Aligning with regional Sunni movements, “secular” Turkey was instrumental in the creation of the Islamic State — an ironic denouement in light of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s own caliphate dreams. But Turkey should now neither be in NATO or be considered an ally of the United States — that is, if we had an administration that was serious about resisting jihad terror and Islamic supremacism.
“In Turkey, a late crackdown on Islamist fighters,” by Anthony Faiola and Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post, August 12, 2014 (thanks to Twostellas):
REYHANLI, Turkey — Before their blitz into Iraq earned them the title of the Middle East’s most feared insurgency, the jihadists of the Islamic State treated this Turkish town near the Syrian border as their own personal shopping mall.
And eager to aid any and all enemies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey rolled out the red carpet.
In dusty market stalls, among the baklava shops and kebab stands, locals talk of Islamist fighters openly stocking up on uniforms and the latest Samsung smartphones. Wounded jihadists from the Islamic State and the al-Nusra Front — an al-Qaeda offshoot also fighting the Syrian government — were treated at Turkish hospitals. Most important, the Turks winked as Reyhanli and other Turkish towns became way stations for moving foreign fighters and arms across the border.
“Turkey welcomed anyone against Assad, and now they are killing, spreading their disease, and we are all paying the price,” said Tamer Apis, a politician in Reyhanli, where two massive car bombs killed 52 people last year. In a nearby city, Turkish authorities seized another car packed with explosives in June, raising fears of an Islamic State-inspired campaign to export sectarian strife to Turkey.
“It was not just us,” Apis said. “But this is a mess of Turkey’s making.”
The U.S. military is back in action over the skies of Iraq, launching airstrikes against the Islamist militants who have taken control of large swaths of Iraq and Syria. But for many months, the militants were able to grow in power partly by using the border region of a NATO member — Turkey — as a strategically vital supply route and entry point to wage their war.
Alarmed by the growing might of the Islamic State, Turkey has started cracking down. Working with the United States and European governments, Turkish officials have enacted new safeguards to detain foreign fighters trying to get into Syria and launched a military offensive aimed at curtailing the smuggling of weapons and supplies across the border.
But in a region engulfed by a broadening conflict, Turkey is also reaping what it sowed. It is engaging in border shootouts with rebels it once tactically aided. It is confronting spillover violence, a cutoff in its trade routes and a spreading wave of fear in Turkish towns as the Islamic State wins over defectors from rival opposition groups.
And despite the new measures, the Islamic State is still slipping through Turkish nets — raising doubts about international efforts to put a stranglehold on a radical Sunni group known for public crucifixions and the beheading of enemies.
“It is not as easy to come into Turkey anymore,” Abu Yusaf, a 27-year-old senior security commander for the Islamic State, said in a recent interview conducted in the back seat of a moving white Honda in Reyhanli. “I myself had to go through smugglers to get here, but as you see, there are still ways and methods.”
Wearing a polo shirt and white baseball cap to blend in on the more secular streets of Turkey, Yusaf, the nom de guerre of the European-born fighter who joined the group 21 / 2 years ago, added: “We don’t believe in countries . . . breaking and destroying all borders is our aim. What matters are Islam and a Sunni reign.”
Asked about the United States’ role in the region, Yusaf said, “We don’t fear the U.S., we only fear God. We fight whoever are fighting us. If the U.S. hits us with flowers, we will hit them back with flowers. But if they hit us with fire, we will hit them back with fire, also inside their homeland. This will be the same with any other Western country.”
For Turkey, it was not supposed to be this way.
Initially a close Assad ally, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan broke with Damascus after the Syrian leader launched a bloody assault on opponents in 2011. Erdogan quickly emerged as a leading voice calling for international action to topple the Syrian leader.
But for Erdogan, a charismatic autocrat once filled with notions of building a neo-Ottoman sphere of influence across the Middle East, the move to tactically support a broad swath of the Syrian opposition has backfired, resulting in one of a series of recent setbacks for him at home and abroad.
