The US needs Turkey on side for its own purposes, Russia will always retain Iran for like purposes, whatever those purposes are.
The gas pipelines and which ones go ahead and which ones don't are important as someone said earlier. Also a constructed pipeline doesn't necessarily mean it will be used.
Gazprom is still proceeding with its pipeline construction to the eastern coastline (Vladivostok) from memory and this will change the dynamics in that eastern part of the continent in years to come.
Someone used an expression earlier today in a real life conversation unrelated to any comments but it seems to sit well here..."unholy alliance".
