NATO to convene Article 4 emergency meeting in Brussels on Tuesday

NATO Secretary General announces North Atlantic Council to meet following Turkey's request for Article 4 consultations

Official NATO statement - meeting confirmed, themed around article 4.

Well with UK wanting to put troops in, probably Anglo alliance in turkey, US in Iraq, not siren who closes the other doors, poss more US, Iran? No idea about Saudis and Yemen. Italians, Spanish in North Africa who else do we have in NATO that isn't on Russia watch.....

China should offer a few hordes of warriors, get some battle ops under their belt in Africa to secure some nation building for resources. Aware they are not NATO but their mohassive army does f'k all

Turkey is all about western tourism and is very moderate, although I had to sneak chicks up the fire escape as the porters were against casual sex but more likely jealous they weren't getting any!

War war war!!!

originally posted by: Midnight4444
The Turks have no intention of going after ISIS is any meaningful way. The target is the Kurds. They want to prevent any Syrian territory being de facto annexed by any Kurdish organization.

Most of the foreign recruits going to meet "72 virgins" by fighting for ISIS...............go through Turkey and its agencies do nothing to stop them. You are very correct here! Turkey's main objective is PKK.

It is Turkey, Saudi, UAE, Qatar which is supplying weapons to AQ, ISIS and FSA groups in order to weaken Syria. Now they want to fight the ISIS in a sham manner.

a reply to: AnonymousTM

Although there will potentially be endless debate and bureaucracy involved, Turkey is absolutely right to involve NATO.

Just because IS is not a state with a recognized army, does not mean that it is not a threat to a NATO member (and a threat to millions of innocent people in the regions in which they are active).

NATO was formed to perform the duty of a collective defense against attack on one member, regardless of where that attack originates.

IS is attacking a NATO member, therefore NATO has a responsibility to perform its duty and conduct measures against the threat. The question really should be about how they perform that duty and the scope of that effort. Unlike any other terrorist organization able to hide amongst a population, IS is inhabiting various areas of several countries, and can be targeted as an army would.

I don't shy away at all from my opinion that IS should be wiped from the face of the Earth. I sincerely hope that NATO agrees to work with Turkey to eradicate this death cult, and that shortly after this meeting we see various nations involved in direct air strikes against every IS position in a coordinated effort to wipe it out.

We'll be dealing with the mopping up for years, and no doubt it will likely result in increased threat to our nations in the short term as lone wolf radicals lose their collective sh*t over their party coming to an end, but the alternative is a long war on terrorism in our own countries and the continued deterioration of the countries they are gaining ground in.

I think a direct and all-out assault on them is long overdue.

originally posted by: MrSpad
If the Turks were going to invoke article 5 they would not have bothered with 4. Pretty much the Turks are going feel out expanding the air campaign against ISIS and the PKK.

Most know this is just political cover for them to attack the PKK. Hopefully the U.S. will tell them no unless they are going to go in and take out ISIS for good.

Why don't we get some 6 or higher density's in there? Solve the problems in about 37 minutes.

This whole things stinks to high hell. Turkey has had plenty of chances to deal with IS and have openly supported them from the start hence why they could never be bothered to join the coalition in the first place. Thet were quite happy to sit back and watch at Kobani hoping IS would kill plenty of Kurds in the process. Now that the Kurds seem to be winning and gaining ground on IS Turkey does something about the issue.

It took a bomb to kill a few socialist Turks and blamed on IS rather quickly. I remember the last explosion they blamed on Syrian intelligence way to quickly in an effort to legitimize entering Syria. The same appears to have happened on this occasssion and are now using it legitimize entering Syria. This is not about containing IS, it's all about curtailing any advances by the Kurds. The explosion killing those students is more likley to have been done by Turkish intelligence to justify the action we see now.

Turkey should be ejected from NATO !!

originally posted by: Patriotsrevenge

originally posted by: MrSpad
If the Turks were going to invoke article 5 they would not have bothered with 4. Pretty much the Turks are going feel out expanding the air campaign against ISIS and the PKK.

Most know this is just political cover for them to attack the PKK. Hopefully the U.S. will tell them no unless they are going to go in and take out ISIS for good.

