Israel is under constant threat from Hamas in Gaza, Israel, by Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon, by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in both Iraq and Syria, by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, by Iran, and by Saudi Arabia, with even Türkiye becoming an unstable ally as the Türkish state rescinds upon its secular legacy as the 21st century proceeds onward, embracing Islam and neo-Ottoman foreign policy
The underground cave site of Derinkuyu, Turkey, commonly referred to as “Cappadocia”, is an underground network of caves and tunnels which date back to the prehistoric era, as evidence of stone tools have been uncovered at the site. Experts believe that 20,000 – 60,000 people inhabited the Cappadocian caves with indication of air vents and water wells making it theoretically possible to live underground for extended periods of time, spanning years even. Stone wheels made of volcanic basalt were fashioned to create what’s referred to as “self sealing doors”. The rocks would be rolled in front of a pathway making entry impossible for invaders due to the inability to gain leverage. The only possibility of entry would be to cut through this wheel, often up to 1’ thick in width, which would waste valuable time giving those upon the other side time to prepare a counter attack
The battle of Troy is suspected to have occurred in modern day Türkiye as Troy is considered by archeologists and scholars to have been a real citadel, and not just an epic Iliad of the ancient Greek poet Homer. The Trojan economy was based upon trade, specifically horses and horse breeding which allowed for wealth and military prowess within the walls of Troy, as horses were rarely seen elsewhere in the ancient world. Troy had a large ditch cut around the entire city, similar to a moat but without water. Large fences were placed behind this trench and enormous city walls were erected with only 3 entry points for the entire stronghold. Food stockpiles allowed the Trojans to hold out for longer periods than what would typically have been possible and amphorae were buried all over Troy, up to the neck of the container, with a rock placed on top to seal it off. The Trojans, as was custom with most ancient people, would not bury their dead within the perimeter of the city unless under significant stress. Militarily speaking, in order to seize a target by assault, a soldier ratio of 3:1 is required but the Greeks did not have this advantage because the Trojan’s and Greek’s were matched evenly in terms of troops. This lack of superiority on either side permitted the Trojan war to last 9 years. The Trojans built their outer walls on a 20 degree slant to protect themselves from siege towers which were essentially mobile ladders with platforms to shoot down from. Troy’s exterior stone walls were 6 meters high with an additional height of 4 meters being added by mud-brick structures which crowned the walls. The Trojan Horse which invaded Troy was most likely was 13′ tall and less than 7′ wide, holding 30 – 40 soldiers. Once Troy was successfully invaded, it was sacked, it’s citizens were pillaged and slaughtered, and its royal family raped and murdered. Even children were not immune to the scourge of this bloody battle as Homer’s iliad speaks of children being thrown to their death from great heights
Turkey was set up and designed to be a liberal state, a moderate force within the Islamic world, and because of this, traditional Turkish values were kept out of politics for centuries. Turkey is a nation caught between the secular west and Islamic east and because of this, it has changed considerably over the past few decades with its once fairly liberal government now discouraging alcohol and other various western ideals, driving the industries which once existed in Turkey like vineyards and breweries, to dwindle into obscurity because of the cultural shift. Turkey’s once secular government has now become largely ruled by a religious Islamic majority causing Turks to worry that they will soon join the ranks of other Islamic countries which are ruled by fear and religious ideology