'Iran is our friend,' says Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
* We have no difficulty with Ahmadinejad - Erdogan
* Warning to Europe not to ignore Turkey's strengths
Robert Tait in Istanbul
The Guardian, Monday 26 October 2009
Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photograph: Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images
With its stunning vistas and former Ottoman palaces, the banks of the Bosphorus the strategic waterway that cuts Istanbul in half and divides Europe from Asia may be the perfect place to distinguish friend from foe and establish where your country's interests lie.
And sitting in his grandiose headquarters beside the strait, long the symbol of Turkey's supposed role as bridge between east and west, Recep Tayyip Erdogan had little doubt about who was a friend and who wasn't.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's radical president whose fiery rhetoric has made him a bête noire of the west? "There is no doubt he is our friend," said Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister for the last six years. "As a friend so far we have very good relations and have had no difficulty at all."
What about Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, who has led European opposition to Turkey's bid to join the EU and, coincidentally, adopted a belligerent tone towards Iran's nuclear programme? Not a friend?
"Among leaders in Europe there are those who have prejudices against Turkey, like France and Germany. Previously under Mr Chirac, we had excellent relations [with France] and he was very positive towards Turkey. But during the time of Mr Sarkozy, this is not the case. It is an unfair attitude. The European Union is violating its own rules.
"Being in the European Union we would be building bridges between the 1.5bn people of Muslim world to the non-Muslim world. They have to see this. If they ignore it, it brings weakness to the EU."
Friendly towards a religious theocratic Iran, covetous and increasingly resentful of a secular but maddeningly dismissive Europe: it seems the perfect summary of Turkey's east-west dichotomy.
Erdogan's partiality towards Ahmadinejad may surprise some in the west who see Turkey as a western-oriented democracy firmly grounded inside Nato. It has been a member of the alliance since 1952. It will be less surprising to Erdogan's secular domestic critics, who believe the prime minister's heart lies in the east and have long suspected his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development party (AKP) government of plotting to transform Turkey into a religious state resembling Iran.
Erdogan vigorously denies the latter charge, but to his critics he and Ahmadinejad are birds of a feather: devout religious conservatives from humble backgrounds who court popular support by talking the language of the street. After Ahmadinejad's disputed presidential election in June, Erdogan and his ally, the Turkish president, Abdullah Gul, were among the first foreign leaders to make congratulatory phone calls, ignoring the mass demonstrations and concerns of western leaders over the result's legitimacy.
Talking to the Guardian, Erdogan called the move a "necessity of bilateral relations". "Mr Ahmadinejad was declared to be the winner, not officially, but with a large vote difference, and since he is someone we have met before, we called to congratulate him," he said.
"Later it was officially declared that he was elected, he got a vote of confidence and we pay special attention to something like this. It is a basic principle of our foreign policy."
The gesture will be remembered when Erdogan arrives in Tehran this week for talks with Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, that will focus on commercial ties, including Turkey's need for Iranian natural gas. Ahmadinejad has voiced his admiration for Erdogan, praising Turkey's recent decision to ban Israel from a planned Nato manoeuvre in protest at last winter's bombardment of Gaza.
Since the election, Iran has witnessed a fierce crackdown on opposition figures that has resulted in activists, students and journalists being imprisoned and publicly tried. Detainees have died in prison, and there have been allegations of torture and rape. Some of those alleging mistreatment have sought refuge in Turkey.
But Erdogan said he would not raise the post-election crackdown with his hosts, saying it would represent "interference" in Iranian domestic affairs.
He poured cold water on western accusations that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon, saying: "Iran does not accept it is building a weapon. They are working on nuclear power for the purposes of energy only."
Erdogan has overseen a dramatic improvement in the previously frigid relations between Turkey and Iran, which was viewed with suspicion by the pro-secularist high command of the powerful Turkish military. Trade between the two countries last year was worth an estimated £5.5bn as Iran has developed into a major market for Turkish exports.
