Turkey : Part Four

by **Exit40** on Thu May 04, 2017 7:43 am

Time to move along into Part Four.

Greek Orthodox Bishop Calls on Turkey's Erdogan to Convert or Face 'Unending Hell' With Muhammed
Michael W. Chapman By Michael W. Chapman | May 3, 2017 | 3:18 PM EDT

The Greek Orthodox bishop, Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, sent a lengthy letter to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he detailed some of the differences between Christianity and Islam and called on Erdogan to convert to Orthodoxy or face "eternal and unending" suffering in Hell, along with Muhammed and his followers.

In the letter, Metropolitan Seraphim criticizes Islam and says Muhammed was a "false prophet" and that the Quran is not a "holy" or "sacred" book. He presents examples of where the Quran uses material from the Bible and other religious texts, and he also discusses some of the more controversial aspects of Muhammed's life, including that one of his wives, Aisha, was only nine-years-old when she married the prophet....

Snip ... Metropolitan Seraphim further advises Erdogan to be instructed and then baptized in the Orthodox church and to ask his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, to be his godfather. ...

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Fri May 05, 2017 9:33 am

Egyptian daily falsely accuses Turkey of 'selling out' Palestinian cause at UNESCO
ANADOLU AGENCY ANKARA Published 17 hours ago

An Egyptian daily has published baseless claims that Turkey had abstained from voting earlier this week on a UNESCO resolution describing Jerusalem as "occupied" by Israel.

Egypt's pro-regime Al-Youm al-Sabea newspaper reported Wednesday that Turkey had "sold out" Palestine by abstaining from the vote in order to maintain trade ties with Israel.

A Turkish diplomatic source, however, brushed aside the report, saying Turkey did not have the right to take part in the vote since it had not been a member of UNESCO's executive board -- the body that adopted the resolution -- since 2005....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Mon May 08, 2017 5:27 am

U.S. reviews Syria safe zones but warns 'devil's in the details'
By Phil Stewart | COPENHAGEN

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday the United States would closely examine proposed de-escalation zones aimed at easing Syria's civil war but warned "the devil's in the details" and that much needed to be worked out.

The deal to create "de-escalation" zones in the major areas of conflict in western Syria took effect on Saturday.

The initiative was proposed by Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, with the support of Turkey, which backs the opposition. Iran, Assad's other major ally, also backed it.

Political and armed opposition groups have rejected the proposal, saying Russia has been unwilling or unable to get Assad and his Iranian-backed militia allies to respect past ceasefires....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Mon May 08, 2017 5:44 am

Justice Minister in US over Gülen’s extradition demand
ANKARA Monday,May 8 2017, Your time is 5:34:43 AM

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ is set to hold a meeting with U.S. counterpart to discuss the extradition and provisional arrest of Pennsylvania-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, accused of masterminding the July 2016 coup attempt.

Prior to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit scheduled to be held between May 15 and 17, Bozdağ departed to the U.S. to discuss the details of Ankara’s demand for the extradition of Gülen on May 7.

“The subject of our meeting will be the provisional arrest of the terrorist head Fethullah Gülen and his extradition. We will eventually take them from where they are placed and bring them to Turkey to deliver them to the Turkish judiciary,” Bozdağ said on May 6 in the Central Anatolian province of Yozgat.

“Some of the prosecutors who are assigned to these files will accompany me in the visit and there will also be some technical meetings,” he added....

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God Bless

David

by **Douggg** on Mon May 08, 2017 6:19 pm

Exit40 wrote:Time to move along into Part Four.

Just as a personal comment, I have never liked that term "convert". I prefer to use the word "become", because it is only by personal prayer to God that a person can become a Christian.

In other religions, such as Judaism, there is a formal conversion process to become a Jew. In Islam there is a confessional statement. But those are not by personal prayer to God. Be so thankful for being a Christian, that the Holy Spirit lead you to salvation in Christ. And lives in you forever.

When Catholics and I guess Orthodox say convert, I think they mean converting to their "church".

by **Exit40** on Tue May 09, 2017 6:38 am

Douggg wrote:Just as a personal comment, I have never liked that term "convert". I prefer to use the word "become", because it is only by personal prayer to God that a person can become a Christian.

In other religions, such as Judaism, there is a formal conversion process to become a Jew. In Islam there is a confessional statement. But those are not by personal prayer to God. Be so thankful for being a Christian, that the Holy Spirit lead you to salvation in Christ. And lives in you forever.

When Catholics and I guess Orthodox say convert, I think they mean converting to their "church".

Hi Doug. Good to hear from you. I agree, especially in this case. The Bishop in this case seems more intent on insulting the president than worrying about his soul. While I agree on what is to happen if there is no conversion/becoming, we have yet to see the full extent of the presidents desire for power, which he supposes his own religion grants him.

God Bless You

David

PS. Oh, fixed that link too.

by **Exit40** on Tue May 09, 2017 7:03 am

Erdogan calls on Muslims to flood Jerusalem's iconic mosque and protect its Islamic identity
The Turkish president compared Israel's policies to South Africa's Apartheid system.
By Vasudevan Sridharan Updated May 9, 2017 14:39 BST

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Muslims around the world to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to protect the site's Islamic identity. The Turkish leader also took the opportunity to heap scorn on Israel, likening the country's policies to South Africa's Apartheid era.

Speaking in Istanbul at a charity conference discussing Palestinian economic development, Erdogan lashed out at Israel regarding its settlement plans in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

"We, as Muslims, should be visiting Al-Quds more often," Erdogan said, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem. "Each day that Jerusalem is under occupation is an insult to us."

As many as 26,000 Turks visited the Temple Mount, or Noble Sanctuary, in 2016. However, Erdogan emphasised "hundreds of thousands" should be visiting the site, which is considered holy by Muslims. "[It] would be the greatest support to our brothers there," he said.

"Al-Quds is holy for all three divine religions. It is the heart and summary of all human history.

"Both in terms of our religion and historical responsibility, Al-Quds and the fight of our Palestinian brothers for rights and justice is of great importance to us. We will keep making efforts for Quds to turn into a city of peace."...

Snip ... "Here is the only solution. The establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital along the lines of 1967," said Erdogan, according to Anadolu....

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**** Here we go again, he is speaking in absolutes, as if his is the only correct opinion. D. ****

God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Tue May 09, 2017 7:11 am

Israel slams Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Jerusalem remarks, says 'rights violator' can't preach morality
May, 09 2017 16:27:49 IST

Jerusalem: Israel lashed out at "serial human rights violator" Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the Turkish president on Tuesday accused the Jewish state of apartheid practices in seeking to infringe Muslim practices. "Whoever systematically violates human rights in their own country should not preach morality to the only true democracy in the region," said Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon. "Israel consistently protects total freedom of worship for Jews, Muslims and Christians — and will continue to do so despite the baseless smears launched against it," he said in a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday, Erdogan had vowed to prevent a draft bill being advanced in Israel that would prevent the use of speakers mounted on minarets to summon Muslims for prayer overnight.