During its push into the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in June, the Islamic State seized 80 Turkish hostages — including a gaggle of diplomats — 41 of whom are still being held. More than 1 million refugees have poured into Turkey since the start of the Syrian conflict, costing the government more than $3 billion. Billions more have been lost in business and trade across its borders with Syria and Iraq.
“This is destroying us,” said Huseyin Surucu, owner of Rey-Tur, a Reyhanli transport company that has seen its business plunge by 60 percent since the start of the Syrian conflict. One bomb blast that hit the city last year went off several feet from his company, killing a family friend. “We are all afraid because we know more trouble is coming.”
Turkish officials have publicly offered support for more mainstream factions of the Syrian opposition. Yet only in more recent stages of the conflict has it labeled some extremist factions as terrorist groups. And given the difficulty of accurately assessing loyalties among the opposition, Turkey indiscriminately allowed weapons and fighters to flow across the border, Western diplomats, local officials and security experts say.
Of massive concern are thousands of increasingly radicalized foreign fighters, including many carrying U.S. and European passports, who have gone to fight in Syria. One senior Turkish official who declined to be identified blamed Western allies for not fully cooperating in the hunt to stop “the wrong ones” from crossing the border.
Citing privacy laws, for instance, European governments would often provide limited information to Turkish intelligence about suspects. “They were not giving us all the information they had,” the official said.
But that has changed. Since the fall of Mosul in June, the Europeans and Americans have been sharing more details, he said, and the Turks have stepped up detentions of suspected foreign fighters. The Turks refuse to disclose the number of recent arrests and repatriations.
Meanwhile, Turkish calculations in the Syrian conflict are fast evolving. The Turks have started cooperative talks with the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Kurdish separatist group whose brothers in arms have fought a long guerrilla war against Turkey. The reason for the possible new alliance: The PYD controls a swath of Syria and is fighting against the Islamic State.
But Turkey’s about-face may be too little, too late.
Yusaf, the Islamic State commander who traveled to Reyhanli from Syria for an interview with The Washington Post, suggested that the group had the Turks to thank in part for its current success.
“We used to have some fighters — even high-level members of the Islamic State — getting treated in Turkish hospitals,” he said. “And also, most of the fighters who joined us in the beginning of the war came via Turkey, and so did our equipment and supplies.”…
umbra says
An inevitable but lovely development. Inept erdogan trying to shape regional politics, but getting burnt in the process. He cannot even manage problems within turkey, let alone problems in regional countries.
Rezali Mehil says
Oh Pleeease…
Only a few of a few within Turkey may have wanted the Caliph back …but do you honestly think that Al-Bhagdadi would accept this?
This piece is mostly about trying to ruin the holiday trade to Turkey.
Fear and rumour saying that Turkey was going top get sucked in so that people would cancel their holidays….
people.. ..Turkey is safe …it is secular and it’s hospitality is second to none…it has the sunshine for you to experience a great holiday , pls do not get tangled and brain washed by Mr. Spencer’s write up.
Kicking Turkey out of Nato for example would only destabilise things further…not going to happen…remember Turkey still has designs to join the EU….you tell me….would they want to jeopardise that?
This is a non story people… please continue your holidays to Turkey and I understand some of the middle age English women are queueing up to marry young fit Turkish waiters….keep up the good work.
More Later…
Rezalil
Charli Main says
a verbatim conversation I overheard at Gatwick airport a few years back—–
A father talking to his teen age daughters off on holiday to turkey, on their own for the first time.
“Just remember girls, that when those Turkish waiters start to “chat you up” there is only one thing they are after——a British passport and a one way ticket to the land of free benefits”.
JIMJFOX says
You don’t fool me, Rezali- I hoped to retire to Turkey but after 2 years of AKP and your madman Erdogan I left. Islam is dominant and the switch to sharia could be flicked in an instant; Turks I met were so friendly, helpful generous- but for how long? Will they submit to the hotheads? Erdogan is pushing Islamisation hard; once the army could take action to neutralise Islam but no more after Erdogan’s purges of the military and judiciary.
Turkey is on the road to disaster and Islam is its nemesis. You have all betrayed the great reformer Ataturk and you will get your reward- terror on your streets.
