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"JET SCANDAL" AND ERDOGAN'S RESTLESS AMBITIONS
PanARMENIAN.Net
October 17, 2012
Syria has stuck in Turkey's throat, which spares no effort to wipe
it off the regional map and make it share Libya's fate.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement on the need
to reform the UN over its failure to tackle the situation in Syria
was shortly followed by certain moves. Bypassing the international law
and any legislation whatsoever, Turkey reserved the right to down and
search the planes of third countries heading for Syria. In addition,
this is done openly, without any hints on potential danger for Ankara.
October 17, 2012 PanARMENIAN.Net - The stir over the Russian jet
kept in Ankara airport for 5 hours to be searched on suspicion of
armament and ammunition transportation has just faded away; now Turkey
suspends the Armenian Air Armenia plane carrying humanitarian aid for
the Armenian community in Syria. Actually, the rules were observed in
this case: cargo transportation to Syria requires a permission to fly
over Turkey's airspace. The Air Armenia was granted this permission
only on condition the plane must be downed in a Turkish airport for
cargo search. The plane landed in Erzerum, and was further allowed
to fly to Aleppo after a search.
Syria has stuck in Turkey's throat, which spares no effort to wipe
it off the regional map and make it share Libya's fate: the name has
remained, but there is no such country any more. Still, Syria is no
Libya, and its importance for Ankara is quite significant in view of
the latter's neo-Ottomanism illusions. However, this nut is too hard
for Erdogan to crack, even despite support of the U.S. and NATO.
Nobody is going to join Erdogan in its potential attack against
Damascus now, since the West is currently interested in Iran only.
Meanwhile, there are few willing to fight against Syria in Turkey,
too. Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican
People's Party (CHP) of Turkey says the PM is pushing the country
to war. "Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pushing the country
towards war claiming the lack of democracy in Syria. Does any of
the Near Eastern countries have democracy? Do you think there is
one in Turkey? The militaries, parliament members, journalists and
students are arrested. Do you see any democracy here?" he said. It is
worth noting that Turkey has always faced problems with democracy,
and only the U.S. Secretary of State Clinton could consider Erdogan
to be a democrat. By the way, during her summer African tour Hillary
Clinton even said "Senegal is a democracy model"... So, everything is
ok in Turkey; on October 4, the parliament granted to the government
a one-year mandate for trans-frontier military operations, including
those against Syria.
According to the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey
closed its airspace for Syrian passenger planes in response to the
earlier ban imposed by the Syrian side. ITAR-TASS agency quotes
Davutoglu as saying that the Syrian ban on its airspace is of no
importance for Turkish aviation.
As to earlier statements of Damascus on its readiness to launch an
open dialogue with Ankara, Davutoglu declared: "It does not make any
sense". "Let Assad first find ways to start a dialogue with his own
people," he declared. Such care for the Syrian people voiced by quite
poor foreign minister sounds rather ambiguous.
Even if Erdogan unleashes a war against Syria, it will not yield the
desirable effect, despite all statements on the power of Turkish army.
True, it is second largest NATO army in Europe, but the question is
how strong it is? If we look at the settlement of the Kurdish issue,
it should be stressed that a strong army cannot fight its own people
since 1975. Creation of Great Kurdistan is not far off, and the
potential war, if launched, will depress the rating of the Justice
and Development Party, particularly with the first war toll reports.
All actions in the Near East are being delayed until November 6. Much,
if not everything, depends on the next president of the U.S. If the
U.S. decides on its moves on Iran, the Syrian issue will be actually
settled. However, this is not likely to happen.
Karine Ter-Sahakian
PanARMENIAN.Net
October 17, 2012
Syria has stuck in Turkey's throat, which spares no effort to wipe
it off the regional map and make it share Libya's fate.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement on the need
to reform the UN over its failure to tackle the situation in Syria
was shortly followed by certain moves. Bypassing the international law
and any legislation whatsoever, Turkey reserved the right to down and
search the planes of third countries heading for Syria. In addition,
this is done openly, without any hints on potential danger for Ankara.
October 17, 2012 PanARMENIAN.Net - The stir over the Russian jet
kept in Ankara airport for 5 hours to be searched on suspicion of
armament and ammunition transportation has just faded away; now Turkey
suspends the Armenian Air Armenia plane carrying humanitarian aid for
the Armenian community in Syria. Actually, the rules were observed in
this case: cargo transportation to Syria requires a permission to fly
over Turkey's airspace. The Air Armenia was granted this permission
only on condition the plane must be downed in a Turkish airport for
cargo search. The plane landed in Erzerum, and was further allowed
to fly to Aleppo after a search.
Syria has stuck in Turkey's throat, which spares no effort to wipe
it off the regional map and make it share Libya's fate: the name has
remained, but there is no such country any more. Still, Syria is no
Libya, and its importance for Ankara is quite significant in view of
the latter's neo-Ottomanism illusions. However, this nut is too hard
for Erdogan to crack, even despite support of the U.S. and NATO.
Nobody is going to join Erdogan in its potential attack against
Damascus now, since the West is currently interested in Iran only.
Meanwhile, there are few willing to fight against Syria in Turkey,
too. Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican
People's Party (CHP) of Turkey says the PM is pushing the country
to war. "Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pushing the country
towards war claiming the lack of democracy in Syria. Does any of
the Near Eastern countries have democracy? Do you think there is
one in Turkey? The militaries, parliament members, journalists and
students are arrested. Do you see any democracy here?" he said. It is
worth noting that Turkey has always faced problems with democracy,
and only the U.S. Secretary of State Clinton could consider Erdogan
to be a democrat. By the way, during her summer African tour Hillary
Clinton even said "Senegal is a democracy model"... So, everything is
ok in Turkey; on October 4, the parliament granted to the government
a one-year mandate for trans-frontier military operations, including
those against Syria.
According to the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey
closed its airspace for Syrian passenger planes in response to the
earlier ban imposed by the Syrian side. ITAR-TASS agency quotes
Davutoglu as saying that the Syrian ban on its airspace is of no
importance for Turkish aviation.
As to earlier statements of Damascus on its readiness to launch an
open dialogue with Ankara, Davutoglu declared: "It does not make any
sense". "Let Assad first find ways to start a dialogue with his own
people," he declared. Such care for the Syrian people voiced by quite
poor foreign minister sounds rather ambiguous.
Even if Erdogan unleashes a war against Syria, it will not yield the
desirable effect, despite all statements on the power of Turkish army.
True, it is second largest NATO army in Europe, but the question is
how strong it is? If we look at the settlement of the Kurdish issue,
it should be stressed that a strong army cannot fight its own people
since 1975. Creation of Great Kurdistan is not far off, and the
potential war, if launched, will depress the rating of the Justice
and Development Party, particularly with the first war toll reports.
All actions in the Near East are being delayed until November 6. Much,
if not everything, depends on the next president of the U.S. If the
U.S. decides on its moves on Iran, the Syrian issue will be actually
settled. However, this is not likely to happen.
Karine Ter-Sahakian