Blockade of Black Sea Fleet by Turkey?

[TCPltSgt]

A lot of the vessels are moored, but if you switch those off in the filter, you can see plenty of vessels under power and milling around the harbor slowly. There arent any transiting the straight right now at this moment, but I wouldnt expect there to always be.
Also, the huge exception is that I dont know what craft are excluded from view, but military ones almost certainly are, as are any smaller craft without a commercial GPS transponder.

Unfortunately none of that disproves the possibility that a blockade is underway, but there is very little evidence to prove it, and what little there is is circumstantial. Given that the story thats been circulating (and as far as i can tell it is just that one story that keeps getting republished and quoted) provides only this data as evidence, there's no conclusion at all that can be made, let alone one that ought to be such a huge noisy story if true.

The thing is, I would imagine that Turkey would make an announcement to the effect that they were imposing a blockade, even it was only on the diplomatic level between Russia and Turkey. However, even then, I am sure the Russian government would be publicly protesting it and would attempt to run it to force Turkey/NATO's hand. I just can't see this yet as being a real legitimate blockade.

 

[MAVERICKANDGOOSE]

http://sputniknews.com/world/20151201/1031038783/russia-turkey-ships-strait.html

"Dozens of Russian ships have reportedly been waiting for hours near the Bosphorus Strait to get the go-ahead from Turkey to be able to pass through the waterway...

In a clear violation of international norms, Turkish authorities have created hurdles for Russian vessels passing through the Bosphorus Strait; as a result, dozens of Russian ships have been waiting for hours to obtain the green light from Turkey for passage, media reports said.
RIA Novosti quoted Viktor Kravchenko, former chief of staff of the Russian Navy, as saying that a possible unilateral closure by Turkey of the Bosphorus Strait for Russian ships would be out of line with international law."

 

[TheChrome]

http://sputniknews.com/world/20151201/1031038783/russia-turkey-ships-strait.html

"Dozens of Russian ships have reportedly been waiting for hours near the Bosphorus Strait to get the go-ahead from Turkey to be able to pass through the waterway...

In a clear violation of international norms, Turkish authorities have created hurdles for Russian vessels passing through the Bosphorus Strait; as a result, dozens of Russian ships have been waiting for hours to obtain the green light from Turkey for passage, media reports said.
RIA Novosti quoted Viktor Kravchenko, former chief of staff of the Russian Navy, as saying that a possible unilateral closure by Turkey of the Bosphorus Strait for Russian ships would be out of line with international law."

Yes, this is what I have been seeing as well. Not a full blockade, but Turkey is definitely sending a message with delays.

 

[Encyclopath]

Ah, this is different than the one infowars was peddling; they probably used this as their source.

This is not a blockade, unless some russian captain gets fed up and decides to pilot through the straight without being cleared, and then gets fired upon.
That actually doesnt sound all that implausible, actually...

But yeah, that story makes a lot more sense in context, and isn't nearly as jawdropping. I'm still surprised not to have heard more Russian protests about it, though. Theyve been mad about a lot less before.

 

[DEFCON Warning System]

Tanith is right. This is a story that just refuses to go away.

The article from Sputnik News is very interesting, but it still seems odd that we're not hearing anything from Russia itself.

I knew Turkey and Russia weren't done yet.

 

[Encyclopath]

And are the Sputnik claims true? Its the kind of story that would be difficult to verify, which would require contacting and interviewing captains and crews of russian ships in transit, and determining that they are experiencing higher than usual red tape and frustration from the turkish transit authority.

This story still reeks of BS, but now it appears to be state sponsored, which doesn't mean nothing.

 

[Encyclopath]

I would also submit that the activities being reported by the Russians are no more obtrusive then the recent customs and import hassles they have been giving Turkish goods and produce at their border.

 

[DEFCON Warning System]

I would also submit that the activities being reported by the Russians are no more obtrusive then the recent customs and import hassles they have been giving Turkish goods and produce at their border.

So their still in the diplomatic phase, tit-for-tat annoyances.

Wonder how long Russia is going to put up with this.

Still wondering what orders both forces are operating under now.

