Prosperity is the strongest revenge. You're deluding yourself if you think you'd be ok with living under North Korean conditions, rather than having a smart public perceptions campaign, to both get what you want and not give ammo to your enemies to act without discretion. All these defense industry acheivements you're proud of are the result of integration into the international system of education and industry. Go to Iran and look at what condition their industrial base is.
Not sure why you keep referring to the North Korean type extreme context (and other similar regimes) for Turkish application.
Turkiye is fundamentally different country. It is not some totalitarian regime to begin with some immense moral issue saddling it (be North Korean gulags, South African apartheid or Iranian theocracy or a weak/weakening economy that saddles still others)....
....nor has it shunned industry, technology and political systems and institutions that have proven their worth.
You brought up Israel, how exactly is Israel "loss of face" (by its nuclear deterrent) made any hit on their economy? Most of their economic growth came after their nuclear development.... i.e the best days are always "yet to come" if you structure things right....which any country can do if it prioritizes and manages things well enough.
If Turkiye collectively sees the need to take a hit on expedient temporal "globalised economic" benefits (which are debatable in of themselves).... that come with proximity or even membership within EU/NATO et al (i.e western framework).... in return for full strategic autonomy, it will.
Simply the weight on the balance shifts in that favour, and the decisions need to be made regarding that right?
It is significant enough country to do so....dont you think?
Consider the nuclear paths of large enough countries like China and India w.r.t cold war era....certainly Turkiye has enough gumption and benefit to take its own path if current path (w.r.t relations with West) is not to its interests?....and build the economic benefits as 2nd priority of relations after that (that China and India did).
i.e You don't need blindly believe you must come to others....once you figured out enough.... let others come to you to make security and economic relations the proper tiered way commensurate to your needs, ability and interests first.
Turkish republic has changed a lot since its founding in early 20th century (when it was far weaker and vulnerable)...it has enough confident strength now surely to see what is what clearly regarding itself and others?
You have to consider these things quickly in fact, there is large pressing talk and decision making this year itself (combined with Turkish election season too).... as there is significant talk about booting Turkiye out of NATO (by making a new NATO without it and stripping relevance of the old one) if that election is not perceived as favourable result to western politics (exacerbated lately by RUS-UKR war and quick NATO expansion).
I already chatted about these things elsewhere with @Xenon54 just some days back....
Maybe others like @Bogeyman @TR_123456 @Cabatli_TR @Test7 @Yasar @Anmdt and others can share what they think on this issue.
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