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>> The anti-american sentiment is at an all-time high This is interesting considering the US keeps touting how important allies Turkey is to us for the fight a

>> The anti-american sentiment is at an all-time high This is interesting considering the US keeps touting how important allies Turkey is to us for the fight against ISIS. Why is there so much anti-American sentiment right now? I honestly haven't been able to read that much on the coup so I'm probably missing something - I know you mentioned the US supported Imam, but what else is going on? I seriously would like to know more.

maxerickson 10y ago
Without taking sides, it's at least easy to see how someone might hold the US responsible for the present day level of instability in the Middle East. Turkey has a land border with one of the largest, most unstable regions.
JPKab 10y ago
Any country with a large Muslim population will have negative views of America due to US support for Israel. It really is that simple. Turkey has its cosmopolitan side, but numerically they don't match the Erdogan supporters, who in general skew towards the Islamist side.
- iofj 10y ago
  I couldn't have put it more clearly than that. Of course your statement clearly illustrates exactly why we should never cut support for Israel. Yeah ! If we just allow them to kill or at least conquer/enslave the Jews (and the gays, as Israel is the last country in the middle east where those are safe, and atheists, and people of different religions in general, and ...) they'll be just fine with us. They'll like us ! Hurray ! Let's do that !
toyg 10y ago
Turkey is like Pakistan: a strategic US ally who doesn't exactly see eye-to-eye with the US on all problems. In particular, Erdogan bet big on ISIS to rid himself of both Assad (strategic rival to Turkish influence in the region) and Kurds, so he's not in love with a US policy that arms Kurd troops against ISIS and Al-Nusra. Also, Turkey is a big country. Daesh is obviously unpopular in "westernized" Istanbul, but out in the sticks where people listen to imams and maybe make the odd cross-border illegal transactions with ISIS fighters, they're likely loved a bit more, especially considering their anti-Kurd role. Coincidentally, rural provinces have also been Erdogan's primary constituencies ever since he failed to attain UE membership. And well, of course there's Israel. Edit: downvoted why? I don't think any of this is particularly contentious.
- iofj 10y ago
  You're implying the obvious truth that muslims will support murderous massacrers, and that they do so because they "listen to imams". Worse: you've pointed out the truth that this is the support base for Erdogan. It's not contentious, it's just politically incorrect if you want to call it that. Or put another way: loads of people's worldview depends on what you're saying being a lie. You're the bearer of bad "news".

maxerickson 10y ago

Without taking sides, it's at least easy to see how someone might hold the US responsible for the present day level of instability in the Middle East. Turkey has a land border with one of the largest, most unstable regions.

JPKab 10y ago

Any country with a large Muslim population will have negative views of America due to US support for Israel. It really is that simple. Turkey has its cosmopolitan side, but numerically they don't match the Erdogan supporters, who in general skew towards the Islamist side.

iofj 10y ago
I couldn't have put it more clearly than that. Of course your statement clearly illustrates exactly why we should never cut support for Israel. Yeah ! If we just allow them to kill or at least conquer/enslave the Jews (and the gays, as Israel is the last country in the middle east where those are safe, and atheists, and people of different religions in general, and ...) they'll be just fine with us. They'll like us ! Hurray ! Let's do that !

toyg 10y ago

Turkey is like Pakistan: a strategic US ally who doesn't exactly see eye-to-eye with the US on all problems. In particular, Erdogan bet big on ISIS to rid himself of both Assad (strategic rival to Turkish influence in the region) and Kurds, so he's not in love with a US policy that arms Kurd troops against ISIS and Al-Nusra. Also, Turkey is a big country. Daesh is obviously unpopular in "westernized" Istanbul, but out in the sticks where people listen to imams and maybe make the odd cross-border illegal transactions with ISIS fighters, they're likely loved a bit more, especially considering their anti-Kurd role. Coincidentally, rural provinces have also been Erdogan's primary constituencies ever since he failed to attain UE membership. And well, of course there's Israel. Edit: downvoted why? I don't think any of this is particularly contentious.

iofj 10y ago
You're implying the obvious truth that muslims will support murderous massacrers, and that they do so because they "listen to imams". Worse: you've pointed out the truth that this is the support base for Erdogan. It's not contentious, it's just politically incorrect if you want to call it that. Or put another way: loads of people's worldview depends on what you're saying being a lie. You're the bearer of bad "news".