Erdogan's views will interest US foreign policy makers, who have long seen his AKP government as a model of a pro-western "moderate Islam" that could be adopted in other Muslim countries. They will also find an audience with President Barack Obama, who signalled Turkey's strategic importance in a visit last April and has invited the prime minister to visit Washington. They are unlikely to impress Israel, which has warned that Erdogan's criticisms risk harming Turkey's relations with the US.
Erdogan dismissed the notion, saying: "I don't think there is any possibility of that. America's policy in this region is not dictated by Israel."
He insisted that the Turkey-Israel strategic alliance which some AKP insiders have said privately is over remains alive but chided the Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who he said had threatened to use nuclear weapons against Gaza.
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 11:28 AM
We did not chose our neighbours, whatever the US thinks about them is none of our business and Turkey holds the full right to have normal relations and trade with them.
If I applaud Erdogan in one thing that would be in his stance of foreign politics.
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Turkiye Turklerindir (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)
Power is the ultimate afrodisiak (Henry kissinger)
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 11:40 AM
This message has been edited by TuAF35LightningII on Oct 26, 2009 12:53 PM
Dolphins dominate (Login Fatih1989) The Conquerors (Turkey)
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 11:40 AM
Iran its self is a gate to Asia , Iran is a very important partner very usefull and to see Iran succeed will benefit Turkey heaps in the future , the Restriction are no just hurting Iran but Hurting Turkey
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 11:50 AM
Gas and oil is not the main point.
Turkey and Iran have no enmities, no border problems. Yet our relations where kept at minimum because of politics emposed on us by the US. Result, we made billions of dolars loss in trade just because uncle Sam did not like the fact that her proxy the Shah was topled.
Turkish trade was hampered all these years:
- To the east, because they where regarded communist enemy (Nato policy)
- To the south (Iran, Iraq, Syria) because they where regarded axis of evil (US policy)
- To the west, morons who call themselve Hellenes
- To the North (Bulgaria, Russia) likewise communist (Nato policy)
So Turkey was isolated from trade with neighbouring countries because of US policies, making Turkey more and more dependent on the US.
Although I find it pitty that it is the AKP who is doing the right thing and break the isolationist policies, none of the other moronic parties had the ballz to do it. I fully support the foreign policy on this one!
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Turkiye Turklerindir (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)
Power is the ultimate afrodisiak (Henry kissinger)
This message has been edited by nutuk on Oct 26, 2009 11:51 AM
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 11:57 AM
i dont think any of this happening without the knowledge of the us it might sound like a conspiracy but this are the steps to the Greater Middle East project and it looks like turkey got a leading role in it not just with turkeys Akp but with akp,military,president,opposicion its like a fixt match (WWF styl)
Dolphins dominate (Login Fatih1989) The Conquerors (Turkey)
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 11:59 AM
Iran its self is a gate to Asia , Iran is a very important partner very usefull and to see Iran succeed will benefit Turkey heaps in the future , the Restriction are no just hurting Iran but Hurting Turkey
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 12:09 PM
Re Tuaf,
Reviving the Ottoman empire is not possible without wars, and if it was I would support it
It's time for Turkey to open up her eyes, whole of Europe have trown away borders and are enriching themself with more and more trade while US (and Europe) like to continue to empose isolationist policies on Turkey.
Remember that Ataturk never fell into isolationist policies!
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Turkiye Turklerindir (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)
Power is the ultimate afrodisiak (Henry kissinger)
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 1:16 PM
Re Demir,
Not surprising at all this coming from a guy who thinks Kenan Evren saved Turkey... LoL (jk )
-----------------
I know you are joking and you are probably also to young that you have not withnessed the anarchy years with your own eyes. Otherwise you'd talk about Evren as savior!!!!
Have you ever seen the city you live in divided up in two parts? A part where rightist ruled and a part where leftists ruled? You risked to be shot solely if you met coincidentally the wrong person? Where police was too afraid to interfere, nobody had name tags on their doors, afraid to stay outside after six o'clock etc.?
Those who call Kenan Evren junta are plain morons!
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Turkiye Turklerindir (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)
Power is the ultimate afrodisiak (Henry kissinger)
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 3:58 PM
Thanx, I read it twice!
