Just a quick update on my previous prediction that Erdogan and Putin will be "shaking hands" by November. My timing was off a little early as the two countries inked a renewed pipeline deal in October!

Check out the full story here, and my original prediction here.

Pictured: Presidents Putin and Erdogan of Russia and Turkey, respectively.

Please note that despite the fact that Erdogan is busy negotiating deals with prominent neighbors like Russia, he and his radical cronies are busy alienating the citizens of Turkey. For example, Turkey's government just withdrew a controversial bill that would have granted amnesty to men convicted of child sex assault if they married their victims!  Fortunately, there was/is much popular opposition in the country, especially from women's rights organizations.

If my updated predictions about the recent coup in Turkey being squashed for the time being (as so it has), only to be followed by Erdogan's ouster in early 2017 (February timeframe) proves true, Turks (and Kurds) will be staring down a much brighter future in the years ahead!  That is, unless they fail to push back Iran's growing influence over their country (which, they should have no problem doing thanks to a "buffer" zone of sorts provided by the Kurds).