USSR 1991

How much budget to spend and how to distribute benefits afterwards are all issues. Although the prospects are bright, everyone knows that the investment in the early stage is huge, and no one has any hope of being the first to stand out and take advantage of it.Bulgaria could not afford that kind of funding, and neither could the Soviet Union.

"We just need to know how much the Bulgarian government supports the construction of the canal. Such a plan must be long-term. We will not take any action in a short time." Pavlov said with a smile.

"Hey, of course we support it, but all of this must be done according to..."

"I know that practical issues must be considered. This point will be discussed after Greece has a positive answer." After receiving the consent of the Bulgarian government, Pavlov nodded with a smile, and now his goal has been achieved. The canal opening project itself is a fantasy story for the current Soviet Union, but sometimes expressing a position is far more important than intending to do something, even if it gives people a feeling of imperial appointment.

After this visit settled the Bulgarian government, Pavlov is about to rush to his next destination, convincing the Greek president to support this so far illusory canal project plan.As long as the leaders of other countries agree, Turkey will usher in a cold winter of economic depression.

The sovereignty of the Soviet Union is sacrosanct, and the end of provocation is tragic.The tragedy of Demirel lies in his arrogance and arrogance. He didn't see clearly how many aces the man standing opposite his gambling table held in his hand!

Chapter 282 Copy: Bitter Winter (6)

In fact, Yanayev has never considered actually opening a canal between Bulgaria and Greece across the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. First of all, the initial capital investment is not what the current Soviet economy can afford.Moreover, it will also involve a series of complicated political, economic, geographical and other environmental issues between the two countries. In other words, no one wants to be the early bird.

Of course, according to the previous agreement between the Soviet Prime Minister and Zhelev, shortly after Pavlov left, the Bulgarian government issued a statement about discussing with the Soviet government to build a transnational Grand Canal, and also showed a vowed appearance , it looked to others as if Bulgaria and the Soviet Union had reached a consensus statement and were about to be put on the parliamentary agenda.

When the news of the construction of the Grand Canal reached the ears of the Turkish president, his heart was ashamed this time. He had finally seen the terrible methods of the Soviet Union to torture Turkey in different ways.I also understand why after being cheated before, but now Demirel still has a little fantasy in his heart, that is, he hopes that Greece, which has a bad relationship with the Soviet Union, can reject this attractive plan.

But what Pavlov has to do when he visits Greece is to put the last nail in Turkey's coffin and make Demirel completely give up.In fact, reaching a verbal agreement with the Greek government is not as difficult as imagined.First, no one can refuse the income obtained after the excavation of the Grand Canal. Second, the current Greek President Constantine Karamanlis has always adopted a hostile policy towards Turkey. This is because of the tense relationship between the Greeks and Turks in Cyprus. Caused.The third is this kind of thing that has not been written yet, and the beautiful things that are said verbally often have no meaning.

But scaring Türkiye is enough.

"The excavation of the canal is indeed beneficial to the long-term development of our three countries, but there is a problem. Who is responsible for the initial capital investment? How much capital and operation investment are occupied by the three countries? Your government has already considered these issues clearly. Is it?" asked President Karamanlis, who liked to haggle over every detail of a certain matter.If there is a problem with the details, then Karamanlis will never risk his life with the interests of the country.

"The cost of digging the canal is huge. I don't know if the current fiscal deficit of the Soviet Union can bear it until the day when the canal is completed?" Karamanlis tactfully asked the most critical question, which is money.He believes that under the leadership of Yanayev, the Soviet Union's economy has recovered, but it does not mean that their country's finances can afford such a fiscal deficit.

"Doesn't our Soviet army have a huge nuclear arsenal? In the past, the Soviet Union used nuclear bombs directly when digging canals. It is economical and affordable, and it can also consume part of the nuclear weapon inventory. This is a good thing that kills two birds with one stone." Pavlov joked Said.The thinking of the Slavs is so straightforward, digging the soil inch by inch with an excavator?It's not as fast as digging with a nuclear bomb.

The translator beside him suddenly turned pale. He turned his head and glanced at President Karamanlis, thinking hard about how to explain the Soviet Union's domineering reply to the Bulgarian President without appearing shocking.

In the end, the translator blushed, and then said slowly in the most euphemistic way, "Prime Minister Pavlov said that the Soviet Union generally used nuclear bombs to dig canals, which saves time and effort..."

Hearing that the Soviets liked to use nuclear weapons to dig canals, Karamanlis immediately lost his composure. He moved his position to try to make himself more stable, imagining the mushroom cloud rising over the land of Greece. World War III broke out first in Greece.

"If nuclear weapons are really used to dig a canal, I think I'll take a life-saving pill first... My heart is a little bit bad, Prime Minister Pavlov." Karamanlis said, touching his chest, obviously he was Startled by Pavlov's joke.

"Haha, it's just a joke to dig a canal with a nuclear bomb, President Karamanlis. In fact, we only need a guarantee from the Greek government to announce that Greece and the Soviet Union are ready to implement this canal plan. I don't know how simple it is. Can the Greek government do it with a little effort?"