Besides, why do you acuse Evren about ANAP????? Do you acuse Evren also for Demirel, clinging his fat ass in the Turkish politics for 30+ years, do you also acuse him for Ecevit the senile clown who almost turned into a walking corpse refusing to quit politics?
Evren had just one vote, even if he voted for Ozal does that make him responsible? Than so are you!
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Turkiye Turklerindir (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)
Power is the ultimate afrodisiak (Henry kissinger)
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 4:25 PM
I am not an Evren supporter, I only state what I have seen with my own eyes which you read from biased leftist papers. FYI before you going to accuse me for anti leftist tendencies let me tell ya that my father was representative (il baskani) of the Isci partisi early 1970'ties in Manisa before he saw that this party was not just idealistic but the same garbage as every other party and he quitted.
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Turkiye Turklerindir (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)
Power is the ultimate afrodisiak (Henry kissinger)
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 4:29 PM
i didnt live at the coup times but my father used to tell me that even brothers in the same family where killing eachother the police failed to secure the citizen people could not go outside nights and no one was safe .and my father is conservative.
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 26 2009, 10:50 PM
I'm also with Nutuk on this one. AKP has done some (many) stupid things; but advocating trade with our natural neighbors (regardless of how the West might label them) isn't one of them. Will the USA or EU reimburse Turkey for the loss of money by forcing it to not trade with Iran? No. Well, then excuse me, but why don't you go fvck yourselves instead! How would the Yanks like it if Turkey told them not to trade with Mexico? The Iranians aren't going anywhere and neither are the Turks. We're bound to live side by side for a long fvcking time to come. We don't have to be the best of friends but there's no reason for not trading with Iran unless they are a direct threat to Turkey. And that's not the case.
Turk Bir Dev
This message has been edited by Corpusvile on Oct 26, 2009 10:53 PM
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 27 2009, 1:27 AM
Turkey is heading to the right path my friends, don't be worried about that.
This countries secular establishment won't be stirred or moved.. it will remain as it is for many decades to come, 2050 and beyond.
We are a freedom loving country.. despite us being Muslims, we love to do things our own way and live our own desired life.
We are however... expanding, growing and becoming big power like the good old hey days. This is our destiny. As history shows.. us Turks are not comfortable with being insignificant in this world. We crave power. We crave authority. We crave respect. In our history, many Turk empires have fallen and risen back up again. Today is no different.. We will rise, it is what we strive to achieve.
This message has been edited by drunkface on Oct 27, 2009 1:31 AM This message has been edited by drunkface on Oct 27, 2009 1:28 AM
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 27 2009, 2:42 AM
That's a good point Corpus and straight from an enemies mouth, I'll tell you right off the bat that Erdogan knows what he is doing but at the same time it is a risk. Like I said in earlier threads over the past weeks though, with great risk comes great reward. Turkey is NOT going to advance itself being just another member of states to the west. Turkey's only way to become a major player is to become LEADER of the moslem world. In this role she stands out, makes more dynamic policies and reaps the rewards of cooperation in her own sphere of influence and to gain "easier" access to certain islamic states' wealth and oil , if it happens (among other things). Would turkey see such benefits from anything based in Europe or the U.S. ?, of course not. Turkey can only reach the next level by looking east not west. This is a fact. I don't like it, but I do understand it and for those turks who DON'T like Erdogan, they should atleast understand that he is no way a lacky for the west. He forges his national policies on his own nations' interests, not the inerests of others. This is why, IMO, there are certain circles outside of turkey that do not want him breathing any longer. Israel and now maybe the U.S. being 2 of them. His security was astute enough to foil the plans on his life more than once as well. No matter which side anyone is on, you cannot but help admire him. I admire any person who single handedly will take his nation by the reigns and put it BACK on course towards much larger goals.
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 27 2009, 3:48 PM
Is Turkey Leaving the West?
An Islamist Foreign Policy Puts Ankara at Odds With Its Former Allies
Soner Cagaptay
October 26, 2009
Summary -- Under the leadership of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Turkey's foreign policy is becoming more Islamic. Can the country's history of cooperation with the West survive?
SONER CAGAPTAY is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He is the author of Islam, Secularism, and Nationalism in Modern Turkey: Who Is a Turk?
