Archive for the ‘Erdogan’ Category

Five ways Erdogan has destroyed Turkey’s military – American Enterprise Institute

There are five main reasons to be worried about the future of Turkeys military, which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has fatally undermined with his ambition, ideology, transformative agenda, and paranoia.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar and Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, attends a ceremony marking the 102nd anniversary of Battle of Canakkale, also known as the Gallipoli Campaign, at Turkish memorial in Canakkale, Turkey, March 18, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

First, the aftermath of last years abortive coup attempt has decimated the ranks of the military. Whether the coup was sponsored by followers of Erdogan friend-turned-foe Fethullah Glen, was an inside job precipitated by Erdogan himself, or was the brainchild of other interests and ideological strains upset with the direction Erdogan is taking Turkey, one thing is clear: the extent of the subsequent purge is massive and corrosive to Turkeys military morale and readiness. Turkey now has two F-16s for every pilot not in prison, and perhaps one-in-four flag officers are in prison.

Second, Erdogan has squandered decades of hard-won experience in counter-terrorism and technical fields by firing any officer who does not subscribe to his increasingly extremist vision. Turkey has no shortage of enemies and has always faced myriad threats. Usually, the security forces have shut down terrorist plots before they could succeed. Today, however, terrorists smuggle bombs into Istanbul and Ankara as easily as in Sivas or Van, and insurgents can strike in northwestern Turkey almost as easily as 1,100 miles away in southeastern Turkey.

Today, however, terrorists smuggle bombs into Istanbul and Ankara as easily as in Sivas or Van.

Third is the factional battle taking place within the Turkish Armed Forces. While former Maoist-turned politician and businessmen Dogu Perincek has had very little electoral success and arguably little influence in the civilian sphere, he has created a significant power base for himself in the Turkish military, where many senior officers embrace his brand of militant nationalism and pan-Turkism, infused with a conspiratorial view of both the United States and NATO. If the coup was an inside job, Perincek may very well have been in on it. By blaming the Glenists on one hand and both the United States and NATO on the other, Perincek saw the opportunity to deal a fatal blow to all of those he opposes so virulently. Erdogans religiosity chafes at Perinceks vision, however. They are not natural allies. Erdogans hiring of Adnan Tanriverdia brigadier-general forcibly retired because of Islamist links in 1997 to be his military adviser, may presage an effort to purge Perinceks followers. This shouldnt surprise: After all, Erdogan worked with and used Glens network while it was convenient before turning on them. Why shouldnt he do the same thing with Perinceks followers if he believes they are no longer of use? Perincek is already weakened by Russias willingness to accommodate Erdogans Islamism in exchange for his anti-Americanism. Tanriverdi has moved to bring members of SADAT, a private paramilitary group staffed largely with Islamists, into the Turkish military to supplant both Perinceks followers and traditional secularists. SADAT may very well be the vanguard of a new Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps geared for Turkey.

Fourth is the Kurdish insurgency. Erdogan may label the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorists, but he legitimized them with his outreach to imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah calan. Turks and Kurds can argue about who broke the ceasefire but it is clearthat the Turkish military has been unable to put down the insurgency which promises to drain the Turkish military and resources for years if not decades to come. If Turkey were truly to enter Syria in any significant numbers, they may find themselves embroiled in a conflict from which they cannot easily extract themselves.

If Turkey were truly to enter Syria in any significant numbers, they may find themselves embroiled in a conflict from which they cannot easily extract themselves.

Finally, Erdogan seems ready to turn the Turkish military in on itself. Earlier this month, Turkish General Staff personal director LTG Selcuk Bayraktaroglu sent an order to attaches worldwide demanding that they send information about former military officers who resigned and refused recall notices for fear of torture or political vendetta. Specifically, Turkish military officers are to provide information about (1) working situations; (2) asylum processes; (3) relations with other NATO officials, local authorities, and other people; (4) their use of military housing; and (5) relations with the media. None of the Turkish military representatives or attach officers working in NATO offices have authority to spy, however. It will be hard for any NATO country including the United States to partner with Turkish attaches and officers given the overt spying which the Turkish General Staff now encourages. That the military order comes against the backdrop of Turkish espionage scandals in Europe involving Turkish religious figures underscores the credibility of the threat.

Too often, both the Pentagon and NATO seek to calibrate their policy to the way things were rather than how they are now. That would be a mistake. Erdogan has broken the Turkish army. Rather than rely on it paper strength, its time to recognize the Turkish military that appears in ledger books and its actual capabilities are now two very different things.

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Five ways Erdogan has destroyed Turkey's military - American Enterprise Institute

Turkey hopeful as Erdogan meets Qatar defence minister – Gulf Times

Turkey on Saturday said it remained hopeful of a solution to the Gulf crisis that has seen its ally Qatar diplomatically isolated, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with the country's defence minister.