 

[Encyclopath]

Whether by intent or irony, IF does a great service to those parties who want for these subject to be obfuscated and overlooked.

 

[Zanting]

Infowars is mighty underhanded about source material. I used to browse IW as a checklist for looking up corroborating info sources- They didn't earn their rep foe 'doom porn' for nothing. But in the past few years they've stuck to referencing their own previous material almost exclusively- and pilfering official dispatches from wikileaks, publicintelligence.net and other sources, and hosting it themselves to make sure the source chain stays exclusively with Infowars. I treat them the same way I so Sorcha Faal and Steve Quayle now. pariahs of accuracy.

I agree with what Hayden Hewitt said; a co-founder of LiveLeak, when it comes to Infowars. Alex Jones believes what he says, some of it is fear porn, but it continues to remain relevant today which is why it's still useful at times for a variety of reasons.

 

[Encyclopath]

The man still baffles me, and Ive never been able to decide if he beleives what he says. People that unhinged usually lack the wherewithal to navigate a successful life in society. Then again, watching him on Piers Morgan's show, he really does appear to have honest conviction, or an impressive acting talent. Maybe he just happens to be one of the rare and lucky instances of an insane person who hit the big time. I'm still not at all sure he isn't actually an intelligence agency disinformation asset, whether unwitting or on a payroll. I have no evidence of this, but i find it plausible and with plenty of precedent.

On the whole, he certainly does far more harm than good, but as demonstrated in this thread, there is usually some speck of fact at the base of his stories, and somehow, perhaps because of his popularity, the stories get out in the public sphere first. Those stories are often unrecognizable compared to those facts when they eventually surface later.

So, yes, there is some value in not ignoring his media completely, but there exists a high degree of danger of misinterpreting them without context. If his media is involved in any kind of active disinformation activities, that danger is magnifies tremendously, as that media will have been engineered by experts to intentionally deceive.

 

[DirtyDevil69]

This story is like that of the alleged Turkish involvement in ISIS oil sales. It persists, which likely means there's more than one nugget of truth in it so we should keep an eye on it.

I can't speak to Alex Jones, never really watched or listened to his show. I do know he's hated even over on GLP, and they love Trump, so that says something. I feel a little sorry for Jones because he apparently has a epilepsy or a similar condition...he suffered a petit mal seizure on camera once. That's a terrible thing to have to live with.

One helluva guy though because he keeps pushing forward.

 

[TheChrome]

Once again the connection between Turkey and Crimea arises, keeping an eye on this:

A leading Crimean Tatar civic activist on Dec. 1 said a sea blockade of Crimea could be the next step in the campaign against Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula.

If the threat were to be realized, the peninsula would be deprived of supplies from Russia. It would add to a land transport blockade in effect from Ukraine since Sept. 20 and the power outage affecting Crimea since Nov. 21, when unknown activists blew up power pylons in Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast, close to the Crimean border.

Refat Chubarov, the leader of the executive of the Crimean Tatar national assembly, the Mejlis, told the Kyiv Post that his people didn’t possess any “technical means” to fulfill the sea blockade. Still, Crimean Tatar leaders say they’ll insist on keeping the lights off.

“With the blackout it’s as if Ukraine scored against Russia at football,” Fesenko said as he described the widespread public feeling that a response to the Russian takeover of the peninsula was long overdue.

http://www.kyivpost.com/article/con...ed-as-crimea-power-cutoff-goes-on-403433.html

 

[JohnStone]

It was reported by a mainstream outlet that Turkey was making Russian ships wait for several hours before flagging them on through the strait. This is why the GPS website showed ships just sitting there waiting to enter. I don't remember which outlet, but I posted it in another thread here. If I see it I'll edit this post with the link. It seems they're testing the idea by halting ships for a period of time.

 

[TheChrome]

It was reported by a mainstream outlet that Turkey was making Russian ships wait for several hours before flagging them on through the strait. This is why the GPS website showed ships just sitting there waiting to enter. I don't remember which outlet, but I posted it in another thread here. If I see it I'll edit this post with the link. It seems they're testing the idea by halting ships for a period of time.

