standoff between the US, Turkey, and Russia connected to Ankara's pursuing a contract for Russia's advanced S-400 anti-missile defense system, said to be worth $2.5 billion. State Department officials have lately to warned of sanctions over the defense shield's installation, rare to the point of being unheard of when it comes to NATO allies, specifically because of fears that Russia would get simultaneously gain access to the extremely advanced Joint Strike Fighter stealth aircraft, enabling Moscow to detect and exploit its vulnerabilities.
    U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the ruling on Wednesday, but added that "it is not enough".
    Interestingly, though the court cited "poor health" as its reason to grant transfer to house arrest, it appears that Turkey is trying to soften what's now clearly US Congress' strong-fisted resolve to follow through on Washington's threats on the matter.



    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...gress-f-35-ban
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  23. #20

  24. #21
    It now costs more than 4.9 Turkish Lira to buy a US dollar once again as President Erdogan's 'threats' that his country will not "make a step back" and that the US will lose a "strong and sincere ally" if President Trump imposes "large sanctions" until the pastor is freed.

    Speaking to the local media, Erdogan said "you can’t make Turkey take a step back with sanctions", and accused Trump of waging a "psychological war," the Daily Sabah reported.
    Erdogan also said that the US "should not forget that it will lose a strong and sincere partner" if "the U.S. does not change its stance" regarding pastor Brunson.
    "Instead of respecting the ruling they are making this a matter of sanctioning Turkey."
    There is a small glint of hope in US-Turkey relations as Turkey’s state-run TRT reports that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Singapore.
    As we noted previously, the drama over the fate of the US pastor escalated after US Congress banned the shipment of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey amid objections over Turkey’s plans to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia. Erdoğan's government said it was adamant on pushing ahead with the purchase of the American fighter jets, and the Turkish president said he would seek "justice by international arbitration" if the US fails to deliver the fighter jets.
    Another key topic of disagreement between the US and Turkey is the fate of Iranian oil imports: Turkey, a long-time client of Tehran, has been resisting US pressure to stop importing Iranian crude which the State Department has demanded its allies do by November 4. Ankara believes that US foreign and economic policy decisions are not binding for Turkey, arguing that any Iranian sanctions must be conducted under the UN-mandated international law.

    While the timing and nature of potential sanctions remain uncertain, Bloomberg notes that investors are bracing for any developments that would slow the flow of funds into Turkey and pressure the currency which is already flirting with a record low against the dollar. Turkey relies on short-term portfolio flows for a large percentage of its financing needs, and a further slide in the lira threatens to fuel inflation and hamper companies’ ability to pay back their foreign-currency debts.
    “I think the pair will easily test and surpass the all-time high near 4.9745,” said Win Thin, a strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., adding that the central bank may call an emergency meeting if the pressure on the currency intensifies.


    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...erdogan-theats
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  25. #22
    The Trump administration on Wednesday sanctioned top Turkish officials over the country’s detention of American pastor Andrew Craig Brunson.
    The Treasury Department sanctions, first announced by the White House, target Turkey's minister of justice and minister of interior over the holding of the 50-year-old pastor.
    “Pastor Brunson’s unjust detention and continued prosecution by Turkish officials is simply unacceptable,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “President Trump has made it abundantly clear that the United States expects Turkey to release him immediately.”
    The administration said the two sanctioned officials -- Turkey's Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu -- both played leading roles in the organizations responsible for Brunson's arrest and detention. The sanctions effectively block any property or interest in property controlled by them in the U.S., and bar Americans from engaging in transactions with them.

    More at: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018...an-pastor.html
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  26. #23
    It would appear that Turkish President Erdogan is not a fan of Kenny Rogers as he watches his nation's currency collapse into worthlessness, he refuses to "fold 'em", instead doubling down on retaliatory threats against the Trump administration.
    The U.S. “move will likely only incense Erdogan and a commensurate response is already promised,” Timothy Ash, a strategist at BlueBay Asset Management in London, said in emailed comments.
    Turkey remains particularly exposed to shifts in investor sentiment, given its large external financing needs, and the reaction is clear - another 5 handle collapse in the Lira to a new record low...

