[Mohoender]

Tensions put their marks on the region long before the war when divergences start to appear in 1995 between Turkey and the USA. The Iraqi Kurds had been instrumental in the assassination of Saddam Hussein and the US administration grants them full international recognition as a result of this action. Turkey had fought the Kurds for years now, and this move displeases them to the highest level as it provides the Kurds with a country of their own, and strengthens their claims on eastern Turkey. Nevertheless, after a long negotiation, the Turkish government reluctantly agrees to the new situation, also stating that it retains the right to react to Kurdish terrorist actions. This statement becomes a reality on the next year when “Operation Hawk” is launched against Kurdish PKK in Turkey. Turkish forces, Army and Jandarma alike, are highly successful but the offensive turns short when PKK combatants seek refuge in the newly established Kurdish Republic of Iraq. Turkey protests to the UN and asks the Kurdish government to allow its troops to pursue PKK fighters over its territory. Despite initial verbal support to Turkey, Washington sides with the Kurds and back their refusal of the Turkish demands.

Things get worse on the next year when the new US administration asks the Turks to allow them to supply the Kurds through their territory. Ankara simply refuses with no more explanations and even ban US aircraft en route for Kirkuk Air Base to land on their soil. As retaliation, in September, when the Turks start to bomb PKK position in Iraqi Kurdistan and in violation of Kurdish sovereignty, Washington delivers a fair number of stingers and several anti-aircrafts systems (MIM-23 Hawks and Avengers) to Irbil. Over the next month 9 Turkish aircrafts are destroyed and the Turkish population, outraged, demonstrates everyday. Protestations continue to grow until November 7th when the US embassy in Ankara is shelled by multiple mortar rounds. These rounds make no victims outside of a young Marine who is lightly wounded but Washington asks for those guilty of that attack to be arrested. On the next day, the Turkish government is disavowed and Prime Minister Ahmet Mesut Yilmaz is forced out of office while popular pressure brings back Necmettin Erbakan to the country’s leadership (he was earlier pressured by the military to step down). This time, Erbakan is granted full support from the Army and on Christmas Eve, that same Army (turning away from the path initiated by Atatürk) allows for the constitution to be amended, dropping the statement on the state being secular. On December 26th, Turkey withdraws from NATO and US troops are asked to leave the country within three months.

In early 1998, Ankara organizes the first D8 summit (Developing Eight) as a follow up to the creation of this group that took place on June 15th 1997. Three weeks later, Turkey signs a technical collaboration agreement with Iran (including the newly constituted Islamic Republic of Iraq), sending technicians and engineers to that country and providing spare parts that are needed for the full rebuilding of the Iranian Air Force. Washington and Israel complain while the while the White House Chief of Staff states that “Turkey should be qualified of what it truly is: a dishonored nation”. This is of no good but results in an immediate consequence: Iraq and Syria joins the Developing Eight. Verbal attacks continue between Ankara and Washington and, on May 12th, the US administration presents to the UN a resolution calling for an Embargo on Turkey. This is rejected by both China and Russia but NATO members along several US allies (Australia, Japan…) accept it and suspend commercial relations with Turkey. Ankara’s answer is limited but full of signification: the Bosphorus is now closed to NATO and US military shipping and that effectively limits the amount of supplies sent to countries around the Black Sea.

Following this, Turkey enters a relatively peaceful period that last until early 2001 when they arrest NATO military advisors fleeing Armenia and Georgia through Anatolia. Several of these advisors are Greeks and, on February 26, the Greek Prime Minister declares that “The unacceptable position of Turkey is fully responsible for NATO’s lack of success in the Balkans and for the defeat of its allies in the Caucasus, making Ankara a de facto ally of Moscow”. Other NATO members don’t follow the Greeks into this but that statements appeal to the Greek population. On the next month, Anti-turk demonstrations are held all over the country and in Cyprus. Several people of Turkish descents are killed by angry crowds and this evolves into open warfare when the Cypriot National Guard fires at Turkish units. Ankara reacts immediately by sending reinforcements and launching an offensive toward the Greek part of the island. When the Greeks get involved and divert several combat aircrafts in support of the Cypriot National Guard, Turkey declares war on Greece. On the next day, Turkish troops are crossing the border into eastern Macedonia and Thrace, quickly progressing toward Thessaloniki. Several greek units are taken out of the Balkan and Bulgarian fronts to face this new threat, effectively forcing NATO into a defensive posture. Nevertheless, at this point, the conflict remains local while Padania, because of its old rivalry with Greece, concludes a defense pact with Turkey. While Padania is not obligated by the pact to enter the Greco-Turkish war, Padania declares the war to be a regional conflict unrelated to the more general war raging over Europe, promising to intervene on Turkey’s side if NATO tries to tip the balance in Greece’s favor. Within a week, Turkey declares a naval blockade against Greece and warns world’s shipping that the Aegean is now considered a war zone of its own.