"Is it because of the recent relationship between Turkey? I heard that the conflict between your country and Turkey is very intense." Karamanlis could see what Pavlov was thinking at a glance, and he also There was a hint of conspiracy in the Soviet Premier's tone.

"Yes, it is said that the canal was excavated by the three countries, but this was originally an action to retaliate against Turkey." Pavlov admitted this openly, and he did not intend to hide himself in front of Karamanlis. I do not want the other party to remain suspicious and distrustful of the purpose of my trip.

For the Soviet Union, the distrust of allies is a very bad thing, which means that many plans will not be able to proceed due to the lack of trust chains.

"Okay, I agree to your request." Greek President Karamanlis said, "There has always been a long-standing grievance between us and Turkey because of the land dispute. If the issue of Cyprus is not resolved for a day, then the relationship between us and Turkey There is nothing that can improve the relationship, and this time you are going to make a fuss about the canal, and I fully support it."

The enemy of an enemy is a friend. Greek President Karamanlis stood by the Soviet Union without hesitation for his own benefit. Compared with the Soviet Union, which is not seen very much because of ideological conflicts, Turkey, which seems to have a direct conflict of interests, is more worthy Greece started to deal with it.

"So happy to cooperate, President Karamanlis." Pavlov smiled and shook hands with the Greek President. During this canal trip, he successfully established two enemies for Turkey, one was Bulgaria, which wanted the Soviet Union, and the other It is Greece, which has a source of disputes with Turkey.

"Happy cooperation, Prime Minister Pavlov." Karamanlis also jokingly said to Pavlov, "The next time a canal is dug, don't come here with nuclear weapons. Those who didn't know thought we were going to prepare because of the ownership of the canal." It's going to be a tough fight."

"Haha, President Karamanlis, don't think of us as the evil empire in the US propaganda. The Soviet Union is not the US. We will never use force to solve the problems at the negotiating table. After all, the US is the one who wants to be the world leader Careerist. The Soviet Union now only wants to seek peace and development, and does not want to conflict with other countries. But..." Pavlov changed the subject, and his tone became serious, "There are always some countries that think that the Soviet Union is cowardly if it does not start a war. performance, but how many countries can fight the Great Patriotic War that the Soviet Union experienced?"

In World War II, the death toll of the Soviet Red Army was more than 900 million, which is already equivalent to the national population of a small country. Such a tragic battle established the status of the Soviet Union in the world, and the Red Empire is proud Glorious glory.

"Turkey's provocation is as ridiculous as an ant trying to kill a giant elephant. He doesn't know that the huge monster he is facing can tear it into pieces with a slight lift of his foot. The ant is still triumphant It is a pity that he does not know that the Soviet Union does not need to look at the face of Turkey or any other country."

"Because we are the makers of the world's rules, and we don't need others to tell us what to do."

Pavlov made the most arrogant declaration in the calmest tone, and the image metaphor was like a loud slap in the face of Turkey.In front of the pale Karamanlis, Pavlov finished his last sentence in a soft voice.

"Turkey will never be hopeful, and the Soviet Union will not be afraid of any country, not before, not now, nor will it ever be."

On this day, Karamanlis finally felt the fear from the Soviet giant bear.

Chapter 283 Copy: Bitter Winter (7)

Restoring Constantinople, the glory belongs to the third Rome is after all just an unattainable dream, and Yanayev would not really think about seeing the flag of sickle and hammer planted on the walls of Constantinople in Istanbul above.All he can do is to try his best to dig out the land that Turkey swallowed in the Tsarist Russia era from its mouth bit by bit.As long as most of the navigation rights of the Black Sea are mastered, it can be said that more than half of Moscow's dream in the past few hundred years has been realized.

At this time, Turkish President Demirel, who was also dreaming of the Ottoman Empire, panicked at this time, because when Bulgaria and Greece announced at the same time that they would join the Turkish Grand Canal project, he never thought that the situation would be so serious. .If it is only a matter of time to suppress the Kurdish unrest, then the desolation of the Turkish Straits will really kill the country.

Because the most important reason why the NATO military group will accept Turkey is the Black Sea Strait.Because Turkey is a member of NATO, NATO can set up a military base near the Black Sea Strait, the "throat of the world", and block the Soviet Union's southward route, which is of great strategic significance.And Turkey exchanged the strait certificate for NATO's advanced weapons and equipment, military technology and collective security defense.If even its own use value is lost, then Turkey will only be abandoned by NATO.

So Demirel also started to talk to Bulgaria, because there is no actual conflict of interest between the two countries, so Turkey believes that he can be the first to reach a settlement with Turkey.However, Zhelev, who was involved in political assassinations, said that the Bulgarian government refused to summon the Turkish ambassador, and please go to the Soviet Union for the statement on the control of the canal. The Bulgarian side is not very clear about this.

Bulgaria needs the Soviet Union, so it is naturally impossible to reach an agreement with Turkey.What's more, the Soviet Union has the ability to influence the United Kingdom, but Türkiye does not.

After touching the ashes of his nose in Bulgaria, Demirel had no choice but to turn his attention to the Greeks, his own country's deadly rival, hoping that the other party could come forward and temporarily suspend the project cooperation plan.Demirel even suggested renegotiating the Cyprus issue, as long as Greece can drop its support for the development of the Grand Canal this time.

