As we look at Turkey's Ultra-Islamic President wading into World Affairs on behalf of Iran and other fanatics, the question has to be asked... How much longer can we stand back and watch our "supposed" ally acting against our interests, while it slaughters its Kurdish Minority?

America has pussy-footed around the subject, only allowing the Iraqui Kurds to set up a semi-autonomous region, not a nation, in deference to our joint "ally", whilst turning a blind eye to its human rights abuses. Iraqui Kurdistan is however, more than capable of supporting itself as a Country, and as a basis for the building of a "Greater Kurdistan", which would entail regaining territory from Syria, Iran & Turkey, due to its massive oil wealth.

The trouble is, while ever Turkey remains our erstwhile "ally", the United States will not provide the Kurds with Heavy weapons, advanced Armored vehicles and the like. So the "model state" that is Iraqui Kurdistan, has to sit there and endure the continued massacres of it's people just over the border, repeated incursions and threatened incursions, from Turkey.

We have seen the gradual movement of Turkey from the secular State of Kemal Ataturk, to an altogether different entity under Prime Minister Erdogan (and President Gul), who seem determined to move Turkey into the Fundamentalist Moslem camp, against the wishes of large segments of the population.

So what can be done? If Turkey's repeated human rights abuses (on a massive scale) are obvious enough to preclude its entry to the European Union, how can it remain a member of NATO, particularly when it refuses to allow its "allies" to overfly its territory?

It is time to discard this alliance (a relic of the Cold War), and to support the Kurdish People's legitimate grievances. If the US will not supply the necessary heavy weapons, advanced armored vehicles, etc. that are necessary for the Kurdish people to protect themselves from the depredations of their oppressors, then there are others in the region that quite probably would be willing (particularly in light of this weeks events & posturing) to do so...

Custard,it is all about the divide and conquer strategy.Isarel pushed for the invasion of Iraq so the USA obliged.It was always about the oil.Israel through the finance and banking system control the USA and thus by default Australia.The USA/Israel coalition have played off Sunnis against Shites and Kurds off against everyone else.While the Turks are not liked throughout the Middle East,two wrongs do not make a right.

There were no weapons of mass destruction.1.4 million Iraqis have died and countless more injured/maimed for life, all to feed the share market and put fuel in your tank.

This is particularly vile coming from an Israel supporter. Does hypocrisy mean anything to you Custard?

<< ...a basis for the building of a "Greater Kurdistan", which would entail regaining territory from Syria, Iran & Turkey, due to its massive oil wealth. >>

Yeah, that sounds like a really great idea - right up there with the retrospectively idiotic establishment of Israel following World War 2. Custard seems to be some kind of military type, so I suppose he'd welcome World War 3.

Let me be the first to assure him that he's very much in the minority in that respect.

How is it vile? Israel does not support the PKK (Israel dislikes all fundamentalist moslem groups on general principles), but Iraqi Kurdistan, that is an entirely different issue.

Iraqi Kurdistan is rich in petrodollars, but it lives under the continued threat of invasion by its northern neighbor, which has not only threatened incursion, but actually invaded their territory on at least one occasion.

Insofar as hypocrisy, Turkey has chosen a different road than the one it has been on for years. That is the prerogative of a free country, however, Israel has the same prerogative as do the Western Nations that have supported Turkey up until now.

The Incilik Airbase is no longer that strategically important, especially given that Iraqi Kurdistan has already built 2 large military airfields (suprising given they have no airforce?), which are capable of standing in for Incilik.

As to those who have the gall to go on about Israel's human rights violations - even if they were ALL true, they'd pale into insignificance compared to that of Turkey (which ranks up with Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia & Maoist China).

Also understand, the Kurds are split into two major ethnic groups, the Iraqi Kurds have long been assisted, albeit in a small way, by Israel

As to being vile - I suspect Israel would have armed the Kurds in N.Iraq if it were (1) Possible; and (2) unlikely to affect regional alliances (ie. NATO/Turkey).

With those two issues dealt with... The issue gets very interesting, on the basis of the truism that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", Kurdistan is the best possible friend Israel could have, given that they are at odds with Iran, Iraq, Turkey and also at times Syria.

Anyway, given certain peoples desire to ensure human rights violations are stopped, why is this topic odious? What is happening to the Kurds daily in Turkey, is horrendous.

So using your logic custard,what the Turks do the the Kurds,justifies the same treatment that Israel dishes out to the Palestinians.