Yes that is correct, Turkey is "delaying" ships. What my previous post was about is that the Tatars in Crimea are thinking of a blockade as well. Don't know how that would work. I guess fishing vessels and cargo ships? Trying to block the Russians? Doesn't seem like it would work, but they seem determined.

 

[GatorEngineer]

I'm still not at all sure he isn't actually an intelligence agency disinformation asset, whether unwitting or on a payroll. I have no evidence of this, but i find it plausible and with plenty of precedent.
So, yes, there is some value in not ignoring his media completely, but there exists a high degree of danger of misinterpreting them without context. If his media is involved in any kind of active disinformation activities, that danger is magnifies tremendously, as that media will have been engineered by experts to intentionally deceive.

I have often wondered the same thing! If true I also wonder if he is working for foreign intel or if he is working for agencies within our government drawing moths to flame, he seems a little too quick when responding to FBI/Secret Service requests to hand over info on his listeners, and he never makes a big deal about it which is unusual considering what he normally does.

If he is not an intel asset, then what a sad state we are in that a person who is honest, has real conviction, and speaks his mind would be laughed at and called a loser who should "lack the wherewithal to navigate a successful life in society".

 

[SaltorQC]

Is that a source we can trust?

https://twitter.com/MahirZeynalov/status/673123832509669377

 

[joe1971]

I'm still not at all sure he isn't actually an intelligence agency disinformation asset, whether unwitting or on a payroll. I have no evidence of this, but i find it plausible and with plenty of precedent.
So, yes, there is some value in not ignoring his media completely, but there exists a high degree of danger of misinterpreting them without context. If his media is involved in any kind of active disinformation activities, that danger is magnifies tremendously, as that media will have been engineered by experts to intentionally deceive.

I have often wondered the same thing! If true I also wonder if he is working for foreign intel or if he is working for agencies within our government drawing moths to flame, he seems a little too quick when responding to FBI/Secret Service requests to hand over info on his listeners, and he never makes a big deal about it which is unusual considering what he normally does.

If he is not an intel asset, then what a sad state we are in that a person who is honest, has real conviction, and speaks his mind would be laughed at and called a loser who should "lack the wherewithal to navigate a successful life in society".

There IS Something rather Hal Turner-ish about him. Turner was a white supremacy-themed radio show host that was discovered was an FBI stooge by Anonymous. He had the same overblown, half-yelling theme.

I don't think AJ is nuts at all. Not sure if he believes his dribble or not, doesn't really matter either way. He's a businessman with a pretty good business model. To bad it's in fear mongering instead of actual reporting.

 

[joe1971]

I never said he was.

No you didnt I wasn't singling anyone out, I listened to him for a short time, checked out his other sites and came to my conclusion. Hell I can't even try to use his sites when digging for sources for all the negativity there.

 

[GatorEngineer]

There IS Something rather Hal Turner-ish about him. Turner was a white supremacy-themed radio show host that was discovered was an FBI stooge by Anonymous. He had the same overblown, half-yelling theme.

My thoughts exactly

No way the man (Jones) is insane there is too much organization involved in running a business of any kind, especially a fast paced quasi news company. His ability to score major interviews with VIPs that would be the pinnacle of most hustling journalists careers tells me there is more going on behind the scenes than any of us know. I just cannot form an opinion on whether he is U.S intel, foreign intel, or a snake oil salesman owned by one of the players in the media complex that know their days of traditional news reporting are coming to end.

I will say this, while I was working in Russia I read the book "Them Adventures With Extremists" by BBC reporter Jon Ronson. I had never heard of Jones before this book, but afterwards he seemed to shoot to stardom.

I became acquainted with the owner of a lobbying firm that had similar interests as me, this person introduced me to Bill Cooper (whom I had also never heard of) while most of what Cooper said seems insane he did indirectly predict sept 11th a few months before it happened (which is eerie) and he also called out Alex Jones as a fear monger and possible CI asset. Shortly thereafter Mr. Cooper was gunned down at his home by local deputies serving a federal warrant on behalf of the IRS, not saying it is related but it was a strange group of coincidences.