Actually PKK is small peanuts once this ball has begins to roll.

PKK & ISIS will be defeated and the Caliphate will revert back to it's rightfull owner ; Istanbul .

That's the plan anyway .

originally posted by: fishwhisperer
This whole things stinks to high hell. Turkey has had plenty of chances to deal with IS and have openly supported them from the start hence why they could never be bothered to join the coalition in the first place. Thet were quite happy to sit back and watch at Kobani hoping IS would kill plenty of Kurds in the process. Now that the Kurds seem to be winning and gaining ground on IS Turkey does something about the issue.

It took a bomb to kill a few socialist Turks and blamed on IS rather quickly. I remember the last explosion they blamed on Syrian intelligence way to quickly in an effort to legitimize entering Syria. The same appears to have happened on this occasssion and are now using it legitimize entering Syria. This is not about containing IS, it's all about curtailing any advances by the Kurds. The explosion killing those students is more likley to have been done by Turkish intelligence to justify the action we see now.

Turkey should be ejected from NATO !!

I would nominate you for the ig•no•ra•mus award if there was one .

Two of my brethen were murdered by that last bomb . I would appreciate if you deny ignorance as per motto of ATS .

a reply to: 23432
Sorry for your loss but Turkeys previous attempts were well found out. The explosion in my view is extremely suspect considering what has occured since. Turkey has blamed IS but are also bombing the crap out of the Kurds for it. Like I said, Turkey could have taken action anytime they wanted against IS but kept turning it down and couldnt even be bothered to help the Yazidis on humanitarian grounds.

This view is denying ignorance.

originally posted by: fishwhisperer
a reply to: 23432
Sorry for your loss but Turkeys previous attempts were well found out. The explosion in my view is extremely suspect considering what has occured since. Turkey has blamed IS but are also bombing the crap out of the Kurds for it. Like I said, Turkey could have taken action anytime they wanted against IS but kept turning it down and couldnt even be bothered to help the Yazidis on humanitarian grounds.

This view is denying ignorance.

Simply put this is not true and the situation is far more complex then you seem to appreciate .

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), which is an offshoot of al-Qaida, has been slaughtering the ancient Yazidi community in Iraq, causing another humanitarian crisis in the country.
While some Yazidi villages near the Iraqi town of Sinjar have been vacated, some Yazidis fled to the Kurdish region and others went to Turkey.
ISIS, after capturing Iraq's Mosul and a few other cities from the central Iraqi government, started targeting Yazidis who speak Kurdish. ISIS calls on the Yazidi community to either convert to Islam or be killed.
Yazidis, unable to flee to safer areas went to the mountains. Initial reports said that hundreds of Yazidis were killed by ISIS, and dozens of children died of thirst.
ISIS, which previously captured Christian areas, had forced Christians to pay a tax. Yet, the tax is not applicable for Yazidis, as their belief is not categorized as an acceptable one, according to ISIS.

