Turkey's Ruthless Agenda

by Stephen Lendman

Turkey under Erdogan threatens regional peace and stability - complicit with Washington, Israel, Saudi Arabia and other rogue partners.

His delusional goal is Ottoman revival, incorporating northern Syria and Iraq into Turkish territory, a foolhardy objective he won't achieve. 

He seeks unchallenged iron-fisted rule, supports ISIS and other terrorist groups for his own self-interest. 

Opponents are targeted for elimination. His recklessness risks direct confrontation with Russia. He's systematically destroying fundamental freedoms. 

Naked aggression against Turkish Kurds rages. He blockaded northern Syria Kurdish areas, preventing essential to life supplies from entering, randomly shooting civilians from sniper towers.

At the same time, ISIS and other terrorist elements move freely back and forth between Turkey and Syria. Erdogan supports their agenda while rhetorically expressing opposition.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova blasted his regime, saying:

"Turkey is playing a hidden game by following its narrow opportunistic interests. It is enough to mention its connivance (in violation of UN Security Council resolutions) with smuggling (ISIS-stolen) oil through its territory…let alone Turkish authorities' regular supply of weapons to different extremist groups in Syria, including clearly terrorist organizations and those affiliated with them." 

"Ankara's plans are obvious as it used the chaos in Syria and tried to change the ethnic configuration in the north of the country to its benefit under the (phony) pretext of fighting against ISIL." 

"In the framework of this strategy, it is making steps with the aim of weakening one national group that is fighting against jihadists successfully and with dedication, and at the same time…strengthen(ing) another."

"Turkish special services provide military and other types of support to Turkmen armed groups, including clearly extremist, nationalist elements and militant volunteers from Turkey."

"We condemn such destructive (actions) that lead to further escalation in the region, call for constructive work in the framework of international efforts on ensuring the launch of an inclusive process of political settlement in Syria and making steps to fight against ISIL and other terrorist structures in the region."

In late December, Syria's UN envoy Bashar Ja'afari explained "unprecedented terrorist war" on his country, involving Western and regional support for ISIS and similar groups, arming, funding training, and directing them.

He blasted Erdogan's anti-Syrian regime, his armed forces directly involved in naked aggression - "provid(ing) covering fire for the terrorist movements inside Syrian territory" and along border areas "to facilitate the infiltration of terrorist mercenaries from Turkish territory into" Syria.

"The Turkish regime's crimes have been directed against not only Syria…but also against Syrian refugees in Turkey who have fled from the tyranny and terrorism of such organizations as ISIL, the Nusra Front, the Army of Conquest, and the Islamic Front, which the Turkish government hosts in Turkish territory."

"Those refugees have to contend with the even more cruel tyranny and terrorism of gangs that engage in human trafficking with the knowledge and direct involvement of the Erdogan regime's agencies and institutions."

Erdogan's megalomaniacal ambitions threaten greater regional war and chaos - Washington's dirty hands orchestrating things covertly. 

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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