The bill, which was approved by ministers in February but has yet to be adopted by parliament, would apply to mosques in Israel as well as annexed Arab east Jerusalem, but not to the highly sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site....

Snip ... The Turkish president also spoke out against the possibility of moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, warning that even "relocating a stone" in the Holy City could have serious implications....

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**** He acts like he owns it. As the presumed caliph of the neo Ottoman empire, and according to islamic rules and law, he does. Jerusalem will become a burdensome stone, to all those who concern themselves with it. D. ****

God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 10, 2017 6:26 am

Turkish Officials Assail U.S. Decision to Arm Syrian Kurds
By ANNE BARNARD and PATRICK KINGSLEY MAY 10, 2017

ANTAKYA, Turkey — The Turkish prime minister and foreign minister denounced the Trump administration’s decision to arm a Syrian Kurdish militant group to aid in the battle against the Islamic State, in criticism on Wednesday that was not unexpected but was nonetheless striking, coming from a NATO ally.

The militant group, the People’s Protection Units, known by the Kurdish abbreviation Y.P.G., is fighting alongside Syrian Arab forces against the Islamic State. But Turkey considers it a terrorist organization and asserts that it is closely linked to the P.K.K., a Kurdish separatist group that has waged an insurgency against the Turkish government.

“It is not possible for us to accept an initiative that would mean direct or indirect help to P.K.K.,” Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters in Ankara, the Turkish capital, before leaving for a trip to Britain....

Snip ... Asked about the complaints, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis played down the disagreement with Turkey, a NATO ally.

“We’ll work out any of the concerns,” Mr. Mattis told reporters in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he was meeting with other NATO defense ministers. “I’m not concerned at all about the NATO alliance and the relations between our nations. It’s not always tidy, but we work out the issues.”...

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 10, 2017 6:44 am

Israel, claims Jerusalem is under 'occupation'
Published May 09, 2017 Fox News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sparked anger from Israel on Monday with a string of critical remarks -- including his claim that Jerusalem remains under Israeli “occupation.”

"Both in terms of our religion and historical responsibility, Al-Quds and the fight of our Palestinian brothers for rights and justice is of great importance to us. We will keep making efforts for Al-Quds to turn into a city of peace," Erdogan said in Istanbul, Newsweek reported. Erdogan referred to Jerusalem as Al-Quds, which means “the holy one” in Arabic.

He also urged Muslims to support the Palestinian cause and compared Israeli moves against Palestinians to those of South Africa under Apartheid.

Israeli officials replied to Erdogan’s comments by labeling him a “serial human rights violator.”...

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 10, 2017 7:00 am

What's behind curious gold traffic between Turkey and UAE?
May 9, 2017

ANKARA, Turkey — While Turkey’s foreign exchange reserves are melting fast, its gold reserves have increased by 50 tons since the beginning of the year. An intriguing pattern, meanwhile, has emerged in Turkey’s gold trade with the United Arab Emirates, bringing to mind the oil-for-gold scheme with Iran that is still haunting Ankara.

eza Zarrab, who is accused of being the key figure running the scheme to circumvent US sanctions on the Islamic Republic, was arrested in the United States last year. In March, another high-profile figure — Mehmet Hakan Atilla, deputy president of Turkey’s public bank Halkbank — landed behind bars during a trip to New York on charges of colluding with Zarrab and facilitating his financial transactions.

Now the gold controversy is back on Turkey’s economic agenda yet again. The gold traffic between Turkey and the UAE is especially striking, with export and import figures raising myriad questions....

Snip ... According to TUIK figures from March, the UAE has become the second biggest buyer of Turkish exports after Germany. Yet why similar shipments of gold are coming and going between the two countries and who gains what from such exchanges requires explanation. One cannot help but wonder whether this curious form of trade may result in another “Zarrab case” or a corruption scandal similar to the one in 2013.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... z4ggUZppfK

God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 10, 2017 7:09 am

Turkish Prosecutors Demand over 3,600 Life Sentences for Erdogan Arch-Nemesis Gulen

A picture taken on August 2, 2016 shows a picture of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen set up on a dummy at the Kizilay Square in front of a Turkish national flag in Ankara during a protest against the failed military coup, on August 2, 2016. Erdogan said on August 2, 2016 last month's attempted coup was a scenario drawn up from outside Turkey, in an allusion to possible foreign involvement in the plot. Erdogan, who blames the plot on the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, also described the coup as a 'scenario written from outside' in an allusion to foreign involvement. / AFP / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images
by FRANCES MARTEL9 May 20171

The Turkish government is seeking over 3,600 life sentences, nearly 3,000 additional years in prison, and a 2.2 million-day additional sentence for Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric exiled in the United States who Ankara blames for the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Gulen, the head of an Islamic movement known as “hizmet,” runs a chain of charter schools internationally from his home in Pennsylvania. The charter schools have come under FBI investigation for financial improprieties, but the United States has not accused Gulen of radical Islamic or cultish activities, as Turkey has. Gulen himself has denied any involvement with the coup attempt.

The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet notes that the Turkish government identifies “hizmet” as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), and has charged Gulen with running the terrorist organization, organizing the coup, and being responsible for the death of 249 people and injury of thousands more....

Contineus

God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 10, 2017 7:24 am

Odds appear stacked against success of Erdogan-Trump meeting
May 9, 2017

Omens for the long-awaited meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Donald Trump at the White House on May 16 do not bode well. Despite the smiles both leaders will no doubt have for the cameras, all the signs are that their talks will be tough.

There is no indication that issues that have strained ties will be resolved with this visit. Erdogan’s closest advisers are also pessimistic about a successful outcome, while some observers argue that this could be the “make-or-break moment” for Turkish-US ties.

Erdogan’s delight when Trump turned out to be the only Western leader congratulating him on his recent referendum victory — which effectively makes Erdogan Turkey’s unquestioned leader — could, therefore, turn out to be short-lived.

Erdogan will travel to Washington with demands that are non-negotiable, leaving little room for diplomatic maneuvering. He has not only given advance notice of his intentions, but he has also sent personal adviser Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkish Intelligence Hakan Fidan, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag to prepare the groundwork.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... z4ggaLrEsQ

God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Mon May 15, 2017 6:26 am

Standing Against ‘Strong Man’ Rule: An Opportunity for Trump with Erdogan’s Turkey
Ahmet S. Yayla, Ph.D. BY AHMET S. YAYLA, PH.D. MAY 13, 2017

P resident Trump’s planned meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 16 could be definitive for the career of both leaders. The controversial Turkish leader badly needs a deal to evade criminal charges, and he faces reelection in two years, but there is no assurance he would win it.
The key to understanding Erdogan’s crisis is to learn about his dozens of underhanded deals he has made over the years with the Mullah regime in Tehran.