JIMJFOX says
Just to add- the Jew hatred I found from every Turk I spoke to astonished me; they have bought the whole Islamic lie that Jews cause all evil in the world.
I just hope I will be proved wrong but I doubt it. Don’t underestimate the sickening power of Islam to turn good people into raging savages.
JeffS says
Yes, Rezali/Naseem. Robert Spencer is lying about Turkey. Oh wait, Robert Spencer didn’t write the article, it is Anthony Faiola and Souad Mekhennet of the Washington Post who wrote a false article about Turkey just to make Turkey look bad. Yes, Sunni Turks and Sunni IS jihadis are sweet and benign and very loving to Shiites like you. I’m sure they’d be glad to have you as one of their sex slaves. But I suggest you apostatize and marry a Kuffar instead. You’ll find they treat their wives a lot better than your co-religionists. But then again, being treated better might not be what you’re after. Wink, wink.
Beagle says
“Only a few of a few within Turkey may have wanted the Caliph back”
Since Spencer only mentioned Erdogan you didn’t refute what he said.
Angemon says
Rezalil posted:
“This is a non story people… please continue your holidays to Turkey”
TH says
What about Edrogan? He is not secularist and he has done the same thing as Putin, in his case moving from Prime Minister to President and with a big majority. So, it seems that Turkey is also being jihadized. Turkey is going down a dangerous path.
Richie says
As long as Islamic barbarism has any power in Turkey (occupied Christian lands btw), Turkey remains uncivilized, as is all of the ‘Islamic World’, and is unfit to be allowed in the EU
enwhitenment says
Rezali.
You just profiled yourself perfectly !.
You were a young Turkish waiter with a love of British romance novels.
You were raped by two or more sunni followers & although you enjoyed it you were left humiliated.
Later you were befriended by an older man of Iranian descent and now have a porn addiction.
The older man took you to the west where you now live as his submissive partner in a gay relationship.
Although he treats you well he is getting old and this emboldens you to move forward but at the same time brings back the demons that haunt you from the earlier rape.
You blame yourself for the rape & seek to blame all Sunni’s on your mistake.
The main thing that stands out is that you are not Iranian and you are not female.
You should seek medical help as the demons will not go away by themselves.
We all make mistakes in life and a young gay Turkish male waiter like yourself is no different to anyone else.
Accept the help available and stop trying to combine your own imaginary wars with the real wars of the world today.
Stand up and be counted as a man Rezali the world will accept you if you just take that first step.
Charli Main says
” Turkey should now neither be in NATO or considered an ally of the united States”
I doubt that Turkey will care one way or the other, given that European Union political elites are desperate for the joys of having 75 million Muslims a part of Europe. The Ottoman dream fulfilled without a short being fired.
By the way, Turkey has never been a true ally of the US and has only used NATO as a convenience, to protect them from Russia.
umbra says
turkey is in NATO primarily because of the Bosphorus – being a strategic position for blockading the Russian Black Sea Fleet. turkey close proximity to Russia and the caucus is also another factor. And so, NATO will keep turkey as long as turkey does not commit any hostile action against NATO.
the EU wants turkey because it offers an alternative transit route for central asian oil and gas. The EU also foolishly believes that 75 million turks would add a significant benefit to the european economy. The EU is better off encouraging procreating amongst its natives to boost its population rather than absorbing unproductive and problematic foreign population.
Mazo says
14 million Kurds live in Turkey, moron. They are not all Turks.
EmHotep says
As a Turkish MD I am terrified that we have to provide healthcare for IS terrorists. Thanks to Erdogan and his partner Mr. Obama all the country is in a deep sharia shit.. Besides, as some friends mentioned above there is an enormous increase in hatred against anyone who is not practicing sunni muslim. We don’t want Erdogan but somehow he manages to come out as first from every election..
