Newspaper Yeni Söz, a government mouthpiece, carried the incredibly odd claim that Turkey could conquer France and Germany within days.
“Turkey can occupy Europe within 3 days” read the headline.
The claim was seemingly based on a prediction by George Friedman, the founder of Stratfor, that Turkey would become a major power.
The paper said:
“Friedman said the Turks can beat the Germans in an afternoon and the French, if they show the courage to turn up, in an hour. Friedman was proven wrong. According to a survey conducted by international research center Gallup that asked ‘Would you fight for your country?’ the citizens of Europe already have their white flags ready to wave in the event of a war.
In the great Germany, only 18 percent of people say ‘I would fight for Germany.’ Twenty-nine percent of French, 27 percent of English, 21 percent of Spanish and 20 percent of Italians said they would fight for their country.
“So according to these results, if we leave for a conquest in the morning, we can do the evening prayers in Bellevue Palace! Taking into account the reality of July 15, we would have Rome on the second day.”
Yes Turkey isn’t reliving its previous life as the 1st Caliphate at all. At present its in its imagination, not sure in 50 years or so when this new fascist Dictator puts the seeds of conquest in place. Thankfully their entry into the EU now looks impossible which might at least stop their take over from within taking place.
Millions of Turkish citizens have already been allowed to settle in Europe and they display zero loyalty to their host nations. Did see how the Turks behaved in the US recently ? kick ’em out.
Since France has a nuclear deterrent and Turkey doesn’t, i’d love to know how turkey intend to win that war.
Let them try it, i’d like to see how it goes.
They lost a number of Leopard tanks just crossing into Syria, so shouldn’t get their hopes up
If one NATO member is attacked then all NATO members are attacked and that would include by other NATO members.
What makes this even weirder is that Turkey as also part of NATO
Sounds like the UK isn’t the only nation with a sensationalist, hysterical press.
Bit of a problem getting those tanks all that way.
G Friedman is an amazing scholars and a great thinker in geopolitics but there are some occasions that he would say things jokingly or hypothetically but not to discern capabilities. Its a Turkish news media and who knows….he could be an ex CNN journalist
What Turkey has is lots and lots of armour. My concern is their surprising closeness with Russia in recent months. It seemed as though shooting down that Fencer was the best thing that could have happened to their relationship…
I doubt Germany would tumble so readily.
The German soldier remains a opponent to respect and not underestimate. They are no pushovers.
I would think a conflict with Germany would go very badly for Turkey if it lasted more than 2-3 months. German industrial and monetary might would rapidly turn to war production, rearnament and would quickly ramp up to defeat Turkey. As for Turkey beating France.
No chance. Tiger attack helicopters, Rafale jets, leclerc mbt. All top end weapons. France is also a major nuclear power and thus cannot be militarily defeated without risking a nuclear weapons exchange. Complete non starter threatening France. Same as any enemy threatening the UK seriously.
Turkish bluster…they have a divided nation, controlled by a dictator and an armed forces without recent peer equivalent combat experience.
Not a chance, they have tried a couple of times, first got stopped in their tracks (by the Germans incidentally)
Second they got their arses well and truly handed to them by the Empire, took every single country they occupied off them and then drew their own countries border for them. Then sent the last sultan or whatever they were called on a train with some British pounds and a one way ticket into Europe to see out the remainder of his life.
Well, they did prevent a successful invasion at Gallipoli.
True, but they lost the other 4 main campaigns of the war and numerous smaller campaigns.
Think Gallipoli was their only victory barring a few stalemates, lost everything else.
I think Gallipoli was won by the dysentery and disease wiping out the atacking forces. Also, the colossal incompetence of the commanding generals.
And Turkey wants to join the EU?????
Turkish tanks = Apache fodder!!
Of course, Turkey has to actually get their forces to Germany and France in fighting order first!
Germany probably has the highest Turkish population outside of Turkey. They’re already there.
The point though was about national identity, with the highest, English, saying only 27% would fight for their country.
I don’t think I would nowadays. I nearly signed up to the REME, after university but as the application progressed I suddenly realised that I would have to submit to Tony Blair and his politics.
Herein lies the problem – most of us no longer live in the Britain we were raised in. I certainly don’t identify with many of our supposed “British valves”, nor the vast majority of the changes that have taken place to our country over the last 20 years. So what would I fight for? Who would I fight for? Our history? Our institutions? No way.
I think if Europe was being invaded by a foreign power and civil liberties were being taken away accross the continent I’m pretty sure that figure would dramatically rise.
