Once upon a time, Turkey served an invaluable role both geographically as well as politically. Turkey served as a bridge between the East and West for centuries and basing using military forces provided a strategic advantage for dealing with both the Soviet Union as well as keeping an eye on the Middle East. Turkey is a moderate Muslim nation that gave the US one of its only allies when dealing with other Muslim nations.
Times though are a changing. The Global War On Terror (GWOT), which is no longer politically correct, combined with the fall of the Soviet Union allowed military forces to be based for the fist time ever in former republics of the Soviet Union which serve the same purpose as Turkey. They are Muslim nations strategically located near areas of interest of the United States. Kyrgyzstan is the now the major air base for US forces operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan. US forces are also now ensconced in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well. These new developments mean cooling relations with Turkey are not as significant as they once were.
Today's news is carrying the "surprising" news that Afghanistan possesses over $1 trillion in copper and lithium resources. Mining companies are falling over themselves to get the mineral rights. Somehow this sounds eerily similar to the situation in Nigeria where 40 different foreign oil companies control 90 percent of Nigerian oil exports.
Afghanistani citizens are complaining that the only reason for the GWOT was to exploit their resources. At $1 trillion dollars, it is hard to argue with them.
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