Turkey's Geographic Challenge

Stratfor examines how Turkey is attempting to expand its core into the eastern part of the country and how this affects the region.

TURKEY is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic with a diverse cultural heritage.Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire the country became a secular state comprising a majority Muslim population. Like the Balkans, Turkey lies at the crossroads of Islam, Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Turkey – historically and through to the present day – vies with Egypt for predominance in the region. The country shares a border with eight other countries – including those of Syria and Iraq. Situated on the border between East and West, Turkey continues to look both towards the EU and the CIS nations.

Aside from the current civil war in Syria, Turkey has to contend with Kurdish separatists, and accusations of an Armenian ethnic cleansing in its modern history. Turkey is one of the countries mentioned in the Gog/Magog cohort of nations which will mount a future-day invasion of Israel (Ezek 38:1-6).

Relationships between Turkey became very strained over the 'Gaza Flotilla' incident in 2010 when the Mavi Marmara – a Turkish-registered vessel – was boarded by Israeli special forces in the course of protecting Israel's embargo on direct shipments to Gaza designed to choke off supplies of weaponry to Hamas. Most recently Israel has taken steps to restore the relationship.

See also reports: 'Where Catholicism, Islam and Orthodoxy meet'
and 'James Bond, Putin and Ezekiel'

"Turkey's Geographic Challenge is republished with permission of Stratfor."

Stratfor, 26/03/2013