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TURKEY AND ISLAMISM - THE START OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP?
Darlene Casella
Family Security Matters
Oct 28 2011
At the end of Casablanca, when Rick and Louis walk off into the fog,
Renault says: "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."
Something similar is happening with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.
Except he is walking off into the sunset with many Islamist Middle
Eastern leaders saying "I think this is the start of a beautiful
friendship."
When President Barak Obama announced the decision to withdraw military
forces from Iraq, circumstances in the Middle East immediately changed.
Turkey is a multi dimensional political player in the Middle
Eastern chess game. She sits on the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, the
Mediterranean Sea, the Bosporus, and shares a maritime border with
the former USSR. Her contiguous neighbors are Bulgaria and Greece
on the European side of the Bosporus and on the Asian side Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan elevates himself as an assertive
player. In September 2011 Turkey agreed to station high powered U.S.
radar on its territory as part of a missile defense system to protect
NATO allies from the threat of long range Iranian rockets. As Turkey
refuses to share data with Israel; the radar systems will operate
separately. The system will be integrated with U.S. Navy cruisers
and destroyers equipped with Aegis ballistic missile defense systems.
Turkey faces a challenge with Kurdish Separatists. They want self
determination. Turkey considers this a threat. During WWI, elimination
of Kurdish identity was accomplished by deportations, death marches
and forced Turkification. According to the Journal of Genocide
Research, more than 350,000 Kurds perished. This was similar to the
Armenian marches at the time. Currently about 18% of the population
is Kurdish. The primary Kurdish populations are in Turkey, Iran,
and Iraq, they live around the triangle where the three countries meet.
Kurds carry out ongoing attacks on Turkish military. The conflict
has intensified. On October 20, 2011 an attack at the Turkish Iraqi
border killed at least 24 Turkish soldiers.
President Erdogan said "Whoever in secret or openly supports terrorism,
the breath of the Turkish State will be on their necks."
Turkey responded with attacks involving warplanes, and 10,000 troops
which pursued the militants over the border into Iraq. Erdogan does
not tolerate Kurdish terrorist attacks in Turkey on military targets;
however he condones attacks on innocent Israeli civilians by Hamas
from Gaza.
For decades Turkey was one of the United States' most dependable
allies. Now the region is in turmoil. A void left by declining American
power, is being filled by Erdogan. He challenges America on two
important issues: Iran's nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian
peace process.
Erdogan is building connections throughout the region. He does this
by creating economic integration with roads, railroads, airports,
oil and gas pipelines. For Arabs Erdogan is becoming a regional hero.
Azerbaijan was elected to the non=permanent membership of the UN
Security Council in October 2011. Subsequently, President Ilham
Aliyev and Prime Minister Erdogan have created a Strategic Cooperation
Council between their countries.
Agreements were signed in Izmir between Azerbaijan and Turkey which
remove remaining hurdles to the Southern Gas Corridor. This involved
Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR and the Turkish pipeline company
BOTAS. Energy Ministers from each country signed intergovernmental
agreements on the sale and transportation of Azerbaijani gas to and
through Turkey.
Each day 1500 trucks bring Turkish goods into Iraq. Trade between the
two countries last year was more than $6 billion. It is a huge and
growing export market for Turkey. The Nabucco gas pipeline project is
an $11 billion project that will bring Iraqi gas to Europe through
Turkey. The Turks also have stakes in other oil and gas projects
that all organized in Basra, Iraq. Turkish companies have refurbished
the Sheraton Hotel in Basra and Turkish Air has four flights a week
between Istanbul and Basra. They sell amusement rides and candy and
opened an international Fair Ground organized for Iraq's petroleum
industry. Turkish companies make up 75% of all foreign companies
in Iraq. There are four Turkish Consulates in Iraq.
Erdogan continues a hostile stance towards Israel. He blockades
Armenia and attacks Kurdish rebels. However he faults Israel for the
Gaza blockade and takes the side of Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Erdogan
threatens military action regarding gas fields in the Mediterranean
off the coast of Israel. He backs Lebanon in a dispute of previously
agreed upon maritime borders with the United Nations. Turkish war ships
are off the north coast of Cyprus in an effort to thwart drilling of
discovered gas fields in the area. Turkey maintains 30,000 troops in
Northern Cyprus which Turkey calls Turkish Cyprus, something which
no nation legally acknowledges.
Last month Erdogan went to Egypt for meetings with the top military
leaders seeking strategic alliances and diplomatic ties between Egypt
and Turkey. During this trip he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas. He has also visited Jordan's King Abdullah II. In Istanbul
last week Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan agreed to hold military
drills together.
It is speculated whether Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks the greatness of
the former Ottoman Empire. Perhaps Erdogan believes that he is the
reincarnation of the 16th century Islamist, Suleiman the Magnificent!
Family Security Matters Contributor Darlene Casella was, before her
retirement, an English teacher, a stockbroker, and president/owner
of a small corporation. She lives with her husband in La Quinta,
California, and can be reached at [email protected].
