PC: Communist Turkey

Not very. The Turkish communists simply didn't have a huge level of traction with the populace at large; even secular republican nationalism was a bit of a hard sell at times.

Now, Turkey being Soviet-aligned is an entirely different manner, and much more plausible.
 

Tsao

Banned
Not very. The Turkish communists simply didn't have a huge level of traction with the populace at large; even secular republican nationalism was a bit of a hard sell at times.

Now, Turkey being Soviet-aligned is an entirely different manner, and much more plausible.

Soviet-controlled or just soviet-aligned?
 

Sumeragi

Banned
Soviet-controlled or just soviet-aligned?
I would say controlled, since there never was a communist movement wiht strong support from the people, although it was supported as an opposition party to the military governments. Let's just say that having a communist Germany in the 1930's would be easier.
 
Soviet-controlled or just soviet-aligned?

It's possible they could end up Soviet-aligned in a similar sense to Nehru's India, after the revolution in Turkey Ataturk had good relations with the Soviets. When you think about it they had much in-common, both were new states created out of old Imperial absolute monarchies, trying to modernise and industrialise. They both also didn't like the traditional capitalist/imperialist powers of Britain and France, which had just tried to cut up and colonise Turkey.
 
Soviet-aligned Turkey is much more likely than an Eastern Bloc sort of situation, mostly because the West will fight very, very hard to defeat it if there is ever a serious chance of a communist movement aligned with Moscow gaining power in Turkey, having access to the Black Sea is VERY important for strategic interests.

For obvious reasons, the best time to have this is WWII... Turkey's neutrality did the Hun a lot of favors for their shipping needs.
 
Yes, a non- Communist, pro- Soviet Turkey is plausible. Especially since Turkish- Soviet relations OTL weren't that bad in the inter-war era.
 
Yes, a non- Communist, pro- Soviet Turkey is plausible. Especially since Turkish- Soviet relations OTL weren't that bad in the inter-war era.

Lenin in particular ADORED Ataturk, ultimately the split came under Stalin when Turkish neutrality helped the Germans fight a war against the Soviet Union.
 
As mentioned Lenin and Ataturk were on good terms and during the 1920s Turkey was Soviet-aligned. It was Kremlin gold that helped Ataturk win the War of Independence, and followed by trade and non-aggression pacts, the Turks were surrounded by the old European enemies, and Imperialist-controlled Arab and Iranian puppet regimes. The Soviets were the closest thing they had to a friend.

However Stalin never forgave them for the 1936 Montreux Agreement which gave the Turks total control over the Bosphorus Straits, rather than joint priviledges for all Black Sea nations. Add to this German transports using the Straits without hindrance during WWII and Stalin basically loathed Turkey and was on the verge of invading in 1945/46, while Ankara offered them everything but outright submission to avoid it. The 'Straits Crisis' was the first Cold War tremor, as the Turks turned to the West for protection. By the 1950s, a decade of postwar bad blood led to Turkey becoming US missile base and staunch NATO ally.

This is a very easy thing to handwave. Have Stalin die from one of his many heart attacks in 1945. Whether its Molotov, Beria, Zhukov or whoever who takes over, there's no way they'll mess it up, only Stalin's herculean paranoia and resentment could accomplish what happened IOTL. Using their position in the Balkans and Caucausus as leverage, have the Soviets organise trade deals and certain amendments to the Montreux Agreement (things the Turks happily offered Stalin IOTL) and you'll have a happy friend. They wont join the WP or anything, but more likely Ankara will be a pro-Soviet member of the NAM, bit like India in some respects. This might lead the dominant Republican People's Party to adopt more socialist policies but I wouldn't push it too far.
 

Don Grey

Banned
Soviet-controlled or just soviet-aligned?

soviet aligned is more likley. Because of the ottoman policies. The ottomans made sure even teh peasentry had land and didnt use serfs. Thats another reason the middles east didnt go full blown communist even though they suffered colonialism and imperialism. So turkey ditn have much a class problam or a class warfare problam. Lets not forget the ottomans didnt even have a nobility class.

Lenin in particular ADORED Ataturk, ultimately the split came under Stalin when Turkish neutrality helped the Germans fight a war against the Soviet Union.

Lene adored mustafa kemal because he continued he fight against imperialism and beleive atatürk would become a good little commy. But that didnt happen.
 
Soviet-aligned Turkey is much more likely than an Eastern Bloc sort of situation, mostly because the West will fight very, very hard to defeat it if there is ever a serious chance of a communist movement aligned with Moscow gaining power in Turkey, having access to the Black Sea is VERY important for strategic interests.

For obvious reasons, the best time to have this is WWII... Turkey's neutrality did the Hun a lot of favors for their shipping needs.

How do you align Turkey to the USSR though?
 
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