How is it vile? Israel treats the Palestinians like s#@t but the Turks must allow the Kurds any land they want?
Your hypocrisy, your attempts at distraction and your downright barefaced cheek astounds and sickens me. Its as if the occupation of Palestine doesnt exist.

You are doing very well as a mouthpiece for the Israeli propaganda ministry. I notice youre new here custard. Has OLO become so influential that we are graced with the presence of payed Israeli stooges? Well Custard? How much they payin ya? Or do you work for mossad?

Have not got a clue why I post, I try to help new threads along.
But arjay, get well.
Custard? so ww3 starts now is that your view?
Has anyone noticed or failed to notice would be better the radicalization in Turkey?
The country is changing slowly but soon we will have much to concern us.
One day if no other way exists we may have ww3 let it not be the west that starts it.

HAHAHA, Turkey wants to join the United Terrorist League, then welcome to the world. When did the Armenians ever conduct a terror campaign against Turkey? So why were MILLIONS killed?

Yeah, sure the PKK is a bunch of killers, but the normal Kurds are, to use the words of the clowns on here, getting collectively punished for it... You can justify that? The murder of tens of thousands of Kurds? Double-standards or what?

After the assistance given to Turkey by Israel after the 1999 earthquake, they choose to support Hamas...

Here is to a greater Kurdistan (Despite the UN shutting its eyes to the murder of Kurds by Iran, Iraq, Syria & Turkey), perhaps now they can be bought to the fore.

Surely those who think Hamas & Fatah have the right to fight for their 'freedom' (and their multimillion dollar Swiss Bank Accts), have no problem with the PKK having access to heavy weapons? Or is it only those in the middle east that are fighting with Israel that are entitled to your support?

Or, is it that you can only support people who you can feel intellectually superior to? "Shoulder the White Mans Burden" type of thing? The Turks and the other Arabs (and Turks want to be Arabs, they can be) are someone you can sit and say it is not really their fault, you can hardly expect anything better of them, it is Israel that is at fault, they at least should know better?

Is that the problem with the Kurds too (Remember, Saladin was a Kurd)? There has not been 1 Coalition soldier killed in Iraqi Kurdistan, they are capable of defending and governing themselves, so you are unable to feel sufficiently superior to them? Kind of like the Jews? They aren't "dumb enough n%^$ggers" for you to support?

Shame on you, scratch the average Australian and there is a racist bigot hiding there. I'm not racist but... That (or a real dislike of anyone who is not fighting Israel) is the only reason I can see for you to be unable to support the Kurds...

So, Custard - you think that starting a new major war in the Middle East by encouraging the Kurds to try and establish a new State is a good idea?

While I think mikk may be exaggerating somewhat, it's clear that you're no balanced, disinterested observer. Only an extreme Zionist could support such an insane project.

Oh and by the way, let me state my interest so there can be no further suggestion of a vested interest.

I am NOT Jewish, I am an Anglo-Celtic Australian (8th Generation), whose family has fought in every one of our wars, except the one at present.

My family were in the Light Horse, appreciate the fact that the Zion Mule Corps supported the ANZACS at Gallipolli, also the fact that they were supportive of the Light Horsemen when they fought their way through the Holy Land (one of my great-grandfathers was charged after going AWOL for 20 days in the Holy City). If you had ever asked a Light Horseman what they thought of the Arabs, it would be unprintable.

My grandfather was in the 2nd AIF, 2/31st Btn, in Israel during WWII, before fighting through Lebanon & Syria (prior to being recalled to the Pacific). His views echoed those of his fathers vis-a-vis the respective groups, the Jews fought with them (Moshe Dayan lost his eye during the bombardment of Lebanon with the British Navy in WWII), while the Arabs were sneaky, spying scum.

I am proud to state that my family and myself have been adopted into a large aboriginal clan, but the only time I've ever claimed it is in Qld Watchhouses (the place where it would be least beneficial).

PS I also do not have ANY connection to Mossad

CJ Morgan, I am not a Zionist of ANY stripe...

But do I support the legitimate aspirations of the Kurdish Nation, yes, especially to the extent that they would stabilise the Middle East. Make no mistake, the Kurds would willingly attack any of their 4 neighbors given the equipment, which is more than enough to keep all 4 "honest" as it were.

Turkey's tantrums at present come from having been excluded from the EU for their appalling history of Human Rights abuses (which any fair-minded observer would agree make Israel's claimed abuses pale into insignificance).