From: A. Papazian
Darlene Casella
Family Security Matters
Oct 28 2011
At the end of Casablanca, when Rick and Louis walk off into the fog,
Renault says: "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."
Something similar is happening with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.
Except he is walking off into the sunset with many Islamist Middle
Eastern leaders saying "I think this is the start of a beautiful
friendship."
When President Barak Obama announced the decision to withdraw military
forces from Iraq, circumstances in the Middle East immediately changed.
Turkey is a multi dimensional political player in the Middle
Eastern chess game. She sits on the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, the
Mediterranean Sea, the Bosporus, and shares a maritime border with
the former USSR. Her contiguous neighbors are Bulgaria and Greece
on the European side of the Bosporus and on the Asian side Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan elevates himself as an assertive
player. In September 2011 Turkey agreed to station high powered U.S.
radar on its territory as part of a missile defense system to protect
NATO allies from the threat of long range Iranian rockets. As Turkey
refuses to share data with Israel; the radar systems will operate
separately. The system will be integrated with U.S. Navy cruisers
and destroyers equipped with Aegis ballistic missile defense systems.
Turkey faces a challenge with Kurdish Separatists. They want self
determination. Turkey considers this a threat. During WWI, elimination
of Kurdish identity was accomplished by deportations, death marches
and forced Turkification. According to the Journal of Genocide
Research, more than 350,000 Kurds perished. This was similar to the
Armenian marches at the time. Currently about 18% of the population
is Kurdish. The primary Kurdish populations are in Turkey, Iran,
and Iraq, they live around the triangle where the three countries meet.
Kurds carry out ongoing attacks on Turkish military. The conflict
has intensified. On October 20, 2011 an attack at the Turkish Iraqi
border killed at least 24 Turkish soldiers.
President Erdogan said "Whoever in secret or openly supports terrorism,
the breath of the Turkish State will be on their necks."
Turkey responded with attacks involving warplanes, and 10,000 troops
which pursued the militants over the border into Iraq. Erdogan does
not tolerate Kurdish terrorist attacks in Turkey on military targets;
however he condones attacks on innocent Israeli civilians by Hamas
from Gaza.
For decades Turkey was one of the United States' most dependable
allies. Now the region is in turmoil. A void left by declining American
power, is being filled by Erdogan. He challenges America on two
important issues: Iran's nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian
peace process.
Erdogan is building connections throughout the region. He does this
by creating economic integration with roads, railroads, airports,
oil and gas pipelines. For Arabs Erdogan is becoming a regional hero.
Azerbaijan was elected to the non=permanent membership of the UN
Security Council in October 2011. Subsequently, President Ilham
Aliyev and Prime Minister Erdogan have created a Strategic Cooperation
Council between their countries.
Agreements were signed in Izmir between Azerbaijan and Turkey which
remove remaining hurdles to the Southern Gas Corridor. This involved
Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR and the Turkish pipeline company
BOTAS. Energy Ministers from each country signed intergovernmental
agreements on the sale and transportation of Azerbaijani gas to and
through Turkey.
Each day 1500 trucks bring Turkish goods into Iraq. Trade between the
two countries last year was more than $6 billion. It is a huge and
growing export market for Turkey. The Nabucco gas pipeline project is
an $11 billion project that will bring Iraqi gas to Europe through
Turkey. The Turks also have stakes in other oil and gas projects
that all organized in Basra, Iraq. Turkish companies have refurbished
the Sheraton Hotel in Basra and Turkish Air has four flights a week
between Istanbul and Basra. They sell amusement rides and candy and
opened an international Fair Ground organized for Iraq's petroleum
industry. Turkish companies make up 75% of all foreign companies
in Iraq. There are four Turkish Consulates in Iraq.
Erdogan continues a hostile stance towards Israel. He blockades
Armenia and attacks Kurdish rebels. However he faults Israel for the
Gaza blockade and takes the side of Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Erdogan
threatens military action regarding gas fields in the Mediterranean
off the coast of Israel. He backs Lebanon in a dispute of previously
agreed upon maritime borders with the United Nations. Turkish war ships
are off the north coast of Cyprus in an effort to thwart drilling of
discovered gas fields in the area. Turkey maintains 30,000 troops in
Northern Cyprus which Turkey calls Turkish Cyprus, something which
no nation legally acknowledges.
Last month Erdogan went to Egypt for meetings with the top military
leaders seeking strategic alliances and diplomatic ties between Egypt
and Turkey. During this trip he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas. He has also visited Jordan's King Abdullah II. In Istanbul
last week Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan agreed to hold military
drills together.
It is speculated whether Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks the greatness of
the former Ottoman Empire. Perhaps Erdogan believes that he is the
reincarnation of the 16th century Islamist, Suleiman the Magnificent!
Family Security Matters Contributor Darlene Casella was, before her
retirement, an English teacher, a stockbroker, and president/owner
of a small corporation. She lives with her husband in La Quinta,
California, and can be reached at [email protected].
From: A. Papazian