    As The Telegraph reports, the Turkish foreign ministry warned that Washington's sanctions move "will greatly damage constructive efforts" to solve outstanding issues and told Washington it would retaliate.
    "Without delay, there will be a response to this aggressive attitude that will not serve any purpose," it said.
    Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who is set to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the next few days, also warned that the move "will not go without response".
    “The market lurches from one negative event to another,” said Nigel Rendell, a senior analyst at Medley Global Advisors in London. “The net result being the erosion of foreign appetite for Turkish assets and an ever weaker lira.”
    As Bloomberg notes, the one-year dollar-lira currency swap rate jumped to the biggest premium on record to the three-month contract after the central bank unexpectedly refrained from raising rates on July 24 -- a sign that investors are demanding more compensation for longer-dated securities to protect themselves against an acceleration in price growth.
    “It’s bad,” said Cristian Maggio, head of emerging-market research at TD Securities in London. “Diplomacy has never been that bad in many years, the economy is slowing and there’s a concrete risk of a hard landing; from a financial viewpoint, the central bank will be forced to hike again unless the upside dollar-lira move reverses, but I’m afraid it won’t.”
    Finally, as a reminder, these are one-for-all, all-for-one NATO allies... food for thought eh?


    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...ns-retaliation
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  27. #24
    In retaliation to Washington's sanctions against Ankara announced last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Saturday that Turkey will freeze the assets of the US Justice and Interior Ministers in Turkey, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
    "The latest step taken by the U.S. in the incident of Pastor Brunson in İzmir was not suitable to a strategic partner. It is a disrespectful step against Turkey." Erdoğan said in a speech at the ruling Justice and Development Party's congress for its women's organization in Ankara on Aug. 4.
    "The decision to freeze assets of Turkish justice, interior ministers in the US is illogical. We were patient until last night but I am now instructing my friends today. We will freeze assets, if there are any, of the U.S. justice and interior secretaries in Turkey," Erdogan said adding that "those who think that they can make Turkey take a step back by resorting to threatening language and absurd sanctions proves that they do not know the Turkish nation."

    More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...tion-sanctions
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment



  28. Remove this section of ads by registering.
  29. #25
    The Turkish lira tumbled to a record low against the dollar on Monday, after the Trump administration said it was reviewing Turkey's duty-free access to the U.S. market, a move that could affect some $1.66 billion of Turkish imports. The review by the U.S. Trade Representative's office, announced on Friday, came after Ankara imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods in response to American tariffs on steel and aluminium.

    A USTR spokeswoman said the review was unrelated to issues surrounding Brunson, - a case that has prompted U.S. sanctions against two Turkish cabinet ministers.

    More at: https://www.businessinsider.com/turk...-access-2018-8
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  30. #26
    Turkey and the United States have reportedly reached an agreement for the release of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson, Hurriyet Daily News reported Aug. 7, citing anonymous diplomatic sources.

    More at: https://worldview.stratfor.com/situa...over-us-pastor
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  31. #27
    US officers at Incirlik air base sued by Turkish lawyers for terrorist ties
    https://sptnkne.ws/jp3Q




    The attorneys seek the detention of
    ►US Cols. John Waler, Michael Manion, David Eaglen and David Trucksa;
    ►Lt. Cols.Tim Cook and Mack Coker;
    ►Sgts. Thomas Cooper and Vegas Clark,
    according to Stars and Stripes.
    General Joseph Votel, head of US Central Command, is also named in the complaint.

    The Turkish attorneys want to temporarily halt all operations at the Incirlik base to execute a search warrant, Stars and Stripes reported Wednesday.


    (this is hardball. A mexican standoff.
    Losing Incirlik is what's for dinner...
    'sanctions' r child's play and Erdogan is kray kray.

