The machine needs regime change in Turkey to keep the country in thrall...
And now; inexplicable voter counts in Turkey’s presidential election...
There is only one playbook...
https://insiderpaper.com/erdogan-ascendant-as-turkey-heads-for-historic-runoff/
A long time ago in my college years I remember having a conversation with a Greek-Syrian, who lived in Syria. His dad was Greek and he knew both Greek and Arabic languages. I remember asking him to get his reaction on what he thought of Turkey and at the time why it was never mentioned in the news. His response was -- "Nobody likes Turkey. They have no friends and are unpredictable."
Albeit, this was some 40 years ago, I believe it to be as true today as it was then. Turkey is a wildcard. President Erdogan is a shrewd political mastermind. He plays the West through NATO against Turkish nonconformism and leverages it using BRICS. Does anyone know what deal was made to Erdogan to drop his opposition for Finland and Sweden joining NATO? I expect a lucrative offer was made to Erdogan to drop his resistance for Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO. If anyone hasn't noticed, Turkey is positioning itself to being the central oil hub for all of Europe. Russian oil, Baku-Caspian Basin oil, Kuwaiti and Iraqi Kirkuk oil, and Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil fields are all being drawn to Turkey as a central hub.
This makes sense.
Both my dad and uncle were stationed in Turkey during the 1960's Cold War. My dad was at Incirlik Air Base (Radio repair in Adana) and uncle (Fluent in Russian) was shuffled around to listen in on the Soviet conversations and translate.
Turkey is tired of the American Military Industrial Complex (NATO) and is making the switch.
My father trained their pilots how to fly F-100’s in the 60’s. He always said if he to go to war with anyone, it would be the Turks. He said they were mean SOB’s.