Even while the White House mulls whether to list the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, Turkey was funneling billions in payments to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, thereby helping Iran to defeat UN sanctions, and thus acting as the middleman for Iran’s oil exports. There was everything to like for the Erdogan family, primarily the Erdogan family gold-for-oil scheme. Erdogan knowingly and willingly assisted and supported Iran and transferred funds which were used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to shore up the regime of Bashar Asaad in Syria and to further their terrorist activities in the region. Erdogan and his family members are expected to be the prime persons of interest during the trial of Mr. Rezza Zarrab, a Turkish-Iranian trader who is accused of being the go-between for Tehran and Erdogan. Zarrab was arrested on March 19, 2016, and has been held in a New York jail. He was joined by Mr. Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the Deputy CEO of Halkbank, on March 18, 2017, who is suspected of serving as an accomplice.

As expected, Zarrab’s attorneys have been trying to delay the hearings, which they successfully rescheduled to August 21, 2017. Zarrab and now Atilla are expected to testify after the hearings start in August, most probably against Erdogan to save themselves, and how they received direct orders, support, and backing from him to break the sanctions regime against Iran....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Tue May 16, 2017 4:30 am

Turkey brings back Ottoman sports to revive past glory
By AFP Published: May 16, 2017

ISTANBUL: Brandishing their javelins and letting out a bloodcurdling war cry, the Ottoman horsemen charge at a thunderous gallop. Suddenly one is hit and thrown from his horse – making dozens of children gasp as they film the scene on their smartphones.

It may be 2017, but Istanbul rolled back the years last weekend with the Ethnic Sports Cultural Festival [EKF], which aims to promote the sports practised by modern Turks’ ancestors – from the nomadic horsemen of Central Asia to the Janissaries, the elite troops of the Ottoman empire.

More than 800 athletes took part in traditional sports from Anatolia and Central Asia which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government wants to develop to celebrate the glory days of Turkey’s past. The cavalry were taking part in ‘cirit’, a riding sport created in Central Asia in which riders throw wooden javelins at the opposing team’s horsemen. “This is the king of sports, it embodies the Turkish spirit,” said Erdem, 32, after dismounting....

Snip... “Some people may not realise the importance of what we are doing here today, but we will reap the fruits one day,” Bilal Erdogan said during his opening speech. “And God willing, the 21st century will be ours.”...

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Tue May 16, 2017 4:40 am

Lobbying war rages over Turkish exile
BY MEGAN R. WILSON - 05/16/17 06:00 AM EDT 3

A high-stakes lobbying and public relations battle is being waged between the government of Turkey and a single man, Fethullah Gulen.

The country has targeted Gulen, a roughly 76-year-old Turkish-born religious leader living in self-exile in rural Pennsylvania, for more than two decades.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is likely to raise the topic of Gulen’s status when he visits President Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Erdogan blames Gulen for a failed coup last summer and wants him extradited to Turkey.

Both sides in the battle claim they are being outgunned.

Turkey, a NATO member country, has expansive resources and intelligence capabilities and spends millions of dollars on lobbying and consulting in the United States....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 17, 2017 7:06 am

'Erdoğan's bodyguards' in violent clash with protesters in Washington DC
Nine people hurt and two arrests made during the altercation at the Turkish ambassador’s residence in the US capital

Guardian staff and agencies
Wednesday 17 May 2017 08.10 EDT First published on Tuesday 16 May 2017 22.54 EDT

Nine people were hurt and two arrests were made during an altercation at the Turkish ambassador’s residence in the US capital during a visit by Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

According to witnesses, a brawl erupted when Erdoğan’s security detail attacked protesters carrying the flag of the Kurdish PYD party outside the residence. A local NBC television affiliate reported Erdoğan was inside the building at the time.

Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said the altercation broke out between two groups but he didn’t elaborate on the circumstances. He said two people were arrested, including one who was charged with assaulting a police officer.

“All of the sudden they just ran towards us,” Yazidi Kurd demonstrator Lucy Usoyan told ABC, adding that she was attacked by a pro-Erdoğan supporter....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 17, 2017 7:19 am

Despite sharp differences, Trump and Erdogan clasp hands after cozy meeting
By CONOR FINNEGANMay 16, 2017, 8:29 PM ET

President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan showered each other with praise after a series of meetings at the White House Tuesday, but they made little progress to deal with their sharp differences on issues like terrorism and Syria.

According to a readout provided by the White House Tuesday night, the leaders discussed "how to further strengthen the deep and diverse relationship between our two countries. President Trump reiterated the commitment of the United States to the security of our NATO ally Turkey and the need to work together to confront terrorism in all its forms."

They promised renewed economic ties and lionized each other’s militaries for their efforts against ISIS. But underneath the talk of “a new era,” a deep fissure remains over the Trump administration’s decision to directly arm a Kurdish rebel group in Syria that Turkey labels a terrorist organization.

Seen as the most effective group in the fight against ISIS, the YPG is part of the broader Syrian Democratic Forces, a multi-ethnic force that is backed by the U.S. and its coalition. The Pentagon is now selling the YPG weapons like heavy machine guns, mortars and armored vehicles as it advances on ISIS’ self-declared capital of Raqqa.

Erdogan again raised his country’s vehement opposition....

Snip... Trump also raised the issue of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor that the U.S. has been pressing to be released. The White House readout said the president discussed "the incarceration of Pastor Andrew Brunson and asked that the Turkish Government expeditiously return him to the United States."...

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 17, 2017 7:34 am

Who’s responsible for the break in US-Turkey relations?
Michael Rubin May 16, 2017 11:39 am

It’s easy to look at today’s meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the make-or-break moment in US-Turkey relations. After all, the bilateral relationship has been on life-support for almost a year, hobbled by Turkish frustration both at the US refusal to extradite Fethullah Gülen, a US-based Turkish theologian whom Erdogan blames for last summer’s abortive coup and US military support for Syria’s Kurds.

In the Trump White House, while anything can happen, it seems unlikely Erdogan will leave a happy man. Unlike its Turkish counterpart, the US judiciary is independent; Trump cannot simply order Gülen’s extradition and expect it to occur instantly, especially in the absence of credible evidence. And while Trump is transactional, a dispassionate look at the recent balance sheet will reinforce the attractiveness of a US-Kurdish alliance.

Many diplomats and lobbyists may argue for a return to the type of US-Turkish partnership which promoted stability during the Cold War and in the decade after, but that is unlikely. As polarizing a figure as Trump may be, responsibility for Turkey’s coming break with the United States will rest solely with Ankara. While American diplomats have long bent over backwards to assuage Turkey and downplay difference and while initially there was enough blame to go around, anti-American incitement has since become a staple in the Turkish media and popular culture with Erdogan fanning the flames....