11B40 says
Greetings:
Meanwhile, and I guess yet to be discovered by the Washington Post folks, the USofA has to fly all the way across Iraq to get at the ISIS/ISIL/ISy with its F-18 because our “allies” the Turks put the kibosh on the use of American/NATO airbases located in Turkey. In a Ghost of Christmas Past kind of way, not unlike Turkey putting the kibosh on the 4th Infantry Division passing through to go a-knocking on Saddam Hussein’s many palace doors. With allies like these…
As the recently departed Fouad Ajami asserted so eloquently, those are the lands of “I against my brother; my brother and I against our cousin; and my cousin, my brother, and I against the stranger”. And we infidels always qualify for that last category.
Bottom line, lay down with dogs and you’ll get up with fleas.
umbra says
and yet the US put up with this nonsense because turkey knows quite well that the US sees Russia as a bigger threat than isis or saddam (while he was around). So, the US and NATO will not endanger their access to bases in turkey for the likes isis. In any case, it would be better for the US not to owe turkey any favours for using their bases. Better off relying on the US Navy operating off the gulf.
R. K. MacUalraig says
No worries, IS:
The free men & women of the West will clean it up, in spite of all the sensitive little chicken hawks and sad sacks of the West.
It’s just reality.
This comment probably won’t even be JW logged, but that’s OK.
That’s just reality too. The PCMC limpness has infected all but the Infidel Savage, and they know who they are.
Up at night, clearing the house, convinced your still in the shit.
The savagery and rawness of the men who fought the Nazis is disowned today by the West. My grandfather fought the totalitarian with an M14 and a Tomahawk.
I an M-4 and an my words here .
Dust in the wind until almost. Almost time. And my sons and I will cancel this 1400 old threat for good.
Is it not time to win? For the interests that have an interest in seeing the game continue… I would remind you that you have the long term evolution of your consciousness to consider.
Karma is a bitch. Comeuppance is real, and you know that in your small way.
And any Bushes or Obamas tuning in: SUCK MY COCK!
You’re traitors.
Emre says
“Of massive concern are thousands of increasingly radicalized foreign fighters, including many carrying U.S. and European passports, who have gone to fight in Syria. One senior Turkish official who declined to be identified blamed Western allies for not fully cooperating in the hunt to stop “the wrong ones” from crossing the border.
Citing privacy laws, for instance, European governments would often provide limited information to Turkish intelligence about suspects. “They were not giving us all the information they had,” the official said.
But that has changed. Since the fall of Mosul in June, the Europeans and Americans have been sharing more details, he said, and the Turks have stepped up detentions of suspected foreign fighters. The Turks refuse to disclose the number of recent arrests and repatriations.”
Any comments?
jewdog says
ISIS is the Frankenstein monster that Erdogan, the Ottoman Vampire, created. Now sit back and watch “Frankenstein versus The Ottoman Vampire”. It should be a good show.
Gail Griffin says
Popcorn????
Brian Hoff says
It Turkey have join Hitler Germany in june 1940 it would have change history. Germany airborn force would have help Turkey take Cyprus from the UK. Germany capute Gibraltar and Spain declare war on the UK, Malta capive by Germany force., with Hitler telling Italy that 2 amour divison and 2 motorize divison with the germany general in charge will invade Egypt and the cannel zone.Turkey would allow Germany force to travel thought Turkey to strike into the Middle east, capute Iraq from the UK which have only 2 UK division in it. Then Iran will join Germany as allie with Germany units move thought Iran and Afghanistan to India. Japon doesnot attrack americia but take Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and help the Hindist rebel drive the UK out of India.
Angemon says
defenderofislam posted:
“It Turkey have join Hitler Germany in june 1940 it would have change history.”
Right, because that worked so well for the ottomans in WWI…
“Germany capute Gibraltar and Spain declare war on the UK”
OK, so Spain, which was neutral, would react to a German attack to a territory it claims by declaring war on Germany’s enemy?
Also, in your alternate history, is Turkey supposed to actually do anything other than sitting in the sidelines cheering for Germany?
“Germany airborn force would have help Turkey take Cyprus from the UK.
