Posted on 11/10/2016 11:02:33 PM PST by Fhios
Turkey should be a top priority in U.S. foreign policy, a top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday in an article that slammed Barack Obama for failing to understand Ankara’s geopolitical position.
“We must begin with understanding that Turkey is vital to U.S. interests,” retired Gen. Michael Flynn wrote for the Hill newspaper. He also called Turkey "a source of stability in the region”.
Flynn was a key national security adviser to Trump during his presidential campaign and is expected by many to be appointed to a Cabinet position, possibly as defense secretary.
The veteran general wrote that it was “an unwise policy” for the Obama administration to keep Ankara at arm’s length,
“We need to adjust our foreign policy to recognize Turkey as a priority. We need to see the world from Turkey’s perspective,” he wrote.
Noting the extradition request by Turkey of Fetullah Terrorist Organization leader, Fetullah Gulen, as one of the key points of contention between Washington and Ankara, Flynn suggested the U.S. handover Gulen.
Ankara has asked Washington to extradite Gulen for his role in establishing a quasi-state within Turkey that led a failed bloody coup July 15.
“What would we have done if right after 9/11 we heard the news that Osama bin Laden lives in a nice villa at a Turkish resort while running 160 charter schools funded by the Turkish taxpayers?” Flynn asked.
The former chair of the Defense Intelligence Agency suggested that although Gulen presents himself as a moderate Islamic scholar, he is a radical who “has publicly boasted about his ‘soldiers’ waiting for his orders to do whatever he directs them to do.”
Flynn compared Gulen to Ayatollah Khomeini -- the leader of the Iranian revolution – urging the U.S. government not to repeat its mistake by supporting Gulen as it did Khomeini.
“Washington’s silence on this explosive topic speaks volumes when we hear the incredulous claim that the democratically elected president of Turkey staged a military coup, bombed his own parliament and undermined the confidence in Turkey’s strong economy, just so that he could purge his political opponents,” he added.
Flynn also cited allegation of corruption against the Gulen network in the U.S., saying the terror leader has brought more people than Google into the country to teach English but they are not fluent in the language.Turkey should be a top priority in U.S. foreign policy, a top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday in an article that slammed Barack Obama for failing to understand Ankara’s geopolitical position.
“We must begin with understanding that Turkey is vital to U.S. interests,” retired Gen. Michael Flynn wrote for the Hill newspaper. He also called Turkey "a source of stability in the region”.
Flynn was a key national security adviser to Trump during his presidential campaign and is expected by many to be appointed to a Cabinet position, possibly as defense secretary.
The veteran general wrote that it was “an unwise policy” for the Obama administration to keep Ankara at arm’s length,
“We need to adjust our foreign policy to recognize Turkey as a priority. We need to see the world from Turkey’s perspective,” he wrote.
Noting the extradition request by Turkey of Fetullah Terrorist Organization leader, Fetullah Gulen, as one of the key points of contention between Washington and Ankara, Flynn suggested the U.S. handover Gulen.
Ankara has asked Washington to extradite Gulen for his role in establishing a quasi-state within Turkey that led a failed bloody coup July 15.
“What would we have done if right after 9/11 we heard the news that Osama bin Laden lives in a nice villa at a Turkish resort while running 160 charter schools funded by the Turkish taxpayers?” Flynn asked.
The former chair of the Defense Intelligence Agency suggested that although Gulen presents himself as a moderate Islamic scholar, he is a radical who “has publicly boasted about his ‘soldiers’ waiting for his orders to do whatever he directs them to do.”
Flynn compared Gulen to Ayatollah Khomeini -- the leader of the Iranian revolution – urging the U.S. government not to repeat its mistake by supporting Gulen as it did Khomeini.
“Washington’s silence on this explosive topic speaks volumes when we hear the incredulous claim that the democratically elected president of Turkey staged a military coup, bombed his own parliament and undermined the confidence in Turkey’s strong economy, just so that he could purge his political opponents,” he added.
Flynn also cited allegation of corruption against the Gulen network in the U.S., saying the terror leader has brought more people than Google into the country to teach English but they are not fluent in the language.
Don't know but I've a feeling Flynn's stock just dropped a bit. That is unless you think this is Trumps opening move on the world stage.
Just show what a complete idiot Flynn is in real life.
Turkey is the gateway for all troubles in Syria. Turkey wants (all of) the Kurds as dead as Saddam H.