Contineus

God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Fri May 19, 2017 7:31 am

In Video, Erdogan Watches as His Guards Clash With Protesters
By NICHOLAS FANDOSMAY 18, 2017

WASHINGTON — New video surfaced on Thursday that shows President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey looking on as armed members of his security team violently charge a group of protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence here.

The Voice of America’s Turkish Service posted the video on its Twitter account with a brief description in Turkish.

The confrontation on Tuesday came after President Trump had welcomed Mr. Erdogan to the White House and praised him as a stalwart ally in the battle against Islamic extremism. Mr. Trump did not speak of Mr. Erdogan’s authoritarian crackdown on his own people.

It is unclear if Mr. Erdogan, who is seen in the video sitting in a black Mercedes sedan, communicated with the would-be assailants. An aide can be seen leaning into the car, then speaking to another aide who walks toward the group of supporters and out of the range of the camera.

Seconds later, members of the group run toward and confront the protesters. The second aide then returns to the president’s car as Mr. Erdogan exits and enters the residence....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Fri May 19, 2017 7:33 am

Turkey wants US envoy to leave
Thursday 18th May , 2017 3:07 pm

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has accused a senior US diplomat of backing Kurdish militants and said he should be sent home.

He said Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the coalition against so-called Islamic State, was “definitely” supporting the YPG in Syria and the separatist PKK.

The minister was in Washington with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met US President Donald Trump.
Tensions were high after Mr Trump said he would arm the Syrian Kurds.

Turkey sees the YPG (Popular Protection Units) as a terrorist group linked to the PKK, which has been fighting inside Turkey since the 1980s. But last week the Pentagon said it was directly arming YPG fighters as they moved towards IS’s Syrian stronghold of Raqqa....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Fri May 19, 2017 7:43 am

Turkey says will ‘not beg’ Germany to stay at NATO base
ANKARA Friday,May 19 2017, Your time is 7:38:54 AM

Turkey’s top diplomat has hit back at German plans to pull its troops out of a key NATO base on its soil, saying on May 18 that it would “not beg” them to stay.

Ankara and Berlin are locked in another spat over Turkey’s refusal to allow German lawmakers to visit the İncirlik base near Syria, which is used by the international coalition fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Germany warned earlier this week that it could move its troops elsewhere, with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel accusing Turkey of “blackmail.”

“It is up to them, we will not beg them,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu told broadcaster NTV, saying Ankara was not blackmailing Germany.

Germany has about 250 military personnel stationed at the base in southern Turkey that fly Tornado surveillance missions over Syria and refueling flights for partner nations battling ISIL jihadists.

Chancellor Angela Merkel on May 15 described Turkey’s position as “unfortunate,” saying that Germany, while continuing talks to resolve the issue, would also look for alternatives, including in Jordan....

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**** Turkey's behaviors suggest a belligerence that only comes from a tyrannical type leadership. One has to wonder who they have not angered, and what will come next from them. D ****

God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Mon May 22, 2017 5:35 am

Erdogan Says He Will Extend His Sweeping Rule Over Turkey
By PATRICK KINGSLEYMAY 21, 2017

ISTANBUL — In a signal that Turkey faces indefinite rule by decree, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday that a state of emergency, introduced as a temporary measure after last year’s failed coup, would continue until the country achieved “welfare and peace.”

The state of emergency allows Mr. Erdogan and his cabinet to issue sweeping decrees without parliamentary oversight or review by the constitutional court, giving him an almost untrammeled grip on power.

So far, the decrees have allowed Mr. Erdogan to jail more than 40,000 people accused of plotting a failed coup, fire or suspend more than 140,000 additional people, shut down about 1,500 civil groups, arrest at least 120 journalists and close more than 150 news media outlets....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Tue May 23, 2017 5:47 am

Turkey condemns U.S. over ‘aggressive’ acts against Erdogan’s guards during D.C. visit
By Kareem Fahim May 22 at 7:20 PM

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s Foreign Ministry lodged a formal protest Monday with the U.S. ambassador over “aggressive” actions by American security personnel during a visit to Washington last week by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that was marred by a violent clash between Turkish guards and protesters.

The summoning of the ambassador, John Bass, sharply escalated a diplomatic rift between Turkey and the United States following the violence. Footage of the brawl was widely circulated on social media, prompting outrage in the United States, along with calls for the prosecution of the Turkish guards and even the expulsion of Turkey’s ambassador to Washington.

American and Turkish officials have provided directly contrasting versions of how the violence unfolded. Local police said the Turkish guards savagely attacked a peaceful protest outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence as Erdogan was visiting. Footage of the melee showed what appeared to be Turkish security guards kicking and choking protesters as police struggled to contain the unrest. It also showed Erdogan watching, from a distance, as the fighting raged.

Snip... Turkey’s ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kilic, used his speech at the conference luncheon to defend his country’s actions. “Differences of opinion are natural among two allies,” he said, but added: “There is a big difference between freedom of expression and expression of solidarity with terrorists and terrorism. It was disappointing to see friends of PKK on the streets of Washington, D.C.”...

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 24, 2017 6:53 am

NATO breaks partnership deadlock over Turkey-Austria dispute
EURACTIV.com with AFP May 23, 2017

NATO reached a deal yesterday (23 May) to unblock partnerships with around 40 non-member countries which had been paralysed by a dispute between Turkey and Austria, officials said.

Turkey, with the second-biggest military in NATO, had vetoed all cooperation with neutral Austria after Vienna called for the European Union to halt membership talks with Ankara.

That, in turn, blocked the whole partnership programme with dozens of other non-NATO countries covering most of Europe, including many countries in the Middle East and Asia....

Snip... Partner countries do not sign up to the NATO collective defence commitment, but the agreements are seen as an important political signal, for example in countries such as Georgia and Ukraine locked in bitter disputes with their Soviet-era master Russia....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Thu May 25, 2017 6:45 am

EU cannot treat Turkey like a beggar: President Erdoğan
Sevil Erkuş - ANKARA Thursday,May 25 2017, Your time is 6:39:00 AM

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will meet European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on May 25 on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels, as they bid to calm recent bilateral strife and inject some positivity into the ties.

The EU cannot perceive Turkey as a beggar at its door but should instead decide on the union’s future perspective with regards to its membership, Erdoğan said.

“We don’t aim to break away from the EU, but the EU shall take its responsibilities, too. The EU cannot see Turkey [as] a beggar. It does not have such a right... that’s what we’ll tell them,” Erdoğan told reporters before he departed for Brussels on May 24.

Erdoğan said he would ask EU officials about their vision regarding Turkey’s membership in the union, noting that the bloc appeared to favor Turkey’s “withdrawal from the negotiation talks of its own accord.”