In early October, Turkey disinvited Israel from Anatolian Eagle, an annual Turkish air force exercise that it had held with Israel, NATO, and the United States since the mid-1990s. It marked the first time Turkey's governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) let its increasingly anti-Western rhetoric spill into its foreign policy strategy, and the move may suggest that Turkey's continued cooperation with the West is far from guaranteed.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister and the leader of the AKP, justified the decision by calling Israel a "persecutor." But only a day after it dismissed Israel, Turkey invited Syria -- a known abuser of human rights -- to joint military exercises and announced the creation of a Strategic Cooperation Council with the Syrian regime. A mountain is moving in Turkish foreign policy, and the foundation of Turkey's 60-year-old military and political cooperation with the West may be eroding.
Starting in 1946, when Turkey chose to ally itself with the West in the Cold War -- later sending troops to Korea and joining NATO -- successive Turkish governments have pursued close cooperation with the United States and Europe. Turkey viewed the Middle East and global politics through the lens of their own national security interests. This made cooperation possible, even with Israel, a state Turkey viewed as a democratic ally in a volatile region. The two countries shared similar security concerns, such as Syria's support for terror groups abroad -- radical Palestinian organizations in the case of Israel, and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey. In 1998, when Ankara confronted Damascus over its support for the PKK, Turkish newspapers wrote headlines championing the Turkish-Israeli alliance: "We will say 'shalom' to the Israelis on the Golan Heights," one read.
The AKP, however, viewed Turkey's interests through a different lens -- one colored by a politicized take on religion, namely Islamism. Senior AKP officials called the 2004 U.S. offensive in Fallujah, Iraq, a "genocide," and in February 2009, Erdogan compared Gaza to a "concentration camp."
The foundation of Turkey's 60-year-old military and political cooperation with the West may be eroding.
But the AKP's foreign policy has not promoted sympathy toward all Muslim states. Rather, the party has promoted solidarity with Islamist, anti-Western regimes (Qatar and Sudan, for example) while dismissing secular, pro-Western Muslim governments (Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia). This two-pronged strategy is especially apparent in the Palestinian territories: at the same time that the AKP government has called on Western countries to "recognize Hamas as the legitimate government of the Palestinian people," AKP officials have labeled Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas the "head of an illegitimate government." According to diplomats, Abbas' last visit to Ankara in July 2009 went terribly -- now, these diplomatic sources say, Abbas does not trust the AKP any more than he trusts Hamas.
As the cancelled military exercises with Israel show, the AKP's moralistic foreign policy is not without inherent hypocrisies. An earlier example came last January, when, a day after Erdogan harangued Israeli President Shimon Peres, as well as Jews and Israelis, at the World Economic Forum for knowing "well how to kill people," Turkey hosted the Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha in Ankara. This is a dangerous position because it suggests -- especially to the generation coming of age under the AKP -- that Islamist regimes alone have the right to attack their own people or even other states. In September, Erdogan defended Iran's nuclear program, arguing that the problem in the Middle East is Israel's nuclear arsenal.
Some analysts have dismissed such rhetoric as domestic politicking or simply an instance of Erdogan losing his temper. But Erdogan is an astute politician, and he is now reacting to changes in Turkish society. After seven years of the AKP's Islamist rhetoric, public opinion has shifted to embrace the idea of a politically united "Muslim world." According to independent polling in Turkey, the number of people identifying themselves as Muslim increased by ten percent between 2002 and 2007; in addition, almost half of those surveyed describe themselves as Islamist.
The AKP's foreign policy now has a welcome audience at home, making it more likely to become entrenched. After Erdogan stormed out of his session at the World Economic Forum, thousands gathered to greet his plane as it arrived back home in what appeared to be an orchestrated welcome. (Banners with Turkish and Hamas flags stitched together appeared from nowhere in a matter of hours.)