[…]
Germany capute Gibraltar […] Malta capive by Germany force
[…]
Turkey would allow Germany force to travel thought Turkey to strike into the Middle east, capute Iraq from the UK”
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5klJduwXEmM/TqV5-_ugY7I/AAAAAAAAFxg/0tvTIwchBhU/s1600/IMG_7609.JPG
umbra says
Amusing hypothetical scenario – if turkey had join nazi germany in ww2.
If indeed turkey had joined the nazis, it would have been smashed just like the nazis were. Except, instead of British or US forces going into turkey, it would have been soviet forces. History has shown how brutal soviets can be, especially NKVD units. It was the soviets that depopulated east prussia of germans (kaliningrad oblast) following the war. It was the soviets who executed polish officers, leaders, teachers, etc following the conquest and partition of poland in ww2. Similar oppression took place following the conquest of baltic states during the same time as the soviet polish campaign. And so, the list goes on.
So, if turkey had joined nazi germany, turkey would have been pillaged, burned and looted (parts of turkey may very well be depopulated) by the soviets. The remaining allied forces (US and British) would not have given these atrocities any more consideration than the pillaging and destruction wrought on nazi germany. The funny thing is, in hindsight, the ussr would probably have welcome turkish participation on the side of nazi germany. ussr has longed coveted additional turkish territories that would place additional buffer zones between its oil production region in the caucus and the outside world. Also, it would place the ussr closer to oil rich middle eastern states.
The only part that would have changed with turkish involvement in ww2 on the nazi’s side would be a smaller turkish state today perhaps stricken with poverty while being a satellite of the ussr during the cold war.
Brian Hoff says
Hitler wouldnot have invade the USSR an the Soviet would have no interest in invade Turkey at all. Spain did wanr to have that piece of Land the UK took from then but Hitler wafle back and forth on this operate, it Hitler have not wafle or he have no plan past defeatinf France Spain would have declare war on the UK as the UK was weak from being driven out of France. The 1939 war between Finland and the Soviet Union was no greast victoey for the USSR as than nation with no standing army came close to defeasting the Soviet which was why Stalin gave then east term to end the fighting. Germany would have sent force to protect Spain and Turkey. Turkey would have support upraiseing in the muslim area of the Soviet Union. With Iran allied with the Germany the oil fields would have being 100 miles from the Iran boarder Fermany would have place Germany unit in Iran ready too force the boarder it Stalin did anything cutting off 75% of the Soviet oil at that time. In Spain germany drive bomders would stop any UK landing troop in Spain in fact the UK force have lost all of the heavy equipment in France in May 1940 would have than hard time fighting Spainish forces. Once India is taken over by Japon and Hindish Redal Church would have being remove as Prime Minster by Parlinism
than new Prime Minster apoint to ask for peace term from Germany. Mostly like Saudic Arabian would have become friend with Germany under the Nazie.
Brian Hoff says
One of the reason that Hitler lost the war in Russia in 1941 was he halt the entire Germany military in Russia for one whole month while he make up his mind on what to do next. Then he sent one Panzar group north to help take Leigard and one Panzar Group south to help take Kieva. By the time they return to Center Army Group the heavy rain of the Russian fall hinder the Germany military they almost did take Soviet Captail but the Coldest Russian winter hit the germany milatary , the SS have winter gear and low temp oils and anti-freeze which the regurate Germany military didnot have.
TH says
In 1940 Spain under Franco had no intention of declaring war on the UK. Franco was not a fascist, but a catholic nationalist. In fact, when Hitler met him after the fall of France, he commented that he would prefer to have two teeth pulled than have another mewtting with that man” (Fanco).
Brian Hoff says
It Hitler have offer than good deal Spain would have declare war on the UK he was worry about the beef from south america being stop by the UK than he worry about the USA stoping aid to him.
pumbar says
Brian Hoff
Wanted for crimes against knowledge, logic and the English language.
Myxlplik says
Turkey controls the water which flows into the IS.
Eventually, IS will want control the water from Ankara themselves.
shrugger says
Robert, PLEASE do not use the word “Administration” in conjunction with Barry Soetoro. The proper word is “Regime”.
Thanks