“We say that if you have that [opinion], you make the decision. We won’t make the job more difficult,” he said....

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God Bless

David

by **kirthril** on Fri May 26, 2017 8:51 am

Exit40 wrote:Turkey condemns U.S. over ‘aggressive’ acts against Erdogan’s guards during D.C. visit
By Kareem Fahim May 22 at 7:20 PM

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s Foreign Ministry lodged a formal protest Monday with the U.S. ambassador over “aggressive” actions by American security personnel during a visit to Washington last week by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that was marred by a violent clash between Turkish guards and protesters.

The summoning of the ambassador, John Bass, sharply escalated a diplomatic rift between Turkey and the United States following the violence. Footage of the brawl was widely circulated on social media, prompting outrage in the United States, along with calls for the prosecution of the Turkish guards and even the expulsion of Turkey’s ambassador to Washington.

American and Turkish officials have provided directly contrasting versions of how the violence unfolded. Local police said the Turkish guards savagely attacked a peaceful protest outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence as Erdogan was visiting. Footage of the melee showed what appeared to be Turkish security guards kicking and choking protesters as police struggled to contain the unrest. It also showed Erdogan watching, from a distance, as the fighting raged.

Snip... Turkey’s ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kilic, used his speech at the conference luncheon to defend his country’s actions. “Differences of opinion are natural among two allies,” he said, but added: “There is a big difference between freedom of expression and expression of solidarity with terrorists and terrorism. It was disappointing to see friends of PKK on the streets of Washington, D.C.”...

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God Bless

David

really.... :roll:

by **kirthril** on Fri May 26, 2017 8:54 am

Exit40 wrote:Erdogan Says He Will Extend His Sweeping Rule Over Turkey
By PATRICK KINGSLEYMAY 21, 2017

ISTANBUL — In a signal that Turkey faces indefinite rule by decree, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday that a state of emergency, introduced as a temporary measure after last year’s failed coup, would continue until the country achieved “welfare and peace.”

The state of emergency allows Mr. Erdogan and his cabinet to issue sweeping decrees without parliamentary oversight or review by the constitutional court, giving him an almost untrammeled grip on power.

So far, the decrees have allowed Mr. Erdogan to jail more than 40,000 people accused of plotting a failed coup, fire or suspend more than 140,000 additional people, shut down about 1,500 civil groups, arrest at least 120 journalists and close more than 150 news media outlets....

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God Bless

David

So this officially makes him a dictator until the 2019 elections right? What I say goes, no one can block it?

by **Exit40** on Sat May 27, 2017 6:20 am

kirthril wrote:So this officially makes him a dictator until the 2019 elections right? What I say goes, no one can block it?

That and being elected leader of the dominant Parliament party the AKP. He effectively has personal control of the Military, Judicial, and Parliamentarian levers of govt, as well as conditional support of the media. Anyone who doesn't support him risks being labeled a terrorist. This includes people in different nations, both leaders and individuals. Look at how he responds to the coalition against terror, which is led by the US, in their support of the PYD in Syria. He considers them to be affiliated with the PKK, thus coalition support is supporting terrorism. Although he takes steps to control Iran, he does not label them as terrorists. Why ? See Ezekiel 38/39 for that answer. ( We all pretty much know this ).

God Bless You

David

PS. I enjoy reading your posts Kirthril. I find I mostly agree with you.

by **Exit40** on Sat May 27, 2017 6:39 am

$25 MILLION OIL TANKER GIFTED TO ERDOGAN’S FAMILY IS JUST ONE OF MANY REVELATIONS IN THE MALTA FILES
Andrew Fishman May 26 2017, 3:21 p.m.

WHAT’S THE PERFECT GIFT for a world leader who has everything? How about secretly buying a $25 million oil tanker for his family? That’s what Azeri billionaire Mübariz Mansimov did for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the increasingly authoritarian Turkish president, back in 2008. The discovery, published Friday by the Black Sea, El Mundo and other outlets, is the result of a monthslong project by the European Investigative Collaboration network.

Mansimov became a Turkish citizen two years earlier and adopted a Turkish name, Mübariz Gurbanoglu, allegedly at Erdogan’s suggestion. After the deal was struck, his business dealings in Turkey took off, including lucrative contracts with state firms.

Mansimov is also “a friend” of Donald Trump and attended his presidential inauguration. “When the 39 floors of residential and office block Trump Towers opened in Istanbul in 2009, Mansimov was the first customer — buying eight apartments,
including the penthouse,” according to the Black Sea....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Mon May 29, 2017 6:05 am

Turkish president celebrates conquest of Istanbul
Mon 29 May 2017 05:37 GMT | -2:37 Local Time

The Turkish president marked the 564th anniversary of Istanbul's conquest by an Ottoman sultan on Sunday.

In a statement to mark the anniversary of the conquest by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “Istanbul, which had been a capital for different states and cultures since its foundation, has become the center of peaceful coexistence and tolerance under the fair rule of Fatih Sultan Mehmed [also known as Mehmed the Conqueror].”

“The conquest of Istanbul, which is regarded as one of the most important milestones of world history in terms of its social, cultural and political consequences, is a victory full of lessons for us and for all humanity,” Erdogan said, according to Anadolu Agency.

In addition, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim issued a statement to mark the anniversary of Istanbul's conquest.
“The conquest of Istanbul has set a new direction for the world history in terms of political, social and cultural consequences,” Yildirim said.

Speaking at the 564th anniversary event of Istanbul's conquest by an Ottoman sultan on Sunday in Istanbul, Erdogan said Istanbul was the outline of Turkey....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Mon May 29, 2017 6:09 am

Turkey, EU agree on 12-month calendar in accession bid
Fikret Bila - ANKARA Monday,May 29 2017, Your time is 5:50:41 AM

Turkey and the European Union have agreed on a 12-month calendar on the future of Turkey’s accession bid, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on May 25 while returning to Turkey from meetings with the bloc’s top executives and leaders of the European powerhouses.

The EU conducted some studies before the meetings, Erdoğan told journalists.

“We got a 12-month calendar from them about the studies they made. We will make a study on this calendar with the Foreign Ministry and the EU Ministry,” the president said.

In long-anticipated gatherings, Erdoğan met Council of Europe President Donald Tusk and European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker before a NATO summit in the Belgian capital on May 25.

The president also had separate meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May at a time when ties between Turkey and the bloc have become strained....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Wed May 31, 2017 6:55 am

Turkish Government Conspiracy Theory: Gulen Tied to CIA, Other ‘Intelligence Agencies’
by FRANCES MARTEL30 May 2017

Turkish government agencies are competing with each other to most ardently accuse Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen of sowing chaos throughout Turkey’s infrastructure. The latest salvo in the contest comes from the National Intelligence Agency (MİT), which released a report this week claiming Gulen has forged ties with “intelligence agencies” that include the CIA.

