Divergence in progress faster than expected. I propose Israel must take part in this military drill as red forces, beaten party who Turkey and Syria will jointly fight I expect Turkish Iran joint military excercises soon as well. If USA delays IMF aid to Turkey, Erdogan will continue to show How and What kind of Troubles can Turkey Rise Erdogan's signals are very clear: Give us IMF aid without any condition otherwise we will get out of control.

it is known to all that in order to be the best you need to train with the best, by going to syria and iran, your army's level will increase because is it well known that syria and iran's armies are the best in the world... especially in the air department. you want to play hardball with the eu and the us, be my guest, forget the imf and the eu membership. it is all up to you. you eat what you cook. by all means, go out of control, rise trouble... I wish you good luck, cause your country will need it.

feels to get shot down. How to bail out of your damaged plane. Or how to turn tail and run from an air battle.

Turkey loses Israel and the United States, and gains Syria. Here's an interesting link. Scroll down to "1982 Lebanon War and its aftermath." Read all about how, on June 9, 1982, the Israel Air Force shot down 80 Syrian aircraft without losing a single fighter plane in air to air combat. Oh yeah. Turkey surely will learn far more from aerial exercises with Syria than they would with Israel and the United States. Joint aerial engagement of Turkey and Syria against Israel? LOL. Why, are you really that anxious to lose 160 aircraft? Read it and weep, Tayfun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_Air_Force Oh, and by the way? I don't think the International Monetary Fund responds all that well to threats. And Turkey going "out of control" won't impress the United States much, either. You just may find yourselves being kicked out of Cyprus. You just might find yourself having to defend your own border with Iran. Turkey is still very much the "sick man of Europe." Get real. You're a third world country, well on the way to becoming a fourth world country. Get out of control, indeed. Oooooh. The United States and Israel are quaking in their boots with fear. Yeah. Just don't forget those 80 aircraft, Tayfun. Israel will be happy to up the ante, any old time. Bring it on, fool!

The Turks were looking for a reason to cool relations with us and they found it in Cast Lead. I hope their army turns them back to secularism

you r forgeting there isn't a war with zero catualties to all sides, I suggest you buy GI joe box and have fun with it and leave real militery thinking to someone who knows about the Army, a lil more than you do, you can also use water guns if you like the outdoors. :P

Turkey has one of largest F16 fleets And other air force capabilities. Joint Syrian and Turkish air drill shall help Syria to confront Israeli F16s. Therefore you may not expect a second round of 80 Syrian planes shoot down THEY WILL GET TRAINED Turkey has also an assembly line of F16s producing many F16s in the past and they were sold to many countries including Egypt. Are you sure of your stance in handling with Turkey? Think again!

underground movement in the 90's, mmm it's the short selective memory only after serious delegations in 1998 you finally compromise with them but I won't be surprise if Syria will continue her old habits.

You have completely missed the point. It is not a question of quantity, but rather quality. Israel is living proof. Funnily enough, in any list of the top twenty air forces in the world, no mention is made of Turkey. Interestingly, India -- which has the fourth largest air force in the world -- doesn't make the Top 20 list either. Size, therefore, doesn't always matter, now does it? Quality does matter. Turkey would have benefited far more from a joint exercise including Israel and the United States than it would from a joint exercise with Syria, which has nothing to teach the Turkish Air Force. Yes, I am quite sure of my stance in dealing with Turkey. You have to choose. You are either part of the West or you are not. One would have thought that Ataturk made that choice for Turkey long ago, but it seems that recent Turkish governments are hell-bent on backpedaling just as quickly as possible. If Turkey wants to get in bed with the Syrians, fine. Your choice. Of course, ask yourself what is their to be gained from improved relations with Syria? Not too much. Especially since improving relations with Syria will cost Turkey support from the United States and much of Western Europe. Syria is a state sponsor of terror, has done everything it can to destabilize Lebanon and carries absolutely no weight in any forum in the world. You want to train them, fine. That's your call. As you long as you realize that they will never be any good, and Turkey's air force will quite likely get worse. You cannot learn anything from training poor pilots. All that happens is that your own skills erode. Not to mention loss of any prospect of IMF funding; and a chilling of the relationship between the United States and Turkey. Of course you do realize that the United States has been working very, very hard to improve relations with Greece. I meant what I said about Cyprus, and I am in a position to know. Keep on producing all those F-16s. Do you know what they are? Cannon fodder. It isn't the quantity of aircraft in the fight, it is the quality of the fight in the pilot. Israel proved that in 1982. Thirty-six Israeli aircraft shot down eighty Syrian aircraft, some of which were allegedly flown by Soviet pilots. How noble of Turkey, willing to sacrifice quality in order to train third-rate pilots that will never stand a chance against Israel. But I do wish to thank you for your comment at Talkback No. 1 wherein you suggested that a joint Turkish-Syrian effort against Israel would prove victorious. Nice to start the day on such a good laugh! Thanks again and best of luck to Turkey. You WILL need it.