-btw that's the Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusgolu giving Putin the side-eye as he shares a laugh with MBS.
Posted on 12/01/2018 6:57:38 AM PST by Texas Fossil
On Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump flew to the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires to attend the G20 summit, the White House told its press pool that his scheduled formal meeting at the summit with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had been rearranged as a short, pull-aside meeting.
With little chance that anything of substance will be discussed during such a meeting, this can be taken more or less as a politer alternative to cancelling altogether.
No official reason has been given for the change, but events over the last few days give us enough clues to go on.
With statements from Ankara frequently taking an aggressive tone towards the United States, the White House may simply have decided to spare itself the indignity of a formal meeting.
During a speech to his party’s deputies in parliament on Tuesday, Erdoğan said the extremist jihadist Islamic State did not exist in Syria, calling the jihadists remaining in the country a “small number of gangs” trained and equipped by large foreign states to sow chaos in the region.
By saying so Erdoğan had explicitly labelled the United States’ stated reason for maintaining a presence in Syria – to decisively defeat the Islamic State – as nothing more than an excuse. The statement came just as Washington announced plans to establish observation outposts in the predominantly Kurdish areas of northern Syria, bordering Turkey, where the majority of U.S. troops are stationed.
Erdoğan went on to say that the “terrorist organisations and the powers supporting them” had used the Islamic State as a pretext to invade the region and claim its oil resources, adding that if these groups simply departed, the problems facing Syria would solve themselves.
(Excerpt) Read more at ahvalnews-com.cdn.ampproject.org ...
Turkey is going the another phase of purge in the Military and in their elected officials. Erdogan has targeted both HDP (pro Kurd) and CHP (Kemalist) political parties to have their immunity from prosecution removed. Setting the stage for jailing more of the opposition. Targeting the CHP (Kemalists) is an indictor that Erdo is either desperate or feeling empowered again. The Kemalist had control of Turkey since the end of WWI, and they were artists at coups. They were secularist and Erdo is the first Islamist to rule Turkey since WWI. This sobering thought must not get lost in looking at this.
In a single day Turkey recently arrested 32 Military officers. That type of arrests happened after the (faux) Coup 2+ years ago. I think this is an ominous sign of what is to come in Turkey.
No other nation in the world harbors and protects ISIS, al Qaeda Terrorists and the Muslim Brotherhood, except Erdogan the Islamist's Turkey.
Erdogan wants all of Syria. I don't doubt Obama promised him he could have it. He wants the oil in NE Syria and is willing to kill all Kurds to get it. He sees alliance with Russia will give him the outlet for that to Europe. AND remember if he gets it, he will revive a dying ISIS and go on a conquest of the ME.
Erdogan is a bad dude. Turkey scr**** us during the Gulf War and this dude has turned Turkey back into a full blown Muslim State.
-btw that's the Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusgolu giving Putin the side-eye as he shares a laugh with MBS.
Thanks for posting.
This is a declaration of war against Turkey. Arab nations, we are warning you; Stop those two crown princes at once! Topple Mohammed bin Salman! Understand that the trap has been set against you!
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are playing a very dangerous game. They are openly taking steps that will signify the declaration of a war against Turkey.
They committing a series of provocations one after another for a great clash that will destroy not only themselves but also the entire region. They are mobilizing the whole Arab world to take action against Turkey in efforts to spark a Turk-Arab war.
The UAE and Saudi delegations are visiting PKK camps in the region, sending military experts, and deploying troops in the region. Against whom? Against us. They are building fronts along Turkey’s border. They are making joint preparations with Western militaries and terrorist organizations for a war against our country.
These two countries that have undertaken the regional role in the U.S.-Israel project to cause Turkey to collapse from the inside – and if that fails, to openly threaten it with war – are trying to pave the way for a regional war with their actions. Those who aligned with the British front against the Ottoman Empire after World War I are now being positioned in fronts against Turkey again along the U.S.-U.K.-Israel axis.
Well, they were seated next to each other. For whatever reason. My take on MBS is he is a reformer who wants SA to move toward more open engagement with the world. I’m sure there are other motives.
Mevlut Cavusgolu is constantly making propaganda to support the perspective of Erdogan the Islamist. None of Erdogan’s yes men have any sense of humor, they are never comfortable in their own skin. They never laugh.
Putin and MBS appear to be comfortable in their own skin and are laughing. This would be immediately bothersome for Cavusgolu.
balderdascious drivel
Yes, Erdogan is pure retrograde.
He is an Islamist dictator. He is the very thing that Kemal destroyed when he came to power after WWI. He gained power by military ability. He was personally secular. Some say he was an Atheist. It is clear he did whatever he wanted and nobody asked questions.
Right now there is a new purge of Kemalist leadership going on in military and elected government. Either Erdo is afraid of the Kemalist or he thinks he has the upper hand. Not sure which. To understand this require cementing many points of reference. It is a complex mixture and the truth is deeply hidden in Turkey. Many subjects are totally taboo.
I am of course no fan of Erdogan—but that sounds pretty much like the truth to me.
As Angela apparently concluded herself.
The problem in the Middle East are the Islamist Terrorists.
Turkey with Qatar support and Iran are the source of their support right now. The problem is built into Islam via the Quran.
If Turkey could gain control of all Muslim Countries in the Middle East it would look like hell on earth. Genocide would happen on an incredible scale.
The US will always be linked to Israel. There are a number of Arab/largely Muslim countries who want to live in peace with their neighbors and not be treated as a pariah. We should support an ally with them to protect our established allies there.
Our CIA has been instrumental in the worst of the terrorists throughout—from Al Qaeda to ISIS. He is quite correct that we stirred up much of the trouble in Syria and that oil pipeline routes are a central motivation.
I'd buy a ticket to see that fight...just keep the United States out of it.
The love of money is the root of all evil. (did not say that money is, but the love of.)
Saudi Arabian Oil = Lots of Money
Twice Turkey has destroyed Saudi Arabia. Once with the beheading of the King of SA in Istanbul. Those things are not forgotten soon in the ME.
Syria? Long history of horrible things between Assad and US. Blame whoever you like, there are lots of choices.
I have much shorter view of Syria. I still blame Cornyn, Graham and McCain for lots of misery in Syria.
My interest in it today is for aiding Israel and helping those who would bring stability and normality to Syria. Big order.
As I said, I’m no fan of Erdogan (or, for that matter the brutality of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, etc.), but I stand by my point—what he reportedly said sounds factually correct.
Quite a picture for a body language expert to analyze.
Well, guess we can disagree. I don’t see this beginning with Trump policy, but it did expand after he took office. The results were almost total destruction of ISIS in N. Syria.
I my opinion, the only reason we are there is ISIS and protection of our allies in the region like Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE and several others. Note: I do not feel that Turkey under Erdogan is a legitimate ally within NATO. It may have been in the beginning of that relationship. Turkey has changed much for the worst under Erdogan.
I’ve read that Trump questioned why we were there, outside of the interests of our ally Israel. Like? What is in it for US. He has asked that question pertaining to Iraq.
A stable and free Northern Syria is the best way to check the expansionist and terrorist interests coming from Turkey and Iran.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.