As the Turks soak in the fact that a lot of neighbors don't really like them, I think the fact that we remain a friend will count for a lot again. The European Union doesn't seem to want to let Turkey in despite the long negotiations that have pretended to bring that day closer. Iran is no friend. Armenia? Get real. The Arab states don't like them. The Kurds? Less than happy. Greece? See Armenia. Even the Bulgarians aren't exactly friendly.
And of course, there is Russia. I've lost track of the number of wars that Russia has fought with Turkey over the years. Russia is still at it:
Bulgaria, Greece and Russia signed a 522 million euros ($677 million) agreement Tuesday for the construction of a trans-Balkan pipeline that will bypass Turkey's busy Bosporus strait.I have to believe that a pipeline through Thrace in Turkey would be shorter and cheaper if the only goal was to bypass the strait. But Russia would certainly love to put the screws to Turkey and regain some influence in the Balkans. Bulgaria was the most loyal Warsaw Pact state back in the Cold War. Bulgaria is friendly with the West but this has to be somewhat fertile ground for the Russians to try and gain influence. Greece has fellow Orthodox co-religionists. So enriching these two countries while denying Turkey oil transit revenue hits several birds with one stone.
Come on Ankara, remember who your best friend is. Come home. You sat out the Iraq War. Don't sit out regime change in Tehran, too.
