The endless enclosed cul-de-sac of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is leading to one dead end after another. He constantly warns that his patience is wearing thin while demonstrators are attacked and pushed around from parts of several major cities. At all times he seeks to justify his rhetoric by spreading half truths about the mass complexity of what is happening socially within Turkey.
This is the same Erdogan which is isolating Turkey apart from being a NATO puppet and doing the bidding of feudal Gulf nations which include Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, nearer to home then it is clear that Armenia, Cyprus, Iraq, Israel and Syria don’t trust his authoritarian approach to international politics. Lebanon is equally divided about Erdogan and Iran once more is alarmed by the reality that Turkey is a conduit for military arms, sectarian terrorists and providing a haven for the CIA, MI6 and various intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, the Russian Federation is watching events from a distance but clearly the Chechen and Caucasus Islamist angle in Syria is setting off alarm bells. However, in the world of Erdogan’s enclosed cul-de-sac then he only perceives himself to be a victim.
Turkey is meant to be a bridge linking Europe with the Middle East and a nation which will spread its secular and democratic thought patterns to regional nations. Yet under the troika of America, Turkey and the United Kingdom within the democratic world – alongside the dual sectarian and feudal monarchs of Qatar and Saudi Arabia – then Turkey is now a mere pawn within the respective geopolitical and sectarian religious games of the main allies of Turkey. At no point did Erdogan stop to think about the diversity within Turkey and how regional nations were increasingly distrustful of his new approach.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, Bulent Arinc, is also hinting that the armed forces may be used against the citizens of Turkey. Arinc commented that “Our police, our security forces are doing their jobs…If it’s not enough then the gendarmes will do their jobs. If that’s not enough… we could even use elements of the Turkish armed forces.” He tried to downplay his own comments by stating that his words were taken out of context but this is all part and parcel of the psychological game being played by elites within the Erdogan government.
Deutsche Welle reports that “Meanwhile, Erdogan delivered a speech to hundreds of thousands of bused-in supporters. He accused the international press of a plot against him and his government: “CNN, Reuters, remain isolated with your lies!” he said, and attacked the protest movement once more. He described them again as “plunderers,” and threatened them: “You are no real Turks. Watch out: those who work against Turkey will have cause to tremble with fear.” Hotel owners who hid these “terrorists” would also have to pay the reckoning.”
The above language is further evidence that Erdogan is a dictatorial leader who happens to be the leader of a democratic country. It is also ironic that Erdogan doesn’t mind the media witch-hunt against Syria in order to spread sectarianism and sedition. However, when people can see the reality of “the real Erdogan” then he kindly tries to dehumanize the demonstrators by stating “You are no real Turks.” Equally alarming, he is warning all opposition forces and ordinary private citizens which are against his leadership that you “…will have cause to tremble with fear.”
Currently, President Obama it talking about a no-fly-zone against Syria and this is something which Erdogan wanted before. However, while any no-fly-zone will be flouting international law it is clear that even America is now concerned by the internal situation in Turkey.
After all, it is now apparent that Obama is thinking about a no-fly-zone by manipulating Jordan. Yet prior to the crisis in Turkey it is clear that America would have thought about initiating such a policy by utilizing NATO Turkey in relation to the many ratlines which are assisting terrorists and sectarian forces in Syria. Now, however, even Washington is having second thoughts about Erdogan internally while expressing outward support whereby mild condemnation is for saving international face.
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, is dismayed by what is happening in Turkey. Merkel stated that “I’m appalled, like many others…I would like to see those who have criticism, who have a different opinion and a different idea of society, having some space in a Turkey that moves into the 21st century.”
Merkel continued by stating that “What’s happening in Turkey at the moment is not in line with our idea of the freedom to demonstrate or freedom of speech….They are terrible images … I can only hope that the problems will be solved peacefully.”
This is the problem of Erdogan because not only is he leading Turkey into regional isolation on the political front whereby the majority of regional nations don’t trust him; but he is also creating an internal enclosed cul-de-sac whereby he “un-Turks people” and forces them to the outside perimeter whereby their voices are crushed. Yet, the outward perimeter to his political and Islamist enclosed cul-de-sac is much larger and widespread than Erdogan perceives. Therefore, his rhetoric is alienating more and more people within Turkey and many individuals in the media must be alarmed by the fear factor related to them.
If Erdogan focused on areas whereby positive results have been made in relation to the economy and so forth; then these demonstrations would never have happened on such a scale. Yet he doesn’t just want to lead Turkey based on his electoral mandate. Instead, Erdogan wants to enforce his Islamist and political agenda on people who don’t support him and to shackle society by implementing his grand social designs on the electorate. If he continues to use powerful language and incite the rank and file of party members; then clearly social divisions are going to widen further within Turkey. Therefore, the problem for Erdogan is can he escape the enclosed cul-de-sac that he created in order to allow the citizens of Turkey to feel that they really reside in a democratic nation?
http://www.dw.de/erdogan-escalates-the-crisis/a-16886439
leejay@moderntokyotimes.com
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