Why do I support the Kurds? I am a keen amateur, military Historian and one of my greatest heroes would be Saladin, who was a Kurd. That got me interested in the fate of the Kurds and it echoes that of the Armenians, except that the Kurds, when given the chance, have built a model society in Northern Iraq, with a fairly equitable distribution of wealth, exceptionally good security (especially for the region) and an enviable record with regard to the minorities in their midst.

Why do I support Israel, see the post above. Lt Gen Sir "Harry" Chauvel is another hero of mine.

So you're just a right wing military nut who hates Arabs, Custard?

Fair enough - thanks for clearing that up.

No, actually, I am from the left-wing of the Labor Party. I just despise liars and those who seek to con the naive with propaganda stunts. That said, I have no great love for the Right-Wing of the Labor Party, I regard them as being more dangerous to the Australian Worker than the Liberal/National Parties.

As for Arabs, I know some in Sydney. The ones I know are Christian and have nothing but a deep and abiding hatred for their Moslem brethren. Perhaps they know something you don't?

OK, so you're a left-wing military nut who hates Arabs and Islam.

Cool. :)

LOL

Let me get this straight.

We're not going to discuss the well-documented oppression of the Kurds at all?

Instead we're going to discuss Israel?

A textbook example of two of Meyer's rules of online discussion.

MEYER'S FIRST RULE

Regardless of the original topic, as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of Israel being attacked approaches 1.

MEYER'S SECOND RULE

No matter what the original topic if an online discussion continues for long enough the proportion of posts devoted to attacking or defending Israel approaches 100%

Arguably it is also an example of MEYER'S THIRD RULE:

When confronted with inconvenient facts about Islam change the subject to Israel.

Lol, stevenlmeyer, I do believe your rules do apply in a few of the threads currently running on this forum.

Israel is certainly the topic of the day, no matter what the thread starts out as!

rubbish Steven
This thread is about Israel because a dissembling zionist puppet is using the Kurdish situation to have a go at Turkey. custard can hardly be said to be a friend to the oppressed and this is more a case of distract and redirect away from the Israeli mistreatment of the Palestinians and anyone who tries to help them.

We wont fall for the zionist propaganda tricks anymore. Israel is the oppressor not the victim. Israel is a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction. Israel has committed warcrimes and atrocities many times over. Now add piracy to the list. I doubt the Kurds want the help of such a country.

As for the Kurds Do they really want autonomy and a homeland called Kurdistan? Or do they just want the likes of saddam etc to stop oppressing them. The Americans have been using the Kurds for years and will drop them as soon as they cease to be useful to them. Sort of how alqueda and Hamas got started. I wonder if the Kurds will be our newest terrorism creation thanks to good old uncle sam.

I think I have discovered a new psychological disorder. I call it IOD for "Israel Obsession Disorder."

Dear Steven,

Take off your blinkers for
a closer look.
There's no
psychological disorder - it's
actually an attempt to present the
"OSOTS" ( other side of the story)!

mikk, what EXACTLY do you think the Kurds are fighting for?

Turkey's realignment with Radical Islam (having being denied entry to the EU), means there now has to be realignment in the regions alliances. Israel, America & the West need someone to offset Iran, Iraq, Syria & Turkey. Voila, we have the Kurds, a ready made enemy to all four, that actually want the job.

Let's help them help themselves, ie. provide all the weapons, training and equipment they want. It will offset Syria & Iran's support of Hamas, Al Quaeda, Hizbollah, etc. It is not anything particularly unusual, cynical or even cold-hearted. It is the way of the world, something changes, so we need to rebalance the equation. In this case, Turkey's tantrum may be the Kurd's only real chance for nationhood, I suspect they'll jump at it.

Steven it cannot be a disorder, because despite being 'bipolar' - Good for Israel = Bad & Bad for Israel = Good, there doesn't appear to be any real cycling/swings.

There is just a single deluded state, where everything is assessed in terms of Israel. Given mikk's post, I'd associate it with severe cognitive dysfunction.

My bet would be on an Associative Disorder, Anti-Israel Personality Disorder perhaps?

Steven
Indeed you have,Congratulations.

In keeping with protocol it should be named after the first victim...
I can see it added to the manual.
Meyers' Israeli Hypersensitivity Delusion, MIHD for short.(Pronounced
Mih-d)well it sounds vaguely HEBREW.

Symptoms: An unreasonable belief that Israel is right regardless of the facts and actions. A belief where any mention of Israel other than in glowing terms causes the sufferer into paranoid driven psychosis to irrational defenses of Israel.