I would fight for my country. I would be fighting for democracy, the right to live, travel, do whatever I want to do (within the law)
I would fight for my children’s future, not to let them grow up living under a dictatorship or another nations rule.
I would fight for the principals and rights of uk citizens, the NHS free at the point of care delivery, the education system, use of roads and right to travel around the UK. The British justice system. Finally the country itself, the UK is a beautifull country with amazing urban and countryside wonders. The national parks in the UK attract tens of millions of visitors a year, the beaches and some of our AONB are world class. Some of our cities are listed as the best in the world. Bath, Oxford, Cheltenham, Bristol, London, Manchester, Birmingham etc etc all great places to visit or live.
So yes happy to fight for Britain and proud to be British. It is sad others cannot see what I see. Maybe more foreign travel. Go and live abroad for a few years in as many countries as possible, then you appreciate the UK much more.
I have lived abroad, perhaps that’s the reason why I do feel the way I do?
The Poles would beat seven bells out of them before the gates of Vienna. Google Sobieski.
So glad I wasn’t the only one who thought that!
Utter clap trap, designed to fire up the political right, For on thing Turkey is a member of NATO. Why should they attack another NATO member , and please leave Cyprus out of this, The logistics to mount this sort of attack are so out of this world it beggars belief why this is even taken seriously. Turkey is a proud nation, and they do have a significant armed force, Anyone with an once of brain would see that France and Germany are not a push over, In the event that this stupid idea was to happen, The Turks would have to turn to Russia for support, without them the rule that any NATO country that is attacked will be supported military by all other NATO countries, will crush them, lets worry more about the USA and North Korea, which is a very clear and present danger.
France can wipe Turkey and all its inhabitants from the face of the earth if it wanted to or forced to. She can do this on her own but also has the power of NATO behind her and can rely on US and UK forces, any nation willing to take that on has a death wish.
It depends whether her navy isn’t sailing through Gibraltarian waters at the time though.
You fool!!! What do you know ? Don’t underestimate Turkey I think he’s dead right and I believe Turkey could wipe out France in an hour!! The French can only fight unarmed Africans an Algerians look military might Turkey possess.
only by food poisoning!
France has nukes. Good luck, Turkey, when you get hit by one of those. Then we will see who you can conquer. The Ottoman Empire will not be resurrected no matter how much their wannabe Hitler/Stalin wishes it so.
When was the last time the Turkish Army was really tried in a war? Lots of confidence in an unknown quantity. Not to mention that American and European military spare parts would immediately stop. So logistics would soon become problematic.
Not to mention, is there even a Turkish Navy worthy of the name? How many troops could they really ferry and how long would it take?
I hope this scenario never happens. But the Turkish navy has 16 frigates, 8 corvettes, 13 submarines, 23 missile boats, 28 patrol boats, 32 mine countermeasures vessels, 29 landing ships, and various auxiliary ships. They also have no capabilty gaps & no plans to remove ASMs from their warships just to save a few quid. It has a land border with Europe(Greece & Bulgaria). The Greeks may be more enthusiastic to resist any Turkish aggression due to historic enmity.
There’s also over 70 transport aircraft & hundreds of transport helicopters.
This story seems very doubtul in credibility though.
Of course, they have to GET there first!
I think many of us saw how the conscript Turkish army surrendered so easily in their attempted coup. It was also shameful how the civilians and the government then treated them, many of them were actually raped. Turkey may be able to push the Kurds to the floor but I cannot see them fighting a major European power with any great success.
Ridiculous hyperbole – not to be taken seriously.
Turkey did win against Armenia………
We wiped the brits out in Gallipoli too!
In a war like that , sadly Germany would loose in a week. There are already millions of Turks living in Germany so there would be interior war going inside Germany.
Germany has a greater GDP so It could produce more and more weapons but due to world war 2 agreement Germany isn’t ready to massproduce those equipments, If turkish invasion is rapid and sudden (like Cyprus) they will loose, unfortunatelly. Turkey also has a growing defence industy. , just google and you will relaize they already mass produces their own tanks, equipments, helicopters etc.
moreover, don’t underestimate turkish land forces. they are proven to be the one of the best in the world because they have been fighing actively to PKK, YPG etc for many years.
Finally, all turkish males are once been a soldier because of mandatory military system so It is very likely that they will outnumber almost all europe in terms of man power..
I think Germany easily looses here.
I would like Turkey attack France, so we could send nuclear bombs and destroy this islamist country,