Turkey – All fingers pointing to Washington

You may not want to believe this, but what is so difficult to believe in a country that thrives on military coups, regime change and assassinations of independently elected leaders? Let me put the pieces together to show how it all worked out. Though Erdogan was an ally of the US and Europe, this is what they had said about him as reported by The Telegraph on 16 Jul 16.

 

‘Vengeful, irascible, authoritarian, obdurate. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was all of these things even before a cabal of Turkish generals tried to cast him into oblivion. Now that he has survived their machinations, his worst instincts will be redoubled and reinforced.

If Mr Erdogan was a maddening ally for Europe and America in the past, the leader who has just overcome a military coup will be capable of almost anything. 

In one sense, Mr Erdogan has been vindicated. Before the turmoil began on Friday night, one criticism that he found most infuriating was the charge of paranoia.

Westerners would deride Mr Erdogan’s claims that dark forces were massing to overthrow him and a conspiracy existed within the Turkish state, plotting his downfall.’

With this kind of reputation, how would the West tolerate this man as their ally? Is he dependable or is he a friend of convenience? Didn’t Erdogan’s pilot shot down a Russian fighter and putting the Turkey at the brink of war with Russia to the delight of the West? Should not Erdogan be rewarded for this reckless, unexplainable move? Or was there more than meet the eyes, that the shooting of the Russian aircraft was done without Erdogan’s approval? 

This coup is now shedding more light into this mysterious and very difficult to explain act. Why would Erdogan want to risk a war with the powerful Russians that is a nuclear power?  With the commander of the Turkish Air Base where Americans flew their warplanes arrested as member of the coup, does that ring a bell? Could the fighter aircraft that shot down the Russian jet be American or under the order of the Commander of this Air Base? Was the Commander involved in the shooting down of the Russian aircraft without the approval of Erdogan? What seemed to be a rash act of bravado starts to make sense after this coup.

How did Erdogan defuse the tension with Russia led by Putin, a man that meant serious business, a likely counter attack against Turkish war planes? None of this happened and Putin seemed very lame. Did Erdogan spilled the beans and revealed in secret to Putin that it was a false flag incident and avoided further escalation of the tension with Russia?

Then there was the visit to China and the mysterious application to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in which Russia is a major partner. Erdogan wanting to join the SCO instead of Nato and sit beside Putin? How could these fit into the jigsaw puzzle of the real picture and intent of Erdogan as an ally of the West or as someone straying to join the Russia China camp?

This coup says that the latter is the likely truth, that Erdogan is moving towards the Russo China camp and must be taken out, and here is the coup to get the job done. Erdogan has yet to accuse the US for this coup but asking for the extradition of a cleric called Fethullah Gulen residing in the US in the warm embrace and protection of the Americans.  And the Americans are dragging their feet. This is what John Kerry said in the BBC, ‘that Turkey should "present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny’, in other words, no deal, Fethullah Gulen would not be extradicted, he is friend to the Americans, to Washington, just like the Dalai Lama serving the same role.

This is the first of a series of Freudian slips. Here is another one.  John Kerry ‘strongly rebuked a Turkish minister who suggested Washington was behind the coup. He said "utterly false" insinuations were "harmful to our bilateral relations". Ah, a defensive posture to cover his arse by using bilateral relations to threaten Turkey instead.

Here is another slip by Obama now under pressure when more than 6000 people taking part in the coup were arrested and Erdogan is threatening a cleansing of the security forces. Obama panic and this is what he said to protect the coup leaders and soldiers, no condemnation or punishment.  BBC – ‘US President Barack Obama has joined other world leaders in calling for all parties in Turkey to "act within the rule of law’. Why is Obama sticking his neck out to protect the rebels now charged with treason?  And who are these so called world leaders wanting Erdogan to act within the rule of law? Nato leaders?

And here is what the French Foreign Minister said as quoted by The Independent, ‘French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault raised concerns over Turkey's ability to fight Isis amid growing political instability in the country following the attempted coup against Mr Erdogan’s regime…and Turkey may no longer be a viable partner in the fight against Isis in Syria.’ What did the French Foreign Minister know that made him so sure that Turkey is a gone case, no longer a partner?

And the EU has jumped in, the whole wolf pack is saying the same thing, if Erdogan were to impose the death sentence on the coup leaders and soldiers, Turkey would not be allowed to join the EU. In other words, do not touch the coup leaders and the rebel soldiers.

Erdogan may have won the first round against the coup leaders but his life is in great danger. The mastermind behind the coup leaders, the external powers, would be gunning for his life. They must take down Erdogan, dead or alive if they are hoping for a slim chance for Turkey to stay on the side of the West ‘to fight IS’.  Erdogan must be terminated and a pro West leader be put in place quickly to keep the balance in favour of the West in the war in Syria against Assad.

This coup is a game changer. Erdogan is now on the Russo China camp and Russia would soon be pledging support for Erdogan and Turkey. Another key ally, an unwilling partner of the American and the West has fallen out. The Turks have broken free from the Dark Side.