How to lose a navy . . . 

Item:

Turkish PM says navy will escort aid ships to Gaza
Associated Press, 09.09.11, 02:38 AM EDT 

ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey's prime minister has said Turkish warships will escort Turkish Gaza-bound aid ships in the future.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Al-Jazeera television that the navy will accompany the aid ships to protect them from raids like the one Israel launched on a flotilla trying to break the Gaza blockade last year, when nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed

As if the Turkish navy might last ten minutes in a battle with Israel off the Israeli coast.

Even if it sent all four of its frigates - the top of the Turkish line, to use the old naval term - the result would be . . . four ships at the bottom of the sea. The only question is how long it would take them to sink.

I realize this is really about geopolitics for Turkey, but sometimes you have to stand back and say, what the hell are you thinking?