Russian minister urges strategic cooperation between Russia,

[brother]

Russian minister urges strategic cooperation between Russia, Turkey

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News

  Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has called on Turkey to step up strategic cooperation between the two countries by carrying out joint projects in the defense industry, new reports said yesterday.

  Describing Turkey as a ?Eurasian power? in a written statement released to daily Milliyet, Ivanov listed concrete proposals that could pave the way for a strategic relationship between Turkey and Russia.



http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=22594




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This is not the first time the Russians have extended this offer to Turkey and they seem to believe this is the way forward for both countries.

Should they take the offer or not?

What do you think? All input appreciated.

[Dhavlos]

i havent read the article, but it sounds from what you sid that Russia is looking to reshape its old superpower status of the old soviet days....

for example....in the Ukraine, they supported the other president(not yushenko) because he was pro-russian, and they wanted to create an 'eastern' version of the Eu, with the other Former USSR states.

THey recently had a military praqctice with china....so im thinking they want to create some kind of NATO, but in the east med/asia. Do you see what i mean?

Should turkey take the offer.....well, it would mean they had more allies/potential to be stronger, but do they want to be split between appeasing the EU/NATO and what Russia wants? Tricky

[brother]

Well at the moment the EU is running like a virgin bride on her wedding night not sure if she does or does not want it.
The issue is that the EU is not offering anything concrete with the wordings 'open ended negotiations and privilaged partnerships" and also them wanting to put restrictions on labour movement (which is completely against what the EU stands for) and some countries like France and Austria whom seem to have an unconcious dislike/hatred of turks its not looking good.
Wheras the Russians are accepting turkey as is and other asian countries will and turkey will still use the EU criteria and rename it the ankara criteria which in time would hopefully expand to other asian countries.

In short at the moment the EU seems to me like a group of countries which are divided on many issues and among their ranks they have the racist or prejudised countries that really want to keep a muslim country out and i think Turkey would be better off saying i will go my own way and leaving the negotiations for good and forming alliances with countries that have no hangups.