Turkey is the gateway for selling stolen (or pirated if you like) oil from Iraq. The profits go to the head honcho’s family.
Turkey is rapidly becoming a Muslim based terror factory.
Turkey is far from stable - stable countries don’t have their citizens setting off car bombs all the time.
Turkey is no friend of the West and hasn’t been for the better part of a decade.
Add as many more as you like....
Turkey is allied with Hamas and sent terrorists to Israel on the Mavi Marmara.
Turkey is a lost cause with Erdogan pushing past Turkish Empire holdings in Iraq and Syria, and expressing a desire to retake them....along with his increasingly Muslim Extremist attitudes in the region....
Cut him loose.
Turkey should never have been admitted as a NATO member, IMO.
I like Flynn a lot, but he is wrong about handing Gulen over to Turkey.
What does Netanyahu believe about Gulen, first of all?
Second, media reports made Gulen’s movement out as rather heroic and the Turkish leader’s response as plenty bloodthirsty.
What are the facts that prove Flynn’s case, and what is it doing in the papers at this point? Hmmm..
To which I say .. Nuts!!
“We need to see the world from Turkey’s perspective.”
******************************************************************
Ahh...no we don’t, General Flynn. And we shouldn’t. And, hopefully, the Trump folks will cut you loose from any position of responsibility in the Trump administration ASAP!
Wasn’t that some kind of astrturf deal to expose opposition?
Did you read the article? Why has Turkey become a bad actor? Self preservation perhaps? Obama is aligned with the MB. Why was the first call to POTUS elect Trump from Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi? The puzzle pieces are all there. Put them together and go Hmmmm like I did.
Yes, Flynn is dredging up old cold war strategy or is it Trumps idea to float this out? Opponents idea to put out disinformation and cause trouble?
It would be incredibly stupid of Flynn to start discussing foreign policy without Trumps okay, and I think Trump would never go public with it before inauguration.
While I wouldn’t call this a shot across Russia’s bow, it will make sure they have Turkey factored in.
read my new sig.
Erdogan is an Islamist bent on making himself the Caliph.
I hope Flynn is not as big a fool as he sounds from this piece.
Erdogan is a tyrant and a Muslim extremist.
Our goal should be to hand Erdogan over to the Kurdish rebels.
Erdogan has aspirations.
Gulen is a radical islamist, just like Erdogan. This is a fight similar to Communists vs. Fascists in Germany. Trump should figure out how to get Gulen and Erdogan to destroy each other.
Yep.
Erdogan is Islamist slime. It's too bad last summer's coup failed (that is, assuming it wasn't just a dramatic performance designed to consolidate Erdogan's hold on power).
Erdogan's son Bilal has a lucrative business reselling ISIS oil on the world market. Obama resisted interdicting ISIS's oil caravans due to loss of life and global warming due to the huge fires.
Turkey should be expelled from NATO.
We have to ask Netanyahus for his opinion on all matters “first of all”? We are a sovereign country, aren’t we?
I didn’t know that he is the final arbiter of US policies.
>>He also called Turkey “a source of stability in the region”.<<
WTH is wrong with Flynn? Turkey has caused instability and spread Terrorism in the world since Erdogan.
#1 Identify the problem.
OK, good the Trump team has seen that US position visa vis Turkey is a big problem. Now comes the very complex question of what to do about it. As my fellow Freepers pointed out, Erdogan is the root of the problem, but given the events of the last 10 years or so, he is sitting very pretty at the top of Turkey. So what to do?
That’s going to be a very tricky problem, and I don’t have any suggestions at the moment.
First of all, Israel has among the finest intelligence in the Middle East.
Second, Israel has a vested interest in staying alive. Obama has a vested interest in “peace at any price. He also owns the US intelligence, which has proven dismal in producing it, and cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
“We” (USA) are welcome to form opinions without Israel, *possibly* as General Flynn has done, here, but Americans are not wanting, after eight of Obama, to hear anymore opinions on ME issues, without facts to back them up, and to hear from Israeli intelligence on who’s who among the real trouble makers in Turkey and elsewhere.
Turkey is no great pal to the West, presently. Israel is.
Period.
Dangling Gulen in front of Erdogan is a negotiation ploy to try and make him change teams. Right now Erdogan is MB aligned, but he viscerally hates Gulen. Getting him to change teams would be a HUGE win for us. Turkey is a bad actor, but the times are a changing.
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