    Trump had better call off his treasury pit bulls..... and their Turkish 'hit list'...
    or Incirlik street names will be redone in Cyrillic faster than you can say S-400. )

  32. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by goldenequity View Post
    US officers at Incirlik air base sued by Turkish lawyers for terrorist ties
    https://sptnkne.ws/jp3Q




    The attorneys seek the detention of
    ►US Cols. John Waler, Michael Manion, David Eaglen and David Trucksa;
    ►Lt. Cols.Tim Cook and Mack Coker;
    ►Sgts. Thomas Cooper and Vegas Clark,
    according to Stars and Stripes.
    General Joseph Votel, head of US Central Command, is also named in the complaint.

    The Turkish attorneys want to temporarily halt all operations at the Incirlik base to execute a search warrant, Stars and Stripes reported Wednesday.


    (this is hardball. A mexican standoff.
    Losing Incirlik is what's for dinner...
    'sanctions' r child's play and Erdogan is kray kray.

    Trump had better call off his treasury pit bulls..... and their Turkish 'hit list'...
    or Incirlik street names will be redone in Cyrillic faster than you can say S-400. )
    Time to pack up our bags and leave Turkey.
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  33. #29
    U.S. President Donald Trump intensified his spat with Turkey on Friday by imposing higher tariffs on metal imports, putting unprecedented economic pressure on a NATO ally and deepening turmoil in Turkish financial markets.

    Criticizing the state of the U.S. relationship with Ankara, Trump announced on Twitter that he had authorized a doubling of duties on aluminum and steel imported from Turkey, making them 20 percent and 50 percent respectively.
    The White House said Trump would use a section of U.S. law that allows for tariffs on national security grounds to impose the increased duties.
    Washington and Ankara have been at odds for months over an American pastor detained in Turkey, the Syrian civil war and other diplomatic issues.
    Trump’s move sent Turkey’s lira currency deeper into tailspin. The lira, which has long been falling on worries about the government’s influence over monetary policy and the U.S. tensions, plunged more than 18 percent at one point on Friday to a record low against the dollar.
    Even before Trump’s announcement, President Tayyip Erdogan told Turks to exchange gold and dollars for lira in order to fight “an economic war.” Waves from the crisis spread abroad, with investors selling off shares in European banks with large exposure to the Turkish economy. nL5N1V12A6]
    “I have just authorized a doubling of Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum with respect to Turkey as their currency, the Turkish Lira, slides rapidly downward against our very strong Dollar!” Trump said in an early morning post on Twitter.
    “Aluminum will now be 20 percent and Steel 50 percent. Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!”

    More at: https://in.reuters.com/article/us-tu...KBN1KV1HA?il=0
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

  34. #30
    Following emergency bank meetings and numerous pleas by Erdogan for Turks not to "pull FX out of their banks," blaming the country's current economic crisis on America, the Lira has opened massively weaker - crashing below 7.00 per dollar for the first time ever...

    That is the second day in a row that the lira has crashed over 75 handles!!!

    As The FT reports, Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused other countries on Sunday of mounting an “operation” to bring down the Turkish economy...
    “What is the cause of this storm?” he asked a gathering of ruling party officials in the Black Sea city of Trabzon. “There is no economic reason . . . It’s an operation against Turkey.”
    But gave no indication he would meet investors’ demands for an emergency plan to prop up the plunging lira.


    "I’m calling out to industrialists, do not attack banks to buy FX," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a speech in Trabzon.
    "It is industrialists’ duty too to keep this nation on its feet. Otherwise we will set into motion our plan B and C," he added.
    Sounds very scary - Plan B and C... we can guess that the 'B' stands for 'Block' capital outflows and 'C' stands for confiscation of gold and dollars.
    Reuters reports a low level of 7.22 - all of which implies the Turkish banking system is done.
    As Goldman Sachs warned, further lira depreciation to 7.1 would erode all of Turkey's banks' excess capital.


    More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...oney-out-banks
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

    Robert Heinlein

    Give a man an inch and right away he thinks he's a ruler

    Groucho Marx

    I love mankind…it’s people I can’t stand.

    Linus, from the Peanuts comic

    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

    Alexis de Torqueville

    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

    A Zero Hedge comment

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