Fethullah Gulen is the head of the Hizmet Islamic movement and runs a network of charter schools internationally, including dozens in the United States. Gulen resides in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen of orchestrating the failed coup against Erdogan in July 2016.

The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported Tuesday that the MIT published a new report concluding that “the spying techniques used by Gülenists in collecting intelligence through illegal wiretapping and other secret means suggest they were operating with the cooperation of multiple secret services under strong foreign support.” Hurriyet notes that the MIT failed to positively identify any specific agencies that are conspiring with Gulen’s Hizmet movement (or, as Turkey calls it, the Fethullah Terrorist Organization – FETO), but insinuates that the CIA and Israeli officials are among the conspirators. The newspaper also mentions “Germany, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and some other European countries” as prime suspects, most on the same list of countries Erdogan condemned for not allowing rallies supporting him during this year’s national referendum on establishing a presidential system....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Thu Jun 01, 2017 6:13 am

TURKEY GROWS FURTHER FROM EUROPE AS EU NATIONS CHANGE NATO MEETING LOCATION
BY TOM O'CONNOR ON 5/31/17 AT 3:29 PM

A number of European nations have expressed staunch opposition toward fellow NATO member Turkey's bid to host a gathering for the Western military alliance next year, according to high-ranking officials cited Wednesday in German media.

Turkey, which is also attempting to join the EU, has expressed its desire to host the 2018 NATO summit, but it has found itself at odds with other European nations over its increasingly authoritarian politics and diplomatic spats with other countries. Though European partners informally agreed to let the NATO meeting take place in Istanbul during a separate gathering in Warsaw in 2016, according to Politico Europe, German newspaper Die Welt quoted a top NATO official as saying a group of at least 18 EU nations led by Germany, France, the Netherlands and Denmark, as well as Canada, would veto such a motion and opt for a summit in Belgium instead....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Mon Jun 05, 2017 7:27 am

German Alliance With Turkey Cracks as Gabriel Snubbed in Ankara
by Firat Kozok and Benjamin Harvey
June 5, 2017, 5:34 AM PDT

Germany’s foreign minister was set to return from a visit to Turkey on Monday with nothing but increased ill will, after talks failed to resolve disputes that have damaged relations between the NATO allies.

Turkey will continue to block German officials from visiting their country’s troops at Incirlik, Turkey’s main NATO base near the Syrian border, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a press conference in Ankara following his meeting with visiting counterpart Sigmar Gabriel. Cavusoglu also accused Germany of harboring Turkey’s enemies, and said a German reporter was arrested for his involvement in terrorism, not his journalism....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:24 am

Turkey votes to deploy troops to Qatar amid Gulf row
7 HOURS AGO bySHABINA S. KHATRIPOLITICS

Turkish Parliament officials have approved legislation to send troops to Qatar as part of a long-discussed military agreement.

It remains unclear how many soldiers could be sent to Doha. But Turkey has been setting up a military base in the Gulf state that is expected to be ready next year.

A former ambassador previously said that the base could hold up to 3,000 Turkish soldiers, stationed primarily to conduct joint training exercises....

Snip... Elsewhere, Qatar has also found a friend in Iran, one of Saudi’s biggest regional rivals....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:29 am

Germany decides to quit Turkey’s Incirlik base
Menekse Tokyay | Published — Wednesday 7 June 2017

ANKARA: Germany has announced it will move its aircraft and 250 military personnel out of Turkey’s southern Incirlik air base, following a weeks-long diplomatic row and the breakdown of bilateral talks in Ankara.

The main reason behind the conflict was Turkey’s refusal to allow German MPs to visit the base, which is currently used for airstrikes against Daesh in Syria. Turkey instead granted them access to NATO base in Konya, another southern province.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel expressed his regret and said that Ankara must understand that Germany will need to transfer it soldiers and military equipment to another location.

He was speaking on Monday following a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The German contingent is expected to be relocated to Jordan’s Azraq air base. The transfer was formally decided by the German government on June 7....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:36 am

Erdogan’s ‘Tank Man’ Spreads Turkey’s New Patriotism
A former bouncer seeks to inspire stock traders with tales of anti-coup heroics
by Isobel Finkel and Kerim Karakaya June 7, 2017, 9:00 PM PDT

In a world where traders compete with computer programs that can place thousands of orders in the blink of an eye, Metin Dogan’s qualifications for teaching them about “the process of rapid decision making” are, on the face of it, few.

Dogan earns about 6,000 liras ($1,700) a month giving private math lessons, but he says he’s not interested in economics. He doesn’t own any stocks or bonds. His message that the pursuit of money amounts to a life wasted seems out of place at the Istanbul stock exchange, where an audience of investors gathered May 26 to listen to the brawny 41-year-old speak.

The act that’s made Dogan an authority on timely decisions, according to his hosts, was to throw himself under a rebel tank during last summer’s coup attempt, inspiring throngs of pro-government demonstrators who helped defeat it. In the nation that’s been reforged out of that struggle, those may be the only credentials he needs....

Snip... “I realized then that maybe God wanted me to speak.”...

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Fri Jun 09, 2017 5:20 am

Turkey to send troops to Qatar for stability, peace efforts
DAILY SABAH ANKARA Published 5 hours ago

Qatari foreign minister has said Turkish Parliament's ratification of the decision to deploy troops to the Gulf state will contribute to peace efforts and maintaining regional stability

The Turkish Parliament on Wednesday ratified two deals on deploying troops to Qatar to train the nation's gendarmerie forces, in a move that is likely to bring more stability to the fragile region and boost Turkey's regional peacemaking influence.

Ankara's move to deploy troops to the small Arab peninsula country is expected to increase stability and help Turkish peacemaking efforts function better. The deal on deploying troops on Qatari soil, which is also expected to improve the country's army and boost military cooperation, was signed in April 2016 in the Gulf country's capital Doha. The deal was approved by Parliament after a period of one year.

Qatar's foreign minister said on Thursday that a dispute between Qatar and some Arab states is threatening the stability of the entire region, adding diplomacy was still Doha's preferred option and there would never be a military solution to the problem, Reuters reported.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told reporters that Qatar had never experienced this type of hostility, even from an enemy country. He added that Turkish troops would be deployed to the country "for the sake of the security of the entire region."...

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Fri Jun 09, 2017 5:25 am

Erdogan’s bodyguards have been beating up people around the world. Here’s how to stop them.
By Haykaram Nahapetyan June 8 at 3:27 PM
Haykaram Nahapetyan is the Washington correspondent for the First Channel of Armenia. Marni Pilafian contributed to this commentary.