The situation evolves again in June when it has become clear to NATO that, without aid, the Greek Army will have to fall back or be defeated. Indeed, Turkish pressure has constantly increased on the Greek left flank in Thrace while Cyprus is conquered and Greek losses are slowly becoming unacceptable. At last, on June 27th, a NATO convoy, accompanied by a strong covering force, attempts the run to the Greek port of Thessaloniki with badly needed ammunition and equipment. Fleet elements of the Padanian and Turkish Navy intercept the convoy and, in a confused night action off Thessaloniki, inflict substantial losses and escape virtually unharmed.

As convoy SG-46 closes on Thessloniki, at dusk, two Padanian frigates suddenly show up from behind while a small Turkish force appears to the east. They immediately fire at the escorting ship, sinking a US and a Spanish frigate and damaging the rest of the escort. As this confused fighting builds up, several fast Turkish attack boats leave the main formation and rush toward the cargos, ultimately sinking two-third of the convoy. When the Padanian and the Turks withdraw, they have sustained little damage and they have vanished in the dark, virtually unarmed.

Two days later, NATO retaliates with air strikes, bombing Smirne, Adalia and Istanbul in Turkey. On July 1st, Turkey declares war against NATO, fully entering the Twilight War. Turkish actions continue into 2002 but they fail to take the upper hand over the Greeks. The main Turkish success is the neutralization of the Greek navy in a series of combined action conducted with the Padanian navy. Later, when the war finally gets to the Middle East, Turkey increases the amount of supplies it sends to the region, opens its territory to Soviet truck convoys and commits more army units to the region. They increase the pressure on the Kurds and stop the NATO counter-offensive on a line stretching from Nuisaybin to Lake Van.

When the nukes start to fall over late summer 2003, Turkish positions are hit by several tactical nuclear devices and the Army begins a retreat toward its national territory. The Greek Army follows their steps and rush toward Istanbul, entering Turkish Thrace on October 2nd. Ultimately, the Greeks are stopped but not before they established well defended positions in Turkish Thrace.

In the meantime the Greek army pushes its advantage to the North, annexing Macedonia and progressing in Serbia. Pristina is taken on October 4th, Nis fall on October 9th and the Greek army closes on Belgrade when November comes, linking with NATO forces attacking from Bosnia and Croatia. However, the timely arrival of Soviet reinforcement put an end to this progression and the Greek Army quickly falls back toward Macedonia, stopping only north of Skopje and Kumanovo.

As a matter of fact, these actions represent the last true military actions on the part of both Greece and Turkey. In these two countries, the population already had had enough and civil unrest is quickly spreading while army units are taken from the front to perform internal security duties. Greek central government simply collapses and is replaced by several city states while the Turkish government loses control over vast regions in Anatolia.

Finally, when the first strategic strikes are conducted almost a year later, the region is almost entirely spared. No missiles are launched toward Greece while only two strikes are conducted by US on Turkey. The first one destroys Ankara and the civilian government, forcing a full taken over of civil affairs by the Army. The other one, targeted at Istanbul, misses the city, falls in the Bosphorus and doesn’t detonate. The Turkish army retrieves it, putting its hand on a single but strategically important nuclear device. Nevertheless, the region doesn’t escape the global consequences and as it saw severe regular fighting, casualties are important.

Nowadays, Greece is composed of several city states ruling over small portions of the country and backed by limited military forces. Among these states, Athens and Thessaloniki are the most important while fighting among the other takes place on a fairly regular base. Thessaloniki is the only one to remain faithful to the former Greek commitment to NATO but military operations have come to a halt. Macedonia is under occupation, military operations in Bulgaria are virtually non-existant and skirmishes only occasionally take place with Turkey. Outside of these city states, due to the very rough nature of Greece countryside, several villages and small towns have fall back on their own, not party to the city state system but independent, nevertheless. Finally, within Greece, Creta is an exception. The region is fully organized and almost fully functional despite very limited power supply. The population remains united and took over the island defense. Nowadays, the regular Cretan army is somewhat small but almost every adult man is a member of the Minoan Militia.

Turkey, for its part had to face major civil unrest and the central government, now in Istanbul, has lost control over most of central Anatolia. There, cities are largely deserted, armed bands are ever present, and the various villages, now behind perimeter defenses, are distrustful of each other. Central government controls only a few valleys as well as a few cities in the East because of valuable resources. These places live under strict martial law while the civilians exploit raw materials that are brought back to Alessandretta and Mersin under the protection of heavily armored trains. Elsewhere, army units have been deployed to the lands still under state control and perform security duties, allowing the Turkish state to be functional despite the lack of proper power supply and the consequent loss of a majority of the industrial network. Fighting with marauders, Kurdish activists and Cypriot freedom fighters are occurring daily but within military controlled territories, life is bearable and can count as organized. Nevertheless, martial law is in effect nationwide but more lightly enforced than in the eastern valleys. Istanbul is a strange sight in the Twilight world as the city is intact and bristling with life and activity. If not for the little light at night and a few ruined buildings, one could swear that the city never experienced the war while the various Bazaars (the Grand Bazaar dating back to 1461) are the place to go.