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Written by Prof Michel Chossudovsky. Read the Part I HERE
It should be obvious to the White House, the Pentagon not to mention NATO headquarters in Brussels that:
You cannot win a war against Russia when the second largest military power member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is “sleeping with the enemy”
I am referring to Turkey which is both a “NATO heavyweight” as well as a firm ally of the Russian Federation.
The “sleeping with the enemy” narrative –which is the object of this article (scroll down) — has never hit the headlines, nor has it been the object of analysis by the independent media.
Below is an important update. Read carefully before proceeding to the main article
Recent Developments. We are at a Dangerous Crossroads
While there are divisions within NATO, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock confirmed in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) (January 25, 2022), that Germany and its allies [NATO] are at war with Russia:
“Baerbock’s comments come on the heels of nearly a year of direct Russophobic narrative, including openly declared plans for war with Russia.
In mid-November 2022, Der Spiegel published a leaked German Defense Ministry document [68 pages], revealing that the Bundeswehr is preparing for war with Russia [See below]
The secret draft titled “Operational guidelines for the Armed Forces” was authored by none other than the German Chief of Staff, General Eberhard Zorn himself.
He stressed the need for a “mega-reform” of the German military and clearly identified Russia as an “immediate threat”. Infobrics (emphasis added)
Screenshot from Der Spiegel, November 14, 2022
Translation of above (From German by Global Research)
Feared confrontation with Russia.
Preparation for “forced war” – The Bundeswehr must become significantly more powerful”
In a confidential strategy paper, General Chief of Staff Zorn swears that the Bundeswehr will face tough years ahead. A conflict with Russia is becoming more likely. The troops must concentrate fully on defence [Abwehr] against an attack.
Article V of Washington Treaty
What this statement suggests is that Germany and its allies should “defend themselves” (plural) against a Russian attack.
This is dangerous statement. It tacitly invokes Article Five of the Washington Treaty and NATO’s Doctrine of Collective Defence, namely an attack against one member of the Atlantic Alliance is an Attack against ALL member of the Atlantic Alliance. Is Article V with regard to Russia a talking point in the corridors of the State Department and the Pentagon?
We hope to eventually be able to access the complete 68 page document of General Zorn.
Proceed to the article entitled Unspoken Divisions within NATO. “Sleeping with the Enemy”
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Turkey is both a “NATO Heavyweight” as well as “An Ally of Russia”
Turkey abandoned the NATO Air Defence system in favor of Russia’s “state of the art” S 400 Air Defense System.
“As of 2020, 4 batteries consisting of 36 fire units, and 192+ missiles were delivered to Turkey. Turkey has tested the S-400 air defense system against drones and F-16 fighter jets at low altitudes.”
That acquisition of Russian military technology is part of a concurrent military cooperation agreement as well an alliance between Turkey and Russia established in the immediate aftermath of the failed July 2016 US sponsored coup d’Etat directed against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Read details below)
Needless to say it is a slap in the face for US-NATO, “which you do not want to publicize”.
It is important to address the history of US-Turkey relations and how this shift in military alliances occurred.
History: US-Turkey Military Clash in Northern Syria
From the outset of the war on Syria in mid-March 2011, the Islamist “freedom fighters” were supported, trained and equipped by NATO and Turkey’s High Command. According to Israeli intelligence sources (Debka, August 14, 2011):
NATO headquarters in Brussels and the Turkish high command are meanwhile drawing up plans for their first military step in Syria, which is to arm the rebels with weapons for combating the tanks and helicopters spearheading the Assad regime’s crackdown on dissent. … NATO strategists are thinking more in terms of pouring large quantities of anti-tank and anti-air rockets, mortars and heavy machine guns into the protest centers for beating back the government armored forces. (DEBKAfile, NATO to give rebels anti-tank weapons, August 14, 2011)
In this regard, Turkey played a central role in relation to logistics, weapons supplies, recruitment and training, in close liaison with Washington and Brussels.
This initiative involved a process of organized recruitment of thousands of jihadist “freedom fighters”, reminiscent of the enlistment of Mujahideen to wage the CIA’s jihad (holy war) in the heyday of the Soviet-Afghan war.
The Ankara government also played a strategic role in protecting the movement of jihadist rebels and supplies across its border into Northern Syria.
Also discussed in Brussels and Ankara, our sources report, is a campaign to enlist thousands of Muslim volunteers in Middle East countries and the Muslim world to fight alongside the Syrian rebels. The Turkish army would house these volunteers, train them and secure their passage into Syria. (Debka, emphasis added)
Both Turkey and the US initially collaborated in covertly supporting ISIS-Daesh and Jabhat Al Nusra.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, had territorial ambitions in Northern Syria which did not meet with US-NATO approval.