The transformation of Turkish identity under the AKP has potentially massive ramifications. Guided by an Islamist worldview, it will become more and more impossible for Turkey to support Western foreign policy, even when doing so is in its national interest. Turkish-Israeli ties -- long a model for how a Muslim country can pursue a rational, cooperative relationship with the Jewish state -- will continue to unravel. Such a development will be greeted only with approval by the Turkish public, further bolstering the AKP's popularity. Thus, the party will be able to kill two birds with one stone: distancing the country from its former ally and shoring up its own power base.
The same dynamic will also apply to Turkey's relations with the European Union and the United States. The AKP has a tactical view of Turkey's possible accession to the EU: it pushes for membership when it brings the party public approval, but it does not take a strategic view of closer ties with Europe. Thus, the AKP is reluctant to take on tough, potentially unpopular reforms mandated by the EU, making accession seem less and less a likely reality. Statements such as Erdogan's calling the West "immoral" in 2008 only erode popular support for EU membership: by last year, about one-third of the population wanted their country to join the EU, down sharply from more than 80 percent in 2002, when the AKP took power.
Meanwhile, as the United States devotes much of its energy abroad to Muslim countries, from opposing radicalism to countering Iran's nuclear program, the AKP will oppose these policies through harsh rhetoric and opt out of any close cooperation.
Many suggested that the AKP's rise to power presented Turkey with an opportunity to "go back to the Middle East" and adopt more of an Islamic identity. The hope was that such a shift would help "normalize" Turkey, recalibrating the secularizing and nationalist reforms of Kemal Atatürk, who turned Turkey to the West in the early twentieth century. The outcome, however, has not been so positive. Turkey's experience with the AKP proves that Islamism in the country's foreign policy may not be so compatible with the West, after all.
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 27 2009, 3:59 PM
But only a day after it dismissed Israel, Turkey invited Syria -- a known abuser of human rights -- to joint military exercises
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I just love it how American think tanks classify abusers of human rights. One would ask what are the US and Israel, are they angels? What about guantanamo and the worlds largest concentration camp called Gaza strip?
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Turkiye Turklerindir (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)
Power is the ultimate afrodisiak (Henry kissinger)
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 27 2009, 4:09 PM
SFAKAN YOU FIND THE PULSE MAN
............................................
""Maniots, known for their martial qualities, were the first to join the Greek liberation movement. The society called the Filiki Eteria ("Company of Friends") sent their representatives Perrevos and Chrisospathis to organize the Maniots. On March 17, 1821, 12,000 Maniots gathered in the church of Taxiarchs (Archangels) of Areopoli and declared war against the Ottoman Empire. The flag of the revolution was white with a blue cross in the center. On top of the flag there was a sign, "Victory or death". The Maniots were responsible for writing "Victory" and not "Freedom" on their banner since Mani was always free. On the bottom of the flag lied an ancient inscription, "With the shield or on the shield."
...........................................
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 27 2009, 6:04 PM
More good news, catlayin kemaliztler::
Turkish minister says Turkey, Iran to sign energy deal
The Turkish energy minister said on Tuesday that Turkey and Iran would sign an energy deal on Wednesday.
Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız said that Iran was a country rich of oil and natural resources.
"We are developing a framework agreement according to Iran's model where there is no transfer of property, and we hope we will sign it tomorrow," Yıldız told reporters in Tehran.
Yıldız is actually accompanying Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is visiting the Iranian capital.
The Turkish energy minister also said Iranian company and Turkish Petroleum Corporation would make explorations in South Pars basin, and the exploration would begin either in the first or the second week of November.
Yıldız said Turkey would have the right to market and trade, and almost half of the natural gas would be sold either in Turkey or via Turkey.
"We foresee striking almost 35 billion cubic meters of gas," he also said.
Yıldız said South Pars project might cost over 4 billion USD.
The South Pars / North Dome field is a gas condensate field located in the Persian Gulf. It is the world's largest gas field, shared between Iran and Qatar. This gas field covers an area of 9700 square kilometers, of which 3700 square kilometers (South Pars) is in Iranian territorial waters and 6000 square kilometers (North Dome) is in Qatari territorial waters.
Condensate production from South Pars is currently 200,000 bbl/d (32,000 m3/d), and by 2010, could increase to over 500,000 bbl/d (79,000 m3/d).