"Let Turkey dream, the Greeks will not negotiate with you on Cyprus. Greece has undisputed sovereignty over this territory, when will you Turkey evacuate your people from the land of Cyprus , let’s discuss other issues.”

Greece rejected Turkey's request in one gulp, and Turkey was shut down twice on the canal issue at the same time.The construction of the canal has also attracted the support of another country. The British government far away in the Atlantic Ocean stated that they will pay close attention to the progress of the canal plan.And implement the necessary assistance for this project.

"We are not like some countries that block the canal project. The United Kingdom expresses 100% support for this project. Of course, if any country wants to block the project supported by the United Kingdom, then consider whether it is our opponent." British Foreign Affairs The minister said at the press conference that their attitude is already obvious, and the UK is going to open up the Black Sea through this plan.

The United Kingdom is a country that strongly demands that the Black Sea be regarded as a high sea. At the Montreux Conference held in 1936, the Turkish representative strived to close the strait to warships of any country.The representative of the United Kingdom insisted that the Black Sea be regarded as an international high sea, and opposed any restrictions on the passage of warships from non-Black Sea countries through the strait.

Therefore, the excavation of the canal this time also gave the British government an opportunity to intervene in the Black Sea from its sphere of influence.But even he has to think about it, even if he can beat Turkey, can he deal with the Soviet Union's influence in the Black Sea?And the Soviet Union is an ambitious country that wants to turn the Black Sea into a swimming pool in its own back garden.

Now Demirel has come to a situation where all his relatives are deserted. Bulgaria, Greece, and the Soviet Union joined forces to deal with him. The United States betrayed Turkey halfway, which led to him losing even the backer behind him.Not to mention that Britain, which is thousands of miles away, wants to extend its sphere of influence to its own doorstep and divide the rights of the Black Sea.

"We can only choose to make peace with the Soviet Union now, President Demirel. The shooting down of the fighter plane has made all our allies betray us, although we can see clearly that these people are a group of incompetent cowards." Sabahati sighed In one breath, none of them expected that the Soviet Union would have so many means of retaliation against Turkey.

He walked to the window, and the green camphor tree outside had already shaken off its dark green color, leaving only the bare branches bearing the snow that fell last night.Isn't Turkey now like those trees that have been crushed by snow, breathless under the strong sense of oppression?

"Negotiation? We haven't lost yet. Minister Sabahatin, Turkey is just a temporary defeat. The so-called canal project is just a propaganda method to scare us. The purpose is to create momentum for the negotiations between Turkey and the Soviet Union. " Demirel said so, but he was already guilty.

"Cities in eastern Turkey have been occupied by militants, and our troops have launched a tug-of-war with the PKK." Sabahatin told Demirel another sad news, "This group of terrorists armed to the teeth by the Syrian government Islamic organizations have successfully blocked our progress with anti-tank weapons or rifles. And most of these cities are areas where Kurds gather. Government agencies have been paralyzed in these cities. They even shot our officials on street corners. In the alley." Basahati was a bit tired, having dealt with government affairs for days, not to mention the heart-rending PKK riots in the east.

And this turmoil, known as the Black November Incident, will become a major riot in Turkish history.

"The PKK launched this armed riot at the most appropriate time, which can be said to have taken advantage of all the favorable factors." Sabahati sighed. To tell the truth, "So the best way now is to negotiate a peace with the Soviet Union and let them stop supporting the armed riots of the PKK, otherwise we will face the largest riot in Turkey since World War II. If it is not handled well, it is true. The eastern cities where the Kurds are concentrated may be lost."

Sabahatin turned his head suddenly, with concern and anxiety on his face, as if the rebellion of the PKK had happened right in front of his eyes.He went straight to Demirel and said solemnly, "We must eradicate the Kurdish rebellion from the root, as long as the Soviet Union no longer supports the Kurds, then we can carry out a massacre of the Kurds. "

The massacre, such an anti-humanitarian topic, came out of Sabahati's mouth, as if it was as common as eating and drinking, and they were indeed very familiar with the Kurds.The Kurds' hatred of Turkey comes from the bloody massacre and the government's ruthless suppression.

"Massacre?" Demirel said disdainfully, "If you do this to the Kurds now, you will be sanctioned. Three of the five permanent members no longer support us. The Soviet Union and the United Kingdom are eager to see something happen to Turkey. Sanctions are imposed on us. As for the United States, which has changed its attitude, it is likely to become a supporter of the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom's decision-making. Now for us, the situation is not optimistic."

"Sabahatyn, I don't want to turn Turkey into the next Iraq." Demirel took a deep breath, as if making a difficult decision.

"I am going to visit Moscow to reach an agreement with those in the Kremlin on recent issues." Demirel said tactfully.Even if it is to ask for forgiveness, Türkiye must maintain the last bit of dignity.

Hearing what Demirel said, Sabahatien shook his head, dignity?How much is the dignity of Turkey worth in the face of the steel torrent of the Soviet Union?

Chapter 284 You can't afford to lose