This is John Batchelor, a conversation about nuclear weapons in the 21st century with my colleague

Henry Sikolsky of the Non-Proliferation Policy Education Center.

We're looking at nations coming up to say, we want one.

Let's explore it.

South Africa, for example, Poland, for example.

Here, Henry responds to the fact that Turkey

would like a set nuclear weapon, despite the fact that it's a member of NATO and has offered the

security of NATO's protection. That means the United States. It wants its own weapon. And why? Not the

least of the explanation is the Ottoman Empire returning.

Here's Henry to explain.

Well, first, let's be more upbeat.

They want a weapon because they would like to become the new Ottoman Empire effectively.

And weapons, as I've just explained, give smaller nations agency that they wouldn't

otherwise have.

People listen more carefully to countries having their weapons, whether they should or not.

They do.

That's one thing.

But then they look at their neighborhood.

They see the Israelis who they have a very uneasy relationship with on so many fronts, including

oil and gas activity and so many other things.

Erdogan has made it clear with the president.

He said, how is it that Israel has them and we can't? That doesn't sound right.

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