Turkey : Part Four

[Exit40]

Erdogan will get fooled again
Pinar Tremblay October 4, 2017
ARTICLE SUMMARY: When things don't go Erdogan's way, he has used the same argument that he was "deceived," but does anyone still believe him?

On Sept. 26, a day after the Kurdish referendum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a harsh speech criticizing Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Erdogan questioned what Barzani possibly could be expecting of this referendum given the fact that he cannot pay his own bureaucrats’ salaries and had to borrow $1.5 million from Turkey. Erdogan was disappointed that Barzani did not even bother to consult with him about this referendum. Erdogan said, “Up until the last minute, we did not expect Barzani to make such a decision [to hold the referendum], but we were wrong. In a time when our relations were at its best, we consider this decision [to be] treachery against our country.” Erdogan also emphasized his doubts about the voter turnout and legitimacy of the results of the referendum, while repeatedly highlighting Israeli meddling for an independent Kurdistan. Erdogan warned attempts at Kurdish independence would harm both Turkish-Israeli and Turkish-KRG relations. Still, he did not utter a word about other Arab countries’ support toward the KRG....

Snips... “Erdogan has been playing victim since the start of his political life. He has cultivated the image of a warm-hearted and trusting person who gets victimized by cunning politicians because of his naivete. His base has bought into this image. Hence, when he says that Gulen, Obama or Barzani tricked him, it resonates with his base....

... One Iraqi businessman who asked to remain anonymous and is heavily invested in Kurdistan told Al-Monitor, “Erdogan now hopes to ally with Baghdad and Tehran, but he has not kept his promises to either one of them....

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**** Rather harsh analysis. ****

God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkish Markets Tumble After Erdogan’s Feud With U.S. Escalates
By Tugce Ozsoy and Selcan Hacaoglu October 8, 2017, 12:16 PM PDT October 9, 2017, 4:20 AM PDT

Turkish Lira Plunges to a Record Low
Markets in Istanbul tumbled after the U.S. and Turkey stopped issuing visas for each other’s citizens in a spat related to last year’s failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, deepening divisions between two NATO members already at odds over the war in Syria.

The Trump administration halted visa services for Turks on Sunday, citing the Oct. 4 arrest of a Turkish citizen employed at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul for alleged involvement in the July 2016 putsch attempt. Erdogan’s government responded in kind within hours, repeating verbatim much of the U.S. statement.

Relations between the two countries have soured since the coup attempt, which Erdogan blames on a self-exiled cleric based in the U.S., Fethullah Gulen. The U.S. has refused Turkey’s request to extradite Gulen, citing lack of evidence. Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul on Monday reiterated Turkish calls to hand him over and urged the Trump administration to reconsider its visa ban, denying media reports that Turkey plans to arrest another U.S. consular employee....

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

US: Turkey visa decision a 'coordinated effort'
'Our ambassadors tend to not do things unilaterally,' State Department spokesperson says
08:56 October 11, 2017 Anadolu Agency

The U.S. Embassy in Turkey has taken the decision to suspend visa services in coordination with the White House and State Department, a spokesperson for the department said Tuesday.

"Our ambassadors tend to not do things unilaterally," Heather Nauert told reporters.

"This was coordinated with the State Department. It was coordinated with the White House and coordinated with the NSC (National Security Council).”

On Sunday, The U.S. announced the suspension of all non-immigrant visa services at U.S. missions in Turkey. The Turkish Embassy in Washington took a similar decision in retaliation....

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Turkey Poised to Roll Into Syria
Oct 7, 2017 | 15:06 GMT

Weeks after Turkish forces started to deploy in large numbers along the border with Syria, adjacent to the province of Idlib, Ankara appears to be on the verge of launching yet another significant military operation into the war-torn country. Unlike Operation Euphrates Shield, which targeted lands occupied by the Islamic State, the upcoming operation into Idlib will be directed toward lands occupied by Syrian rebels. As befitting a convoluted conflict such as Syria, Turkey's advance into Idlib will be assisted by other Syrian rebel groups trained over time by Turkey in neighboring Aleppo province. And according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's latest statements, they will be supported by Russian aviation.

Given that Turkey has for years directly supported rebel factions in Idlib in their fight against Russian- and Iranian-backed loyalist forces, the prospect of Turkish forces advancing into Syria under Russian air cover appears jarring at face value....

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Erdogan’s diplomatic spats leave a trail of Turkish disputes
YESTERDAY by Mehul Srivastava in Istanbul

When Turkish officials were scrambling to resolve an escalating dispute with the US, their Nato ally this month, they had a plan.

They had already been informed that Washington intended to cut off new visa applications inside Turkey, a retaliation for the arrest of an employee just days earlier. In the Turkish foreign ministry, the news set off a flurry of phone calls, both formal and informal conversations with diplomats from the US and other countries.

Top bureaucrats started drafting a measured response, including a statement that was designed to help lower temperatures, while they probed their colleagues in other ministries to see how some of Washington’s demands — which included access to the arrested Turkish foreign service employee, and greater clarity about the charges — could be quietly met.

“If handled properly, this could have been a small, one-week mini-crisis,” said a person involved, who asked not to be identified discussing official matters....

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God Bless

David

[Exit40]

Erdogan says US cannot be 'civilized country'
Turkish president criticizes Donald Trump's policy regarding Muslims
ISTANBUL, TURKEY 21.10.2017 By Burcu Arik & Fatma Bulbul

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday the U.S. could not be called a civilized country.

"What do they call America? The cradle of democracy. Such a thing cannot be a democracy and its name cannot be democracy," he said at the Civilizations Forum at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul.

"If America issues arrest warrants for my 13 bodyguards in a country where I went upon invitation, I'm sorry, but I will not say that country is civilized," Erdogan said at the Civilizations Forum at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul....

Snip... "Muslims in America are facing expulsion so it means there is a problem in the country," he said, adding he had doubts on Trump's ability to "judge" a civilization....

Continues

God Bless

David