They consisted in combating Kurdish YPG separatist forces in Rojava which were supported by Washington.
Rojava is contiguous to the Kurdistan Autonomous region of Iraq, which has been under the control of the U.S. since 1992, in the immediate wake of the Gulf War.
Erdogan’s actions in Northern Syria were considered an encroachment upon Syria’s Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava), which in 2015 received extensive air and ground support from the United States and its Middle East allies.
In an unusual twist of events, Washington forcefully accused Erdogan:
“he [Erdogan] continues to supply arms [into Syria] as well, with his ultimate aim [being] to go after the Kurds, and ISIS is secondary.”
This division between the US and Turkey had struck at the very heart of the Atlantic Alliance. Washington was firmly opposed to Erdogan’s territorial ambitions in Northern Syria.
Under Obama, a major campaign against Syria and Iraq in support of ISIS-Daesh was initiated in 2014. The US-NATO objective was intent upon fragmenting both Syria and Iraq as well destabilizing the government of Bashar Al Assad.
In turn, Washington’s strategy in Northern Syria consisted in supporting and controlling the Kurdish YPG separatists against Turkey.
In May 2016, Erdogan retorted, accusing US-NATO of supporting YPG forces:
“The support they give [US, NATO] to… the YPG (militia)… I condemn it,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said… during an airport ceremony in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir.
“Those who are our friends, who are with us in NATO… cannot, must not send their soldiers to Syria wearing YPG insignia.” (Ara News Network, May 28, 2016)
Failed July 2016 Coup d’Etat against President Erdogan
Less than two months following Erdogan’s May 28, 2016 “refusal to comply”, on July 15, 2016, Turkey was the object of an attempted coup d’Etat:
…[It] was [allegedly] conducted by a faction of the Turkish military [which] bombed government buildings, blocked roads and bridges and attempted to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan“
What the NPR Report quoted above failed to mention was that the Coup d’Etat consisted in an alleged CIA plan to assassinate President Erdogan:
“…Erdogan accused the CIA of being behind a coup attempt to assassinate him and bring the CIA-controlled networks of exiled Fethullah Gülen into power as Washington had enough of Erdogan’s flips in allegiance. The coup failed and reports were that Russian intelligence intercepts were given Erdogan that saved his life. After that, relations with Moscow improved markedly.
… Then Erdogan began a shift towards Moscow. In 2017, Turkey ignored repeated protests from Washington and NATO and agreed to buy the advanced Russian S-400 air defense missile system, said to be the most advanced in the world. At that same time Russia began construction of the first of two Black Sea gas pipelines to Turkey, TurkStream in October 2016, further distancing Ankara and Washington. (F. William Engdahl, April 2021, emphasis added) (see map below)
Ankara Drifts Towards Moscow
Prior to the July 15, 2016 failed coup d’Etat there was a strained relationship between Russia and Turkey (which had been facilitating the entry of US-NATO warships from the Mediterranean into the Black Sea).
The July 2016 failed coup d’Etat attempt against Erdogan pointed to a major turning point in the structure of political and strategic alliances.
It led to a realignment of alliances almost immediately. Ankara’s evolving relations with Moscow were also coupled with economic cooperation, specifically in the areas of pipelines.
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“Our Alliances”: “Sleeping with the Enemy” while “Cooperating with NATO”.
In recent developments, Turkey’s Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar (a former four-star general) candidly stated (Double Speak):
“…[that] Turkey’s role in Nato against criticism that its objections to the Nordic countries’ joint application and its friendly ties with Russia were harming the alliance. “A Nato without Turkey is unthinkable,” Akar said. …
“We are a tested nation, a tried army that would never act contrary to our alliances [note plural]. Turkish fighter jets patrol the skies above the Black Sea for Nato and the government has blocked Russian warships from using its straits during the war in Ukraine. (FT emphasis added)
Hulusi Akar says: “A Nato without Turkey is unthinkable.” I partially concur.
A fractured NATO cannot under any circumstances wage war on Russia when its military heavyweight on the Southern coastline of the Black Sea is “Sleeping with the Enemy”, i.e. collaborating with Moscow coupled with a close personal relationship between Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin.
Those Turkish fighter jet patrols are pro forma. They are not directed against Russia.
“Our Alliances” says Hulusi Akar, plural: what does this mean? We are not only allied with US-NATO but also with Russia [paraphrase]. A Non sequitur.