Turkey has been the main country that has opened its doors to Yazidis. Approximately 10,000 Yazidis crossed the border into Turkey. While many of them were accommodated in Turkish Yazidi villages, others who have no relatives in Turkey were placed in a refugee camp.
Daily Sabah paid a visit to the camp to gather information about the conditions and the activities of the government. The refugee camp has two sections. One has been allocated to Syrian refugees, while the other section was empty until June, as it was built for Assyrian Christians who were also under threat in Syria.
However, the Assyrians did not come to the camp, as they preferred to stay with their relatives in Turkey. Midyat Governor Oğuzhan Bingöl said: "The camp was only for Assyrians according to a cabinet resolution. Although we needed more places for Syrian Arab refugees, the government said in case of an Assyrian migration, the camp must be ready.
But when the Yazidis started coming to Turkey, the government did not want the people to wait for the construction of another one, as they immediately needed help. Therefore, we took the Yazidis as guests and placed them here."
In the tent camp, which is under the control and responsibility of the Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), there are 2,810 Yazidi guests. Each tent includes kitchen equipment, beds, blankets and other essential materials.
Each tent houses a family, and if the number of members in a family is greater than six or seven, an additional tent is allocated for that family. AFAD officials regularly deliver humanitarian aid, including hygiene equipment, extra blankets, clothes, et cetera. A doctor at the camp serves patients around the clock. But if a patient needs treatment, officials send the patient either to a local hospital or to Istanbul.
Another service offered at the camp is an education facility, as the children of fleeing families have been unable to pursue regular education. AFAD officials said the teachers would be selected from among the Yazidis, since there are many teachers who fled from ISIS, and a big tent will be designated as a school.
AFAD spokesperson said: "Turkey will continue doing its best for its Yazidi guests. We are aware that it is difficult to live in a camp, and we try to make them feel at home and safe.
People who witnessed horrible scenes have to be relaxed psychologically. We try to deal with any kind of problem and make them feel comfortable. " Regarding the fact that Yazidis are not Muslims, he said: "Contrary to the claims and accusations by some media outlets, we are helping anyone who is under threat and in need of help, regardless of their sect or religion. We host Syrians and also Yazidis. If members of another belief or ethnicity come to Turkey, they also will be our guests." he added: "Turkey is also building three other camps in northern Iraq, and the camps will be the same as this one.
We build them in Iraq because some of the refugees are unable to reach Turkey due to security issues. One of the camps will be in Duhok, while two others will be built in Zaho. A total of 270 families were placed in one of these camps, and the other camps will be opened in mid-September." "One of the camps will house Turkmens, and the two others will be for Yazidis," he said.
Touching upon the additional aid delivered to the Yazidis, he added: "24 trucks full of humanitarian aid, including medical equipment, food, water, et cetera, were sent to Sinjar. Another 37 trucks were also sent to Zaho. More than 200 trucks were sent to Iraq." The Turkish government has been applying an open-door policy to refugees fleeing from the violence in Syria and Iraq.
According to a Daily Sabah source, recently appointed Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş, who is responsible for AFAD, follows the issue very closely and regularly receives briefings about the conditions and deficiencies of the camps.

Suleiman Allawi, a Yazidi staying at the Mardin camp, said: "I was a teacher at a primary school in Sinjar. We had to leave our homes and climbed to Sinjar Mountain when ISIS militants came. They were killing everyone. We crossed the border and Turkish officials warmly welcomed us. We are not happy to be in a camp, but we have to thank Turkey for letting us in and giving us food."
"I am 19. I was studying construction engineering. I was born to a Yazidi family in Shengal (Sinjar). This was my destiny. And this is the 74th time that Yazidis have been massacred. It is enough," said Omar, another camp resident, while making a call to the U.N. and European countries to get them to grant an immigration permit.
He also thanked Turkey and said they would not go to Iran or Syria and their only option was Turkey. He added, "We are very happy with Turkey's treatment, although we feel sad at the same time for being forced to leave our homes." AFAD officials said Turkey would maintain its open-door policy, despite the social and economic cost. Officials say it costs TL 100,000 ($50,000) daily to keep the camp open.
Building a camp from scratch costs TL 20 million ($10 million) according to officials. Many Yazidis do not want to go back to Iraq, as they say it is not safe anymore, even though ISIS has been defeated by the U.S. and other forces. The only thing they want is to go to Europe and obtain residence permits.
Yazidis are a Kurdish ethnic and religious minority, which includes elements of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Zoroastrianism. The center of the belief is in the Nineveh province of Iraq.
Yazidis live in Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and Iraq. Yet, the number of Yazidis in Turkey, Armenia and Georgia has dramatically decreased because members of the community prefer migrating to European countries due to the problems they faced related to their beliefs

How successfully the Turks could have warded off the resultant stigma through counter-propaganda will never be known. But it is certain that in 1922 Sultan Mohammed Vl put it quite succinctly and pointedly, when he told the American writer E. Alexander Powell: “If we sent one, your newspapers and periodicals would not publish an article written by a Turk, if they published it, your people would not read it, if they read it, they would not believe it. Even if we sent a qualified person to America, to convey to you in your language, the Turkish point of view, would he find an impartial audience?” [Gurun, File, p. 37] [Gurun, File, p. 37]

a reply to: Rocker2013

Except that NATO member has been entirely counter productive against IS, this is about the Kurds

a reply to: AnonymousTM

news.sky.com...

A bit of follow up.