They were afraid of Grexit. They did everything to control the Greek revolt and they were able to achieve it. Only to see British vote for Brexit.
They were afraid of Greece, under the enormous pressure of its “partners”, turning to Moscow for assistance. They spend an enormous energy to achieve that, especially by controlling, trapping and manipulating the SYRIZA leadership. They achieved it. Only to see the leader of one of the most important NATO member-states search for help in Russia, some weeks only after the failed coup in his country. Now some are even afraid of “Turexit” (from NATO this time).
For US and Israeli planners it is a difficult moment. The last thing they would like to confront would be the formation of an axis Moscow-Ankara-Teheran-Damascus! And of course there is always the potential for a big crisis in the Atlantic Alliance and in relations between Turkey and the EU.
We are not there, especially because of remaining differences between Turkey and Russia on the question of Syria. There are serious obstacles to overcome before reaching such a point. And all strategic alliances between Moscow and Ankara in the past did not last for a long time.
Still it is very probable that Mr. Erdogan feels he is proscribed by the West and in direct danger. He has not anybody else than Russia to turn.
Washington, but also London and Paris, under the influence of the neoconservative Lobby, have played too much with Chaos. They were probably thinking that after the collapse of the Soviet Union could do anything they wanted. They have blown all equilibrium in the “Middle East”, destroying Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen and they never imagined Russia intervening in military ways in the Moddle East. Now they collect the results – an by definition, Chaos is unpredictable.
Presidents Erdogan and Putin met today in Russia. They have made tremendous progress in restoring bilateral economic relations and they agreed to have a deeper discussion on Syria at the level of Foreign Ministers and heads of secret services. Here is the description of the talks by TASS news agency
http://tass.ru/en/politics/893305
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160809/1044094924/putin-ankara-akkuyu-stream.html
and here the common press conference of the two Presidents
https://www.rt.com/news/355249-erdogan-putin-amend-ties/
For a Turkish account of the talks
http://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/turkey-russia-determined-to-normalize-ties-2508381
And here is how the New York Times tried to minimize any importance of the meeting even before it happens. According to the newspaper Erdogan and Putin are two isolated leaders!