Was Turkey’s initiative to block the accession of Sweden and Finland to the Atlantic Alliance undertaken on behalf of Russia?
Geopolitics of the Black Sea
From a geopolitical standpoint Turkey and Russia presently control the Black Sea (and they are collaborating with regard to commodity trade out of Ukraine).
While Russia controls a large part of the Northern and Eastern coastlines, the entire Southern coastline of the Black Sea as well as access to the Mediterranean under the Montreux Protocol is under Turkey’s jurisdiction.
If we go back in history, the Cold War US-NATO militarization was largely dependent on the strategic role of Turkey against the Soviet Union, with a massive US-NATO buildup in Turkey. That is a foregone era.
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Moscow and Ankara have developed a bilateral and unofficial understanding. Turkey is not deploying its Navy and Air Force in the Black Sea Basin on behalf of US- NATO.
The March 2022 failed Peace Initiative in Istanbul was hosted by the Erdoğan government in close liaison with the Kremlin.
While it was subject to sabotage by both Kiev and US-NATO, it hopefully remains an option.
What Next: Another US Sponsored Failed Coup d’Etat, Regime Change in Turkey?
Presidential elections in Turkey are scheduled for May 2023:
“With Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the helm, Turkey is again “the sick man of Europe,” Mr. Erdoğan’s performance has consistently been divisive and dangerous. … Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but it isn’t acting like an ally.” (WSJ),
While there is staunch opposition to Erdogan’s authoritarian rule, the various opposition parties are fragmented, unable to form a meaningful coalition.
The West, signifying US-NATO is committed to intervening in the elections against the “sick man of Europe” who is “sleeping with the enemy”:
Yet there’s a chance he can be stopped, if the West takes bold action to help ensure his domestic opposition gets a fair shake in upcoming presidential elections. To do so, the alliance [NATO] ought to put Ankara’s membership on the chopping block. Considering expulsion now will allow for the alliance to debate the pros and cons of its membership and emphasize—both to Turkish voters and NATO members— … ” (WSJ, emphasis added)
What can we expect:
Washington’s objective is to destabilize the Erdogan regime (e.g. through color revolution, engineered protest movements, devaluation of the Lira, manipulation of the elections, coup d’Etat?) as a means to reintegrating Turkey as the heavyweight of the Atlantic Alliance and breaking Ankara’s relationship with Moscow.
In substance, another possible coup d’Etat against Erdogan? Triggering social Chao, etc. But will it work?
US-NATO is seeking regime change in Turkey, as a means to regaining control over the Black Sea.
Most of the opposition parties in Turkey are NOT supportive of US-NATO and Turkish membership in the Atlantic Alliance.
Will this succeed or will it backlash, leading to broader divisions within the Atlantic Alliance?
There are massive protest movements against NATO throughout the European Union.
While corrupt governments are supportive of US-NATO, anti-war peace movements have spread across Europe.
Breaking and Fragmenting NATO is a Pathway to Peace
US-NATO is also seeking to promote divisive politics in the Russian Federation as well as a possible “regime change”.
This issue will be examined in a followup article.
Michel Chossudovsky is an award-winning author, Professor of Economics (emeritus) at the University of Ottawa, Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), Montreal, Editor of Global Research. He has taught as visiting professor in Western Europe, Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Latin America. He has served as economic adviser to governments of developing countries and has acted as a consultant for several international organizations. He is the author of eleven books including The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order (2003), America’s “War on Terrorism” (2005), The Global Economic Crisis, The Great Depression of the Twenty-first Century (2009) (Editor), Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War (2011), The Globalization of War, America’s Long War against Humanity (2015). He is a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His writings have been published in more than twenty languages. In 2014, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit of the Republic of Serbia for his writings on NATO’s war of aggression against Yugoslavia. He can be reached at crgeditor@yahoo.com
Trump said US and European tanks lead to WWIII he as president would not have allowed this. Let’s hope Republican party will impeach senile Biden because he forgets all the top secret papers! Pray for a Republican US president to stop escalation.
Dem or GOP, Pepsi or Coke nothing changes!
Correct.
Who Controls the White House? Of the eleven(11) current and former senior advisors of former President Barack Obama, nine(9) are Jews, partial Jews, or have Jewish spouses. This is a numerical representation of 82%.
Who Controls the Senate? Of the twenty(20) U.S. Senate Committee chairmen, eight(8) are Jews or partial Jews. This is a numerical representation of 40%.
Who Controls the Congress? Of the forty-two(42) U.S. House Committee chairmen and ranking members, six(6) are Jews or partial Jews. This is a numerical representation of 14%.