Also, Yıldız said Turkey was holding talks with Azerbaijan on natural gas, and hoped to reach an agreement soon.
27 October 2009, Tuesday
THE ANATOLIA NEWS AGENCY TEHRAN
Dolphins dominate (Login malazgirt) The Conquerors (Turkey)
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 27 2009, 6:06 PM
the gayreek attitude reminds me of the attitude of our former pussy pm's like yilmaz and ecevit ( late 90's ) we have lost that complex since 2004...
axis of evil BS or something like that is created by the zionists and these stupid believe that.
Re: Erdogan: "Ahmadinejad of Iran is our new friend"
October 27 2009, 6:26 PM
Demir the fascist
Demir is a Kemalist and a fascist.
1. He calls Turks "peasants" since most of him do not share his secularist Kemalist views.
2. He insult's a man's wife and people's religious views by calling her a "towelhead", when the majority of Turkish women wear headscarves. None of the "Islamist" Turkish posters here have insulted Tansu Ciller or called her a slut or something like that for not wearing a headscarf.
3. On another occassion when conservative Turkish poster "Rommel" edited his posts in a conservative v Kemalist discussion, Demir the fascist said in essence with great glee that Rommel knew it was dangerous for him to criticize Ataturk or Kemalism in Turkey i.e. hinting at the authorities dealing with him.
Ironically Demir the fascist is the first person to complain of supposed AKP restrictions on freedom.
4. Demir also made fun of Tarkan another Turkish poster who though pro-Ataturk was respectful to Islam and also Kurds. Demir hates anything to do with Islam.
Fascists from the upper-middle classes such as Demir believe that Turkey belongs to them and they sneer with contempt at the ordinary Anatolian Turks. They view most Turks as stupid and say things that there should be military rule for a long time in order to completely secularize Turkey.
Soner Capagtay
Soner Capagtay is a propagandist based in America. His article is full of nonsense. One example being:
"The Deep State may have once functioned to intimidate communists and Islamists, but today it is used against secular, liberal and nationalist Turks in order to crush dissent."
The Ergenokon campaign does not target liberals. In fact the AKP administration has been the most liberal Turkish administration in history and has worked for greater freedom for:
- Kurds
- Alevis
- Armenians.
Under the "evil" AKP, there is now Kurdish TV and now Armenian radio and plans to try to have more productive relations with Armenia.
Gul in Armenia.
Another example of the dishonesty - and in fact myopic stupidity of Capagtay as his propaganda can be easily refuted - is how in previous occassions he attributed rising anti-US feelings in Turkey to the AKP. This is of course completely ridiculous and contradicts what Kemalists say about the AKP government i.e. they are US stooges.
Kemalists infact call Abdullah Gul as ABD ullah Gul since ABD is the Turkish acronym for US.
Proven liar and anti-AKP propagandist, Soner Cagaptay
It is the Kemalists in Turkey who are the primary anti-American force as was proven during the 2007 Kemalist rallies in Turkey when they also protested against the US and EU as well as the Turkish government.
"The crisis has also been colored by two large-scale rallies by people who expressed their concern that the secular nature of the Turkish Republic was in danger. These crowds also chanted anti-EU and anti-American slogans as well.."
Demir the fascist is a member of the secular Turkish middle class who look down on the majority of conservative Turks with contempt and derision. For them the country belongs to the Kemalist elite and democracy is secondary. Such people also have a deep hatred of anything Islamic or anything which would indicate to outsiders that Turkey is Muslim due to their deep inferiority complex and desire to be seen as part of the west.
Demir and Cagaptay are both liars and the AKP do not run a dictatorship.
- Girls cannot go to universities wearing Muslim clothing.
- Women cannot go to public offices wearing Muslim clothing.
- All Churches must have the Turkish flag in them.
- Pictures of Ataturk are everywhere.
Kemalists are proven liars and will lie, lie and lie so much that they start to believe in their own lies, and they see liberal democracy as a threat to Kemalist control of Turkey.
Kemalists remove image of Ataturk's wife in Muslim clothing in the bottom picture. Kemalist propaganda at work.
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