Fethullah Gulen. FILE IMAGE: REUTERS/ Charles Mostoller
On April 2, Turkey issued a writ against the religious leader Fethullah Gulen for murder of the Russian ambassador to Turkey in 2016. Ankara asserted, the arrest warrants came after a link between Andrei Karlov’s assassin and Fetullah Gulen was detected. Besides Gulen, the authorities ordered the arrests of other seven people connected to the murder. Reasons cited for the arrest included “pre-meditated murder” and “attempt to overthrow constitutional order”.
Karlov was murdered by an off-duty policeman, Mert Altintas, while speaking at an Ankara exhibit opening in December 2016. The gunman was shot dead by police at the scene.
Ankara also accuses Gulen and his organization of a failed military coup on July 15 in 2016. That day a faction of the Turkish military declared that it had taken power over the country. However, the Erdogan government suppressed the attempt.
After the failed military coup the Turkish government also blamed Gulenists for downing the Russian jet Su-24 in Syria on November 24, 2016. For example, Ankara’s mayor Melih Gokcek stated:
“The pilot – murderer was a member of Gulen’s organization, who created a “parallel government” in Turkey from the US. Now, I’ll definitely say, these scamps damaged relations with Russia”.
However, initially when the Su-24 incident occurred in November 2016, Turkish officials justified the incident by the need to defend their country’s national interests.
The Turkish foreign policy and its public stance are well-known as a very “flexible”. Ankara often shifts its approach and public statements depending on external and internal circumstances.
When the Russian military campaign in Syria started in 2015, the Erdogan government received it negatively. However, after the Su-24 shot down and further escalation, Ankara’s stance started changing. The key reason was it had become clear that Russia wouldn’t limit its counter-measures to public condemnation and soft economic sanctions, but would further increase the pressure on Turkey.
Now, it looks that the Turkish leadership has found “a whipping boy” to blame for all the public isssues between Ankara and Moscow. At present, Fethullah Gulen stays in the USA and obviously cooperates with US intelligence agencies. Therefore, blaming Gulen in all deep sins, Ankara indirectly blames the USA itself. This is especially ironic because Turkey is a NATO member state and one of the key “US allies” in the Middle East.
I have forseen this a long time ago.
Neo-ottomans will say anything to save their hides. Always have, always will!
One of the reasons why the U.S. Soon will have to leave Syria…they have very little allies up there at the moment…would be nice if they realized that..
Little allies? Like elves or leprechauns? Well, they’re pretty damn useless – especially against armor.
Headchopping Leprechauns in Green Buses…
So….., Gulen is to Turkey what Russia is to the West?
I’d say this is almost Orwellian in nature. Turkey used to be opposed to Russia, then realized its former ally the US was fucking Turkey up the ass with the Kurds and now its former enemy is Turkey’s friend again. I hope that Russia and Iran keep in mind that this little toy train can easily switch stations yet again.
Scamps? Hey, let’s knock off the filthy language here, Mr. Potty-mouth. There are sailors in the room.