Who Controls the US State Department? Of the seventy-four(74) U.S. State Department senior officials, forty(40) are Jews or have Jewish spouses. This is a numerical representation of 54%.
Who Controls the US Defense Department? Of the one-hundred eleven(111) U.S. Defense Department senior officials, forty(40) are Jews or have Jewish spouses. This is a numerical representation of 36%.
Une véritable catastrophe pour les pays Occidentaux et autres d’ailleurs ! Rien de pire que la présence de cette communauté au sein des gouvernements !!!
The “Jews” are not as important as the Anglo-Saxons tell us. America was founded by Protestants, Jews arrived there in 1880, when things were done………………………… .. Until a few decades ago they were very little considered. They were the penultimate rung of society, ahead of only the Negroes. They are not the richest ethnicity in America! The WASP’s most exclusive club, doesn’t let “Jews” in. I put quotation marks, because those who believe themselves are Jews are not Jews. The Israelites of Jesus time are no more. The “Jews” join to the power of the true masters………. in Spain they allied with the Africans invaders, against the Spanish. Same today.
In Spain, they weren’t allied but simply more free. They didn’t fight. But it’s true the ‘Jews’ are mostly a red hering. Yes, there is an elite that participates, but so does the rest of the world
It appears to me that they sided with the Africans and Arabs, against the white Spanish. So much so that in the Reconquista, the so-called Jews had the same fate as the colored invaders.
They control all sections of the US establishment, and they also control the money supply which they got control of on 23rd December 1913.
The family that rules the United States is that of the Rockefellers. They are WASP Evangelists. They are not “Jews”.
Delusional thinking, unfortunately. Do some research, Trump is the one who sent lethal weapons to Ukr., as well as sanctions on Russia. Biden won’t be impeached because it’s all a show, just as Trump and Clinton’s impeachments were. They are all on the same side, Israels. Who do you think controls the US government? Biden? Trump? Clinton? No. They take orders, not give them. Republicans are the perennial favorites of the MIC and always were. Now there is NO difference between them, they are all criminal and corrupt…any differences are cosmetic at best and completely misleading at worst. Look at what Trump’s admin did to Venezuela, above and beyond what even Bush and Obama did. Look up and see who his business partner was in the 80s/90s and who was his best bud. Soros and Epstein. These are facts easy to find, just look. They are all traitorous frauds.
Trump has neither the knowledge nor the courage to end this war in a justified manner. As far as the Republican Party goes even the very small faction opposing more weapons to Kieve are still susceptible to anti China policies while being connected at the hip to the very liberal financial system (the bankrupt Wall Street and City of London synarchists) responsible for the war and all other ills that plague humanity. Don’t be fooled by perception building in the MSM.
As long as they authorize mail in ballots and any electronic devices( ex. Dominion machine) that counts the votes, future US election will be controlled by the Deep State and CIA controlled MSM and Big techs. For a better future for this world, forget about the US , UN and EU, where truth and peace can prevail, Russia will be the leader for freedom, peace and sovereignty.
The masters of the West have some mental confusion……. backing the coup with Erdogan in 2016 ………. they’ve castrated themselves, they’re just IDIOTS TO THE TOP. But it is clear that Erdogan no longer trusts false American friends. Already NATO is not monolithic, all compact, but an aggregation of desperate people awaiting the end of their days……………..
These masters of the West are mostly shitskins and niggers. Old methods of Aztecs and Byzantium.
Yeah, they are idiots. That is why they keep scheming, but situation changes and old schemes keep working and usually against them.
LAS NACIONES NO TIENEN AMIGOS SOLO TIENEN INTERESES !!!
In the West! Friendship is rare! Precisely because it is all based on interests, on mercantile relationships, giving to get. In America, people drink alone in bars, in general, there are few friends, as in the EU. Life is not very happy.
LOS PODEROSOS ANGLOSAJONES SON LOS QUE ESTAN CAUSANDO MUCHOS PROBLEMAS PARA ESTE MUNDO PERO SON COMO LA ATENAS DE PERICLES Y VAN A TERMINAR IGUAL O PEOR EN BREVE QUE LA FAMOSA ATENAS !!!
In Athens they believed they were the best……… the more modest and healthy Sparta defeated and destroyed them.