Last month’s scuffle between Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security personnel and protesters at Washington’s Sheridan Circle was just another ring in the chain of skirmishes outside Turkey that have involved the Turkish president’s security people. Other incidents have not been as massive, but the continuing impunity contributes to the violence. On Tuesday, the House unanimously voted to pass a resolution that condemned the attack by Erdogan’s bodyguards. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said during the hearings: “A similar incident occurred about a half dozen years ago at the United Nations. Same head of state. Same thugs attacking peaceful protesters. Last year … there was an attack on journalists outside of the Brookings [Institution]. So, if we don’t tell them it’s time to stop, they will persist — that is for sure.”

Indeed, in 2011, when Erdogan visited New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly session, his bodyguards quarreled with U.N. security personnel. At least one U.N. security officer’s injuries required emergency medical treatment. Then-Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman Martin Nesirky called it part of “some unfortunate misunderstandings.”...

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:28 am

Islamization of Europe: Erdogan's New Muslim Political Network
by Yves Mamou
June 11, 2017 at 1:00 am
What is notable is that France's new Muslim party, the Equality and Justice Party (PEJ), is an element of a network of political parties built by Turkey's President Erdogan and AKP to influence each country of Europe, and to influence Europe through its Muslim population.

What is their program? The classic one for an Islamic party: abolishing the founding secularist law of 1905, which established the separation of church and state; mandatory veils for schoolgirls; and community solidarity (as opposed to individual rights) as a priority. All that is wrapped in the not-so-innocent flag of the necessity to "fight against Islamophobia", a concept invented to shut down the push-back of all people who might criticize Islam before they can even start.

"[The Islamist party's] purpose is to conquer the world, not just have a mandate. Its mechanics were already established.... Islamists took power in the name of democracy, then suspended democracy by using their power.... Convert the clothes, the body, the social links, the arts, nursing homes, schools, songs and culture, then, they just wait for the fruit to fall in the turban... An Islamist party is an open trap: you cannot let it in. If you refuse it, your country switches to a dictatorship, but if you accept it, you are at risk of submission...." — Kamel Daoud, Algerian writer, in Le Point, 2015....

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/1050 ... amic-party

God Bless

David

by **kirthril** on Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:35 pm

Cool Qatar: Riyadh plan backfires after Trump flip-flop & Turkey ruse:

Published time: 11 Jun, 2017 13:46

Saudi Arabia’s standoff against Qatar was fraught with miscalculations and comically ill-conceived notions from the start. But now the crisis is becoming a threat to Riyadh’s own prominence and security in the Middle East.

“Almost all relationships begin and continue as mutual forms of exploitation, a mental or physical barter, to be determined when one or both parties run out of goods.” - English-American writer, W. H. Auden.

This Ramadan will surely be remembered in the Middle East by Saudi Arabia’s inflated idea of a new zealous relationship formed with the US. Following Donald Trump’s ‘Arab Summit’ visit in May, Riyadh is reinvigorated with a new sense of importance and power, and has indulged itself on just how far warm sentiments from the Trump administration can take its new government and its struggle against Iran, an enemy of convenience that gives Saudi Arabia an important role in the region. But who needs the other more? The Saudis or the Americans?

In recent days, Saudi Arabia’s bold plan to isolate tiny Qatar in a bid to get it to agree to Riyadh’s geopolitics appears to be coming off the rails. But worse than merely suffering a modicum of humiliation when Riyadh inevitably climbs down and admits its zany plan didn’t come off, there are signs that the attempt to destabilize Qatar is going to backfire. Indeed, King Salman bin Abdulaziz’s new, inexperienced government has yet to recognize, let alone even understand an important maxim in politics: ‘When in a hole, stop digging’...

...Erdogan, the real Sultan of Swing

But it gets worse. If the Saudis massively over-estimated the support their masterplan would muster from the US, they also underestimated that another wild card in the region would swiftly run to the aid of Qatar: Turkey.

I recently argued about the significance of Qatar merely starting a debate about whether Iran is really a threat and how Qatar’s refusal of the Saudis using Iran as a pretext to hang its entire geopolitical strategy on is detrimental to Riyadh. But a ‘third way’ is already happening now and this is entirely the Saudi’s fault....

continues at:
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/391853-qatar ... backfires/
...............

a small but VERY important exerpt from article:

Yet even Erdogan will pay a very high price for this cavalier play and not just with the expected withdrawal of Saudi and UAE investment in Turkey. but more how Moscow will now treat him, given that he has proven to Putin that he simply cannot be trusted by defiantly going against the wishes of Russia to stay neutral. “If Erdogan enters the Qatar conflict head on, he will be going against Russia’s legitimately stated position of neutrality,”argued The Duran. “If Erdogan jumps into the Gulf he will at once isolate himself from Wahhabi Saudi, the secular Arab world (which he is already largely hated in), Russia and the United States."

This quote here explains one reason why in prophecy the coming Turkish alliance (War of Magog) is devoid of Russia, Egypt (secular arab), America and Arabia (merchants of tarshish and Dedan)...

This is why Russia, comes against "him" from the north
This is why Arabia stands on the sidelines and protests
This is why Egypt fights against him
This is why America (and other EU nations) will ultimately turn on him as well (ships of kittem/western coastlands/roman galleys... ie Nato)

Turkey is securing its regional power, thus eventually expelling all non-regional actors as it seeks to control the Middle east.

by **Exit40** on Mon Jun 12, 2017 7:32 am

Iran and Turkey Support Embattled Gulf State Accused of Sponsoring Terror
By Patrick Goodenough | June 12, 2017 | 4:15 AM EDT

(CNSNews.com) – As the pressure from its neighbors starts to bite, Qatar is receiving support from two non-Arab partners, but the help from Iran and Turkey is likely to further antagonize its critics.
Iran and Turkey are sending planeloads of food supplies to Qatar, while Turkey has offered to do the same and fast-tracked legislation approving the deployment of Turkish troops in the small Gulf state for military training cooperation.

Qatar hosts a Turkish military base (as well as a far larger and key U.S. one – the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command at the Al Udeid Air Base)....

Snip... Turkey and Qatar have long been region’s most loyal supporters of both the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas and its Muslim Brotherhood parent – two organizations which the Saudis and others involved in the dispute want Doha to stop sponsoring....

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**** Spot on Kirthril. All these power plays lead somewhere, the real target is Jerusalem. D ....

God Bless

David

by **kirthril** on Mon Jun 12, 2017 8:37 am

Snip... Turkey and Qatar have long been region’s most loyal supporters of both the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas and its Muslim Brotherhood parent – two organizations which the Saudis and others involved in the dispute want Doha to stop sponsoring....

Nice snip there. Once again we see the MB in the thick of this and Turkey coming to its rescue.