Side Effects: Irrational views of all things Islamic See Islamophobia

Special note: This disorder is not restricted to Those of the Jewish religion some Ultra hysterical Christians also suffer the communicative disability (dysfunction)
There, deal done :-D

I think you missed the point old bean, with what CJ was saying.

CJ Can I have help to write up the disorder for sub mission?

Foxy,

My blinkers are off. Actually they were never on. I know exactly what I'm dealing with.

This is quite interesting. We have a supposedly secular Jew leaping to the defence of a Zionist sympathising military nutter who has introduced himself to OLO by defending the indefensible.

Steven, your "rules" are once again shown to be rubbish. This clown has been all over the OLO Forum advocating for Israeli bastardry, and this nonsense about the Kurds has to be read in that light.

He apparently thinks that starting World War 3 would be a good idea.

Need I say more?

Custard: << The lack of respect for the State is the cause, not the outcome of our approach to Aboriginal Communities. Unless we give the majority of inhabitants thereof some reason to respect and/or trust the State, we cannot expect anything to change. >>

While I disagree vehemently with Custard on other issues, I think that this is a very perspicacious comment.

Given the experience that most Indigenous people have with the State via its various agencies, why on earth would they want to identify with it?

Bugger, wrong thread.

My apologies.

I'm not a military nutter (or I don't think so anyway - is everyone who's been in the military a nutter to you CJ?)...

But I am a realist.

What is real? Let's see some facts shall we?

1. Turkey was told not to bother trying for EU Membership

2. Turkey has since begun aligning itself with Syria & Iran

3. The US Government 'would' not supply the Kurds in Northern Iraq (their only REAL ally in Iraq) in order not to 'offend' their erstwhile ally, Turkey (who threatened to invade Kurdistan if they did, or if they allowed the Kurds to declare independence).

4. The US Government maintains a VERY good relationship with the Kurdish Government in Kurdistan Province.

5. The US Government has built at least two military airfields in Kurdistan Province, part of the reason underlying which was the refusal of Turkey to allow the US to use Incirlik Airbase (the only remaining reason for the alliance).

6. Turkey has been assisted with military hardware and training, etc. by the US & Israel in the past.

7. Turkey has now, as a result of its actions, deserted its allies, who will now seek to work with another regional ally.

8. Turkey has engaged in many crimes against humanity that have, maybe, not been fully disclosed by the USA and/or Israel to date...

9. Arming an Independent Kurdistan would seriously offset the tilt caused by Turkey's realignment, as they would provide a SERIOUS problem to Syria, Iran, Iraq & Turkey.

It's called Geopolitical Realism, it ain't pretty, but how could it be?

As to starting WW3, unlikely, the Nuclear Arms race between Saudi Arabia & Iran is more likely to do that.

PS I am an Islamophobe too according to some, how's that fit with the Kurds being predominantly Sunni?

Dear Steven,

I don't think you know as much
as you think you do.

You're governed by your emotions
as anyone would be when it concerns
their roots.

I suggest that you broaden your
outlook and read the works of
historian Benny Morris, Prof. Ilan Pappe,
Abraham Leon Sachar, and even the Israeli
newspaper, "Haaretz." As well as Antony
Loewenstein's, "My Israel Question."

STEVEN re Foxy's recommendation to read Loewenstiens "My Israel Question" I can save you the trouble...it's utter self hating socialist rubbish.

He begins with an anecdote about Hanan Ashrawi and just runs on emotion and unsupported (not rationally at least) anti Israel bluster for the whole book.. it seeks to create guilt and offer nothing by way of realistic solution. A complete waste of time. (to think..I went to a library to get this.. time from my life better spent on other things)

CUSTARD.. have fun :)

LOL Foxy,

Let's see.

You write:

"I suggest that you broaden your outlook ..."

The original post on this is about the plight of the Kurds and the direction being taken by the Turkish State since the electoral victory of the AKP.

--The Kurds were an oppressed people before Israel existed.

--Turkey's experiment with secular governance – imposed top down by Kemal Ataturk and his followers – is arguably ending.

These are two facts that have nothing to do with Israel. They would most likely be happening if Israel had never existed. The latter especially is important. The direction in which Turkey will move has a significance which extends far beyond relations with Israel.

Yet from post 2 onwards we have been discussing little but Israel. I am sure the posters here, like their counterparts throughout history, have what appear to them to be adequate rationalisations for injecting their obsession into a discussion which at most only peripherally involves Israel.