Not to mention the ping pong move of keeping Sweden out of Nato and Sweden to use Turkye to stay out if Nato…
Nato wants to accept new members such as (israel , Australia) but Erdogan says israel never will be nato member. French President Macron supports israel and macron wanted new reforms in Nato. One of the main reform which has been wanted by Macron was 1.Let the decisions be made by majority, not require the approval of each member and how erdogan reacted ? He said ‘Macron ‘s sentences are meaningless’.. Erdogan made some big mistakes.. these are 1.Erdogan has turned Turkey into a refugee camp and this effected the high inflation and high rental prices and collapse of the turkish economy 2.He received large sums of money from European Union countries by keeping refugees in Turkey. 3. After 20 years of power, he made Turkey the sick man of Europe economically. Will He pay for these mistakes in the future elections?
Erdogan’s Party did not never fight with the corruption thats why Turkey’s Economy as you say (collapsing) . The only reason is not refugees from 3rd World Countries. Refugees are used to shadow corruption.
I agree and will add :Nato wants from Turkey to limit Russian influence in the Black Sea by Turkish war ships and planes , but Erdogan said ‘no’ . After Erdogan’s No answer Biden did not invite Erdoğan for consultations in NATO talks in the Far East last month. When Biden makes consulations between France and Germany (Macron and Sholz ) they are not invating Erdogan. America is fed up with Erdogan because of his veto on Sweden and Israel joining NATO.
you are overreacting… EU’s economy is at a worse shape then turkey’s atm… look at how much debt they have in EU… and meanwhile US keeps printing $$$, IMF trying to patch bancrupt EU with loans and it will get worse in the near future…look at all multinationals closing factories moving outside EU x)
My God if Baerbocks statement and Zorn’s actions are not convincing enough that the Nazis are now in half control of the German government then what is?
Nothing to do with Nazism; only in so far, that both were tools of the Anglo-Saxon elites.
The author says: You cannot win a war against Russia when the second largest military power member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is sleeping with the enemy. Who needs Turkey for 3.World war ? The 2.World War without Turkey has been maded
Everybody should remember that one day all these countries in the world will be united and together. Just unluckys are dying at the moment. After 80 years the oils and gas sources will dry after that then they will use solar power for which sun shine 24 hours on the planet earth. They will use global electric energy cable to benefit from that.
Plastic, rubber, synthetic textile — main goods made from oil, fuel is lesser part of recycled oil in total volume. You need hydrocarbons anyway. Loss of power in cables is ~5% per 1000 km, that’s why most cables have a length not more than 500 km. Losses in global cable will be unacceptable. Solar panels are not so effective and needs oil/gas to produce plastic and rubber parts. More effective way to generate electricity is the closed nuclear (fuel) cycle, which produces more fuel than was put inside the fast neutrons reactor (FNR). Ordinary (water) reactors uses U-235 as fuel and produces plutonium. FNR uses U-238 (over 99% of all uranium, which is considered as waste at uranium mines) and a bit of plutonium to start controlled reaction. FNR produces U-235 for ordinary reactors. Volume of collected reserves of U-238 is enough to supply FNRs for 3000 years. This is enough to invent thermonuclear synthesis technology (hot one) or something else.
The EU No Gas No petrol No Electricity No heating No Nothing even the big Stores are running short on many products
LuLa like Biden are elected by the CiA and the Council of foreign relations. The Brazilian people never voted for LuLa same as the Americans never voted for Biden.
Is that “sleeping with the enemy problem” isolated?… Or does it also comport to SouthFront and it’s active censorship of comment(s) that speak the whole truth about both sides?…
Even creditcards has more then one side.
UNSPOKEN DIVISIONS WITHIN RUSSIA. “SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY” CHECHNYA IS GOING TO FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE!
I take the liberty of giving a more accurate translation of the German article: “Preparations for a “war imposed (by Russia)”. The German army is to significantly increase its combat strength. In a confidential strategy paper, General Chief of Staff Zorn commits the Bundeswehr to facing tough years ahead. [He said] “A conflict with Russia is becoming more likely. The troops must concentrate fully on repelling a possible attack.””
Comment: Clearly, the US/UK want Germany to fight another war with Russia. Germany is de facto at war with Russia. A war, Russia has always sought to avoid. In the meantime, the number of conscientious objectors in the German army grows dramatically. A German politician has brought an action against German foreign minister Baerbock for illegally declaring war on Russia.
Agree with the assessment of Turkey. Some flip-flopping there… invasion of Syria was a big mistake. Yet, to E’s credit, he talks with Russia, Iran and soon with Syria it is to be hoped. Turkey plays both sides, while following its own interests. It’s too early for them to exit NATO, probably Russia and Iran are happy T is in for leverage. In the end, Russia and Iran are closer than the US and the UK.
With Zelensky it’s more like “Sleeping With the Enema”.