Mavi Vatan and Great White Fleet
In 2019, the Republic of Turkey conducted two successive naval exercises within two months. They were massive. One was with more than 100 warships, while the other was with about 150. They immediately became the milestones for the rapidly rising New Turkey. What the eastern Mediterranean Sea witnessed was more than a domineering naval power in the display. Ironically, it was also the legacy of Truman and Roosevelt: Turkey becoming their legatee.
The size and scope of these naval exercises defined the maritime borders of the Turkish republic. In three seas, surrounding this peninsula republic, a blue map became a permanent fixture. Now, everyone recognizes it whether they like it or not. What is now commonly known as the “Mavi Vatan,” in fact, stands as the legacy of Truman. The legacy of Roosevelt will follow soon when the ocean-going Turkish navy starts showing flags beyond the Mavi Vatan.
Legacy of Truman: The Mavi Vatan
In 1947, US President Harry Truman introduced an understanding. It was called the continental shelf for oil exploration and extraction operations. It was to be carried out in the west of the USA.
As a doctrine, it was to define the maritime powers of the countries and make the seas part of the countries. That became the pretext for the Mavi Vatan. Simply put, Turkey decided to implement this “Truman doctrine” in its “neck of the woods”.
It is not what Turkey did, rather when Turkey decided to act on it is important to note. It coincided with the tenth anniversary of a conspiracy that implicated the US inspired agents in 2009.
As a result, the Mavi Vatan declaration has also become a payback time by New Turkey in 2019.
Two former and well-decorated admirals of the Turkish navy played a role in the making of the Mavi Vatan. One, Cem Gurdeniz, came up with the name of the doctrine in 2006. The other, Cihat Yayci, made it official by writing a book about it in 2010.
Gurdeniz fell prey to the conspirators. He was falsely imprisoned for about three years in 2012. Both of them, nowadays, are revered. In other words, they returned the favor with fervor and vengeance against their Western counterparts.
Legacy of Roosevelt: The Great White Fleet
In 1907, US President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the US Navy battleships to go around the world. The journey of the Great White Fleet was completed in 1909.
After the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901, Roosevelt thought a strong navy could project power and prestige abroad.
It sure did. Like the British Royal Navy did it for the UK in the 19th century. The US Navy ever since had the command of the seas and unrivaled international influence in the 20th century.
Apparently, Turkey had the same idea for the 21st century and how to go about it as well. Turks knowing how to build great states, they had 16 of them in the past 2000 years. Why not with this 17th?
So, the Turkish navy took the task. Since the turn of the Millennia, Turkey began building one, indigenously. In 2009, a vicious international intrigue took place. Reportedly, the goal was to decimate the elite corps of the Turkish navy to stop the Turkish rise to power.
Many, quickly, ended up in jail in the ensuing years like Gurdeniz Admiral. Afterwards, most were also absolved from guilt, as fast. Nowadays, silent majority in Turkey believe they were falsely accused.
It is very curious that this treachery will coincide with the “hundredth year anniversary” of the Great White Fleet! Hence, it becomes easy to conclude as well. The declaration of the Mavi Vatan doctrine in 2019 was not a coincidence either.
Turkish Naval Expeditionary Task Force:
Legacy of Truman and Roosevelt
The legacy of Truman and Roosevelt: Turkey will soon control the entire Mediterranean Sea. The irony is not hard to delineate.
The legacy of Truman and Roosevelt has always been to expand the power and prestige of the US. It took only three novice US presidents to mess it up when they reigned from 1992 to 2016.
During the Clinton, Bush (43) and Obama administrations, Turkey invested in the defense industry. The Turkish navy became a force. It is now 75 percent indigenous and rising fast.
The world will soon witness Turkish power and ingenuity with three naval expeditionary task forces in action.
Afterward, the prestige will also follow because the Anadolu, the Trakya and yet to be named aircraft carrier will project a formidable presence.
TCG ANADOLU Task Force
The first task force will come to fruition by 2023. TCG Anadolu, an amphibious assault ship, will be the flagship. It will be configured as a light aircraft carrier. It will also be the first ever “drone carrier.”
Half a dozen indigenously built Turkish “Milgem” warships will be in the company. Ada class corvette, I class frigate, TF 2000 class destroyer, Reis class submarine are one of a kind warships like no other.
TCG TRAKYA Task Force
The task force will become a double menace when the sister ship TCG Trakya joins the party. It will be available in the latter part of the 2020s.
One will steam the entire Mediterranean Sea all the way to Gibraltar. It will visit the furthest fortress of the Ottoman Empire in Algeria.
The other will venture to the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Somalia, Yemen, Oman, Pakistan and Qatar will be the regular port calls.
The biggest overseas military bases of Turkey in Africa and the Persian Gulf will be their home away homes.