Looking at it logically why shouldn't we be discussing the Kurds and Turkey? Why should this thread be about Israel?

One symptom of IOD is the detection of nefarious Zionist plots everywhere. I thought Examinator was the all time champion here when he detected a nefarious Zionist plot in my defence of Fredrick Toben's right to free speech; but Arjay eclipses him.

You write:

"You're governed by your emotions..."

Am I?

Or is it those afflicted by IOD who are governed by their obsession?

Just as an aside Foxy, you may want to rethink your habit of handing out gratuitous advice. As it happens I have read both Lowenstein and Morris and follow Haaretz closely. I have been honoured to be a guest at the homes of members of the illustrious Sachar family.

To return to one of the topics of the original post.

There is little doubt that the AKP government is trying to position Turkey as a leader of Sunni Islam. One example of this is what appears to be a government backed attempt to revise the ahadith by getting rid of, for example:

QUOTE

"If a husband's body is covered with pus and his wife licks it clean, she still wouldn't have paid her dues."

END QUOTE

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR2006071401381.html

This led to a certain amount of aggro among Muslim scholars. Officially now Turkey is "classifying", "interpreting" and "translating" the ahadith.

The BBC discussed this here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7264903.stm

QUOTE:

Turkey is preparing to publish a document that represents a revolutionary reinterpretation of Islam - and a controversial and radical modernisation of the religion.

The country's powerful Department of Religious Affairs has commissioned a team of theologians at Ankara University to carry out a fundamental revision of the Hadith, the second most sacred text in Islam after the Koran.

END QUOTE

Imagine the Rudd Government commissioning a team of theologians to reinterpret Christianity!

Turkey has also become the leading source of Muslim creationist textbooks.

The AKP is playing a very shrewd game. While maintaining their links with Europe and NATO they are slowly re-aligning Turkey as an Islamic Republic though hopefully one that will be more democratic and less repressive than Iran.

Now this, I submit, has the makings of a much more interesting discussion than a mono-maniacal focus on Israel.

Dear Steven,

I aplogise to Custard for again having to
be off-topic here but I need to respond
to your last post to me to clarify a few
points directed at me:

1) You were the one that raised the issue on this
thread of IOD (Israel Obsession Disorder),
I didn't. I merely responded by suggesting
that there wasn't a psychological disorder
as you were suggesting but
simply attempts to present the other side of
the story.

2) My second post was again in response to your
stating that "I know exactly what I'm dealing with,"
by suggeesting that you broaden your outlook,
because from your posts the perception given,
was that you didn't.

My referring you to other sources, was not meant
as "gratuitous advice." It's merely an occupational
hazard, my being a librarian.

I am very pleased to learn that you read "Haaretz"
regularly, and that you're familiar with the other
sources I quoted. Doubly pleased that you've read
Antony Loewenstein's book. Because then you're aware
that if indeed it was "rubbish," as another poster
has claimed, Melbourne University Publishing director
Louise Adler would not have supported the project.
She understood the importance of publishing the work
that is a searching discussion from a significant
new voice in one of the most important debates of
our times.

As for your knowing the Sachar family - which ones?
My family has a history with some of them as well.

Ok, just in order to try and get back on topic here...

On the 21st May, the Autonomous Province of Kurdistan came under sustained artillery fire from Iran and also heavy airstrikes from Turkey (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64K4W520100521).

THAT IS WHY THEY ARE ACCUSED OF BEING IN BED WITH IRAN

The combined strikes, which both ignored the sovereignty of Iraq & of the autonomous province, killed "4" PKK activists and caused huge civilian casualties according to the KRG.

As Israel is not involved directly, obviously the civilian casualties mean nothing, nor does the fact that Turkey & Iran were working together against the Kurds, who have protected Allied Soldiers to the extent that not 1 Coalition Soldier was lost in Kurdish Controlled Territory.

For those with AIPD, say whatever you will, obviously the 9 killed for bashing the hell out of IDF troops and keeping them captive outweigh, by some enormous amount, the Kurdish Civilian casualties...

I'm just glad Israel didn't launch heavy airstrikes & shelling to kill only 4 terrorists, and huge numbers of civilians... Imagine the headlines. At least this way, only Reuters has the story, it wasn't mentioned to my knowledge in the Australian press.