Conspiracy says Trump is the cause of this sudden shift by Arabia. Plausible considering he has or is about to lable the MB as a terror organization and he DID just give a big speech to arab leaders in Arabia recently. But i'm thinking the article I posted is more accurate in that Arabia thought it had a greenlight when it really didn't.

by **Exit40** on Tue Jun 13, 2017 6:53 am

How the Saudi-Qatar Rivalry, Now Combusting, Reshaped the Middle East
By MAX FISHER JUNE 13, 2017

Doha, the capital of Qatar. Five Arab nations have accused the country of supporting Sunni Islamist terrorism and Iranian designs on the region. Credit Fadi Al-Assaad/Reuters
The crisis convulsing the Persian Gulf, entangling the United States and now threatening to pull in Turkey and Iran, can be traced to a dilemma facing a man who had just deposed his own father.

When Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the crown prince of Qatar, took power in a bloodless coup in 1995, he seized a barely independent nation about the size of Connecticut, with one-seventh its population. It had been dominated since independence in 1971 by its far larger and more powerful neighbor, Saudi Arabia.

He believed Qatar could find security only by transforming itself from Saudi appendage to rival. But how?

The audacious plan he put in motion set off something of a regional cold war, in time remaking not just the politics of the oil-rich Persian Gulf, but also those of the entire Middle East, culminating in last week’s crisis....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:03 am

UAE allegedly funneled $3B to topple Erdoğan, Turkish government
YUNUS PAKSOY ANKARA Published 6 hours ago

After President Erdoğan said 'Turkey knew which Gulf countries were happy with the coup attempt on the night of July 15, some eyes are turned to the UAE, which allegedly funneled money to coup plotters before July 15 and still continues spending to topple the president and the democratically elected government in Turkey

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) spent $3 billion to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the democratically elected government in Turkey, a columnist in the Turkish media claimed yesterday.

Mehmet Acet, a columnist for Yeni Şafak daily, said Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu hinted at a Muslim country "spending $3 billion to topple Erdoğan and the government in Turkey," while lending support to putschists in the July 15 coup attempt, as well.

According to Acet, Çavuşoğlu said: "We know that a country provided $3 billion in financial support for the coup attempt in Turkey and exerted efforts to topple the government in illegal ways. On top of that, it is a Muslim country."

The columnist claimed that the Muslim country was the UAE, claiming the funneled money was to topple Erdoğan and the Turkish government....

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**** The plot thickens. D. ****

God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:20 am

Public fuss over KRG referendum gives way to private nods
Author Amberin Zaman Posted June 12, 2017

Last week’s historic decision by the Kurdistan Regional Government to hold a long heralded referendum on Kurdish independence from Iraq has elicited a flurry of international reactions. The vote, to be held Sept. 25, will cover disputed territories claimed by the Kurds and Baghdad alike, most notably the oil-rich province of Kirkuk.

It's always been a given that the blessings of one regional neighbor — Turkey, Iran or potential future neighbor Iraq — and that of the United States are necessary for an independent Kurdistan to be politically and economically viable. Deciphering these country’s respective responses may help shed light on where the Iraqi Kurds' bid to redraw borders stands. But reading between the lines is not always easy because often Baghdad will look to Tehran, as Washington will to Baghdad, and Ankara to all three and vice versa, as they calibrate their own positions.

As ever, the US reaction was mixed. The State Department repeated the standard line that the United States supports “a unified, stable, democratic and a federal Iraq." But it also said that it recognized the “legitimate aspirations” of the Kurdish people. Its main quibble seemed to be over the timing of the referendum, which might “distract” from the fight against the Islamic State. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi could decide, for instance, to withhold future US funds used to pay Kurdish fighters’ salaries. The other big worry is how this will affect Washington’s efforts to shore up Abadi internally ahead of critical parliamentary elections in 2018.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... z4jtNCM5tw

God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Thu Jun 15, 2017 7:14 am

Turkey's foreign minister heading to Qatar amid diplomatic crisis
Latest update : 2017-06-14

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will visit Qatar on Wednesday for talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the foreign ministry said, amid a crisis in Doha's ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Cavusoglu will also hold talks with Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, a ministry statement said, as Ankara eyes with concern the crisis between its chief regional ally Qatar and its Gulf neighbours. The ministry said "recent regional developments" would be discussed, without giving further details.

On Tuesday, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed the economic and political isolation of Qatar as inhumane and contrary to Islamic values.

"Taking action to isolate a country in all areas is inhumane and un-Islamic," Erdogan said in televised comments to his party in Ankara, after Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain broke off relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting "terrorism"....

Snips... The move by Saudi and its allies came shortly after US President Donald Trump visited Riyadh, with some analysts saying the US leader had emboldened the Saudi leadership....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Fri Jun 23, 2017 7:06 am

Arab states hand Qatar 13 demands to lift blockade
DUBAI Friday,June 23 2017, Your time is 7:00:48 AM

Arab states hand Qatar 13 demands to lift blockade
Four Arab states boycotting Qatar over alleged support for terrorism have sent Doha a list of 13 demands including closing Al Jazeera television and reducing ties to their regional adversary Iran, an official of one of the four countries said.

The demands aimed at ending the worst Gulf Arab crisis in years appear designed to quash a two decade-old foreign policy in which Qatar has punched well above its weight, striding the stage as a peace broker, often in conflicts in Muslim lands.

Doha’s independent-minded approach, including a dovish line on Iran and support for Islamist groups, in particular the Muslim Brotherhood, has incensed some of its neighbors who see political Islamism as a threat to their dynastic rule.

The list, compiled by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain, which cut economic, diplomatic and travel ties to Doha on June 5, also demands the closing of a Turkish military base in Qatar, the official told Reuters.

Turkey’s Defense Minister Fikri Işık rejected the demand, saying any call for the base to be shut would represent interference in Ankara’s relations with Doha. He suggested instead that Turkey might bolster its presence....

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God Bless

David

by **Exit40** on Sun Jun 25, 2017 6:38 am

Turkey to thwart regional plots: President Erdoğan
ANKARA/ŞANLIURFA Sunday,June 25 2017, Your time is 6:29:33 AM

Turkey will thwart all regional plots and those who think otherwise will get their answers on the field, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, adding that Ankara is aware of the “crisis scenarios” that are being tried to be staged in the region.

“We are aware of the games being played in Syria and Iraq and the crisis scenarios that are being tried to be staged in the region. However, we hope that everyone knows this truth; Turkey is too big a bite to be swallowed in these types of games,” Erdoğan said in his message released to mark Eid al-Adha on June 24.

“We are determined to give our answer on the field to those who think that they can make our country surrender to these types of traps. It will be too late for those who set their eyes on our territorial integrity and national unity when they understand their mistakes,” he also said.

A day earlier, President Erdoğan said that Turkey will “never” allow the establishment of a state in northern Syria, while criticizing the United States for cooperating with the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG)....

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God Bless

David