Next Task Force:
Great White Fleet
The Turkish “Great White Fleet” will be unveiled last. Visiting Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia will be on the agenda. Asian sub-continent will have frequent Turkish naval visitors.
That is when Turkish flag may also appear in the Pacific or Atlantic oceans. That should arrive right around 2030 when the first and full fledged aircraft carrier of Turkey will be the flagship.
It will be in the company of indigenously built Turkish airpower. Fifth-generation VTOL aircrafts, alongside sixth-generation unmanned aircrafts will be the mainstay.
Turkey already plans to have supersonic drones. Early versions will be taking off from the TCG Anadolu as early as 2023. They will have exclusive Turkish SOM-J cruise and Goktug family air-to-air missiles at their disposal.
Legacy of Truman and Roosevelt:
Turkey as the Legatee
The legacy of Truman and Roosevelt: Turkey as the legatee, will simply mean, replicating what the US had done in glory days.
Truman and Roosevelt have been exemplary leaders. Turkey following their footsteps and imitating them, in fact, is giving the sincerest form of flattery.
Meanwhile, confronting Bush (43) and Obama administrations also reflected Turkish consistency. Together with Clinton, from 1992 until 2016, three US administrations showed a lack of understanding of how the world revolves around them.
Consequently, the relationship between two staunch allies has deteriorated to no end during their tenure. President Trump understood the problem well and acknowledged it promptly with his counterpart.
Globalist Mess
The misguided US foreign objectives towards Turkey are clearly documented in the annals of history. For example, there have been half a dozen US inspired attempts to interfere with the regime in Turkey since 2002.
The US inspired agents were plainly trying to topple the Erdogan regime that won successive national elections. For that reason only, the legacy of Truman and Roosevelt represents nothing in common with what Clinton, Bush (43) or Obama stood for.
While Roosevelt and Truman worked to build the prestige of the US, “three stooges” were there to spoil everything. They did it because they were novices, while Turkey proceeded steadily according to its 2000 year old state tradition.
Aside from the legacy of Truman and Roosevelt:
Turkey relied on international norms, rules and regulations
Turkey did not just use the Truman pretext to impose its will in the surrounding seas. On 2 March 2004, Turkey gave a note to the United Nations. It claimed for the first time that it has sovereign rights in some western maritime regions.
On the ensuing note, on 4 October 2005, the Turkish and the Greek continental shelf boundary in the Aegean Sea was set. To follow suit, in 2006, the Turkish Naval Forces launched Operation Mediterranean Shield in the region.
In that respect, how Turkey responded to the 2009 atrocities also reflects wisdom. Turkey countered every move by the novice US presidents. Then it made steady progress in building prestige in the world.
From 1992 to 2016, half a dozen fatal mistakes by the “US inspired conspirators” made New Turkey what it is today. It became a rising Eastern power, a formidable contender, but also, in control of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The Fate of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Legacy of Truman and Roosevelt:
Turkey is the domineering Naval Power of the Region
In other words, with Clinton the US lost morality. With Bush (43), the military power and prestige of the US disappeared. With Obama, the economic meltdown showed that the US became a toothless giant.
All the while, Turkey capitalized on each novice US president as a ladder to climb up. Employing the great vision and wisdom of Truman and Roosevelt was brilliant.
Taking example from a great American president and using it against novice American presidents was nothing less than tragic, on the other hand. The tally is most clear in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Today, half of this closed sea is an exclusive domain of New Turkey. In the remaining rest, New Turkey also has a say because it makes bilateral deals. Having done the first one with Libya, next in line are the Gaza Strip, Egypt, and Israel.
Syria and Lebanon do not even need one. The premise of the Turkey-Libya deal already delivered its fair share. Plus, Turkey is the biggest beneficiary while Greece is left with no stake in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
In other words, New Turkey simply brought justice to every country with a border in this closed sea. As the domineering economic and military power of the region, New Turkey also gave assurances.
It promised that no outside power will usurp sovereign power there.
Legacy of Truman and Roosevelt: A Tragicomedy
Three stooges that reigned in the US from 1992 to 2016 never understood what was in play. They failed time after time against New Turkey in 24 years. Furthermore, they never realized that they were mainly losing for going against their own history.
Today, New Turkey confronts major powers of the West. In the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, it continues to take guidance from Truman. Soon, it will also look up to Roosevelt to further bolster its power and prestige.
Much like the legacy of Truman and Roosevelt, New Turkey will leave its mark in history. In the meantime, will the fighting against the core values of what made America great continue to debilitate the sole superpower of the world?
No one knows but divided America sure to lose a lot more power and prestige. Mainly because no Globalist cares much about the legacy of Truman and Roosevelt anymore.