Foxy wrote:

Doubly pleased that you've read Antony Loewenstein's book. Because then you're aware that if indeed it was "rubbish," ... Melbourne University Publishing director Louise Adler would not have supported the project."

The latter does not follow from the former.

Nor is Rudd a "new Moses" just because Adler said so.

Custard wrote:

"THAT IS WHY THEY [Turkey] ARE ACCUSED OF BEING IN BED WITH IRAN"

Don't be daft.

Turkey is not "in bed" with Iran. It is setting itself up as a RIVAL to Iran for leadership of the Muslim world.

Steven the proof of the pudding is in the eating your bias is clear for everyone.
Your comment about what I said was taken out of context...and you know it or should.

My last post was a fun thing pointing out the spin in yours.

Turkey cannot possibly challenge Iran for leadership of Islam, quite frankly, they never really controlled Persia to begin with and they are Sunni, not Shia. They may be setting up to challenge the Saudi's for leadership of the Sunni Moslems (there is a fair bit of nasty history there, that is for sure). After all Faisal and the rest were behind the Arab revolt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Revolt) under that skinny poof...

You know the one where they supposedly took Damascus? Trouble being of course that the Light Horse had already taken it, but hey, it made a good story. Turkey stripping the Saudi's - the Absolute sworn enemies of the followers of Ali - of the leadership of the Sunni Arabs, that would be high on the agenda for the Persian/Iranian leaders...

I mean, this time last Century, that is EXACTLY the way things stood. But no, I do not believe that Turkey could honestly harbor designs on Iran & the Shi'ites, they really wouldn't have a hope.

Custard,

Notwithstanding the fact that Iran is shia while Turkey and most of the "Ummah" is Sunni, Iran did try to become the leader of the Muslim world. It's influence has waned lately.

Turkey is quite capable of cooperating with Iran when it suits both parties. Were Foxy to peruse her favourite Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, she could read about an example of such cooperation:

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-worried-by-new-turkey-intelligence-chief-s-defense-of-iran-1.294568

However Turkey, with a dynamic economy not dependent on oil sees itself as the emerging leader of the Muslim world.

Once the AKP took power in Istanbul most Israeli officials realised the alliance with Turkey was on borrowed time. It has now ended.

The Americans are playing a game with Turkey. They are using it as a wedge between the Muslim world and the EU. It works like this.

--The Turks purportedly want EU membership. At one time I think that was genuine policy. I doubt that is the case now. But the AKP find it useful to pretend that is still the goal.

--Most Europeans are strongly opposed to Turkish membership which would allow 80 million Muslim Turks to live anywhere within the EU. (They don't mind Turkey as a trading partner. It's the movement of Muslim Turks into their countries that spooks them)

--The Americans on the other hand keep urging the EU to admit Turkey.

This is wedge politics on a global scale. It allows America to appear to be the "good guys" while the Europeans are cast in the role of bigots.

Israelis understand that Turkey is much more important to them than Israel.

Dear Steven,

As always,
"Wise Words,"
from a
"Wise Man!"

I am not saying for a minute that Iran and Turkey are incapable of working together, the facts state otherwise. I am saying that Iran would be well served if Turkey, being a friendly state, took control of the Sunni moslems back from the Saudi's. Thus, the current tension between Sunni & Shia could be resolved amicably (until one or the other cuts the others throat).

The Persian Empire coexisted with the Turkish Empire, not always in a good way, but they managed. The Iranians and the Al Sauds cannot get along AT ALL. So in order to avoid a potentially troublesome situation, Turkey taking back control of the Sunni Moslems would solve one MAJOR problem for Iran (the chief Mullah of Turkey called for a jihad during the first world war, which was ignored by the Hashemites and the Al Saud's, who rebelled against Turkey). The Hashemites lost control of the Holy Places (instead they got Jordan) and the Al Saud's got Saudi Arabia.

That was last century, Iran may well want to wind back the clock and arrange things so there is 1 jihad for the followers of both Mohammed and Mo & Ali. Turkey would have to do something pretty extreme to take control of the Arabs back, but that is what they appear to be working on, they have their nose well out of joint because of the knock back by the EU.

That is just conjecture however, neither want the Kurds to spark up, that is why they are undertaking joint operations against them (the Kurds under Saladin actually started the Turkish Empire, a resurgent Kurdistan is not in their interest).

Given what I know to be the "job" of Pine Gap, I am seriously concerned that the targeting information for the Turkish/Iranian Strikes on Kurdistan may have been from there. There's a question for the Government.