In Ankara's latest show of support for Qatar, Erdogan hosted Defence Minister Khaled bin Mohammed al-Attiyah for talks at the headquarters of the ruling party in Ankara.

The meeting came as Ankara, which has stood by Doha throughout the crisis, resists pressure to shutter a Turkish military base on Qatar that Qatar's neighbours want to see closed.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain announced on June 5 the suspension of political, economic and diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremist groups.

Doha denies the claims, a stance backed by Turkey which has sent hundreds of aid flights and even a cargo ship to bring food for its embattled ally.

Ankara's attempts to mediate between the sides have so far come to nothing but after the talks in the Turkish capital presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said he was hopeful of a resolution.

There are some indications that a solution is possible. This is our general impression. We need to continue efforts to take measures that go in the right direction, he said.

Crucially, Ankara is also setting up a military base on Qatar that is set to give Turkey a new foothold in the Gulf, sending in a first deployment of two dozen troops.

Kalin defended the base, saying its aim was ensuring defence and security in the region.

Riyadh and its allies issued 13 demands to Qatar for resolving the crisis, including the closure of the Turkish military base and the Doha-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera.

Turkey criticised the ultimatum but has also taken care not to directly target Saudi Arabia, the key protagonist in the crisis.

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Turkey hopeful as Erdogan meets Qatar defence minister - Gulf Times

Erdogan, Trump talk amid dispute over arms to Kurd fighters – The Seattle Times

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump amid tensions over Washingtons decision to arm Syrian Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State group, a Turkish official said Friday.

Mahir Unal, a spokesman for Erdogans ruling party, said the two leaders spoke by phone but did not provide details on their discussions. He told reporters, however, that the Turkish leader later also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Turkey considers the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia group the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG to be terrorists linked to outlawed Kurdish insurgents in its country.

The YPG is the largest group within the Syrian Democratic Forces battling to oust IS from its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa.

Ankara has vowed to intervene if the YPG poses a security threat. This week Turkeys military returned fire in response to a cross-border attack by the group.

Turkeys president stressed the need to oppose all kinds of terrorist groups, including Kurdish rebels and IS, according to his office.

Earlier, Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy for the international coalition against IS, met with Turkish foreign ministry and military officials, a Turkish official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations.

McGurk said on Twitter he was holding consultations with Turkey on mutual efforts to defeat (IS) and ensure it can never return.

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Erdogan, Trump talk amid dispute over arms to Kurd fighters - The Seattle Times

Turkey: Erdogan slams CHP protest march – Anadolu Agency

No one believes that the main opposition party's aim is justice, says President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

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ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 1: President of Turkey and ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party chairman Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during AK Party's provincial meeting in Ankara, Turkey on July 1, 2017. ( Halil Sarkaya - Anadolu Agency )

By Muhammed Boztepe and Kemal Karadag

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday once again slammed the main opposition party over its protest march launched after a party deputy got 25 years in prison for espionage.

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu began the march following the jailing of CHP lawmaker Enis Berberoglu, who was sentenced to 25 years for giving leaking information on the transportation of arms to Syria.

Speaking at his Justice and Development (AK) Party's provincial meeting in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said: "If you are launching a march for terrorists and for their supporters, something which you have never thought about doing against terrorist groups, you can convince no one that your aim is justice."

Erdogan accused the party of acting with terrorist groups and forces that incite such groups against Turkey.

"This situation, which anyone who in their right mind can see clearly, is part of traps set up in Syria, Iraq, the Gulf, and Europe against our country," he added.

Kilicdaroglu intends to complete the 450-kilometer (280-mile) walk from Ankara to Maltepe prison in Istanbul, where Berberoglu is being held, in 24 days.

He is being accompanied by CHP deputies and supporters, as well as family members.

Berberoglu was convicted of revealing state secrets by passing images to Cumhuriyet daily of Turkish National Intelligence Organization trucks en route to Syria in January 2014.

He is the first CHP deputy to be imprisoned in recent years. Around a dozen lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) are currently jailed, most awaiting trial over alleged links to the PKK terror group.

In May 2016, parliament voted to strip lawmakers facing trial of their parliamentary immunity.

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Turkey: Erdogan slams CHP protest march - Anadolu Agency

Germany Criticizes Trump, Erdogan Ahead of G-20 Meeting – Wall Street Journal (subscription)


Wall Street Journal (subscription)
Germany Criticizes Trump, Erdogan Ahead of G-20 Meeting
Wall Street Journal (subscription)
BERLINA major meeting of world leaders in Germany next week emerged as a flashpoint of tension between allies on Thursday as Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to block the Turkish president from giving a speech in Germany and European leaders ...

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Germany Criticizes Trump, Erdogan Ahead of G-20 Meeting - Wall Street Journal (subscription)