Armenian Christians and Syria Crisis: Turkey is a Dangerous Shadow under Erdogan
Armenian Christians and Syria Crisis: Turkey is a Dangerous Shadow under Erdogan –
Nuray Lydia Oglu and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Turkey is a dangerous shadow under the leadership of Prime Minister Erdogan. This notably applies to the intrigues being played out in Syria by Turkey and how Erdogan sides with the Muslim Brotherhood throughout a vast region. Indeed, Erdogan naturally flirts between Islamist and nationalist sentiments, in order to manipulate situations both internally and externally. Therefore, the most destabilizing power throughout the Levant, the Caucasus region, and parts of the Middle East, is Turkey based on the intrigues of the Erdogan government.
The issue related to the 1915 genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks, along with what followed until the middle of the 1920s, is not unique to Erdogan because this posturing is within the body politic of Turkey.However, the sight of Islamists attacking Armenian Christians in 2014 based on utilizing the territory and goodwill of the Erdogan government is extremely galling. Likewise, Erdogan also ranted against Armenians in the past and clearly the issue related to Nagorno-Karabakh isn’t based on Turkey being an honest broker. On the contrary, Erdogan favors Azerbaijan and it remains to be seen if Turkey will covertly up the ante in this area in the future based on his “Ottoman dream.”
Indeed, the callowness of Erdogan knows no boundaries because several years ago he threated to deport over 100,000 Armenians. Of course, he played around with language. However, the veiled threat had a much deeper meaning given the historical reality of cleansing Christian Armenians in history.
Erdogan suggested that approximately 170,000 Armenians reside in modern day Turkey, of which only 70,000 have Turkish citizenship. Therefore, Erdogan said: “We are turning a blind eye to the remaining 100,000… Tomorrow, I may tell these 100,000 to go back to their country, if it becomes necessary.”
Sadly, in 2014 the Armenian community is once more fleeing from the intrigues of Turkey, and other nations like Qatar. Of course, America, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom can’t be absolved. After all, these nations have all played their part – and continue to do so, to varying degrees, in the destabilization of Syria. However, the connection with Turkey being behind the latest Islamic jihadist cleansing of Armenians in 2014, is yet another reminder of the utter bankruptcy of Erdogan.
The Armenian National Committee-International ushered a statement saying: “For months, we have warned the international community of the imminent threat posed by extremist foreign fighters against the Christian minority population in Syria. These vicious and unprompted attacks against the Armenian-populated town and villages of Kessab are the latest examples of this violence, actively encouraged by neighboring Turkey. We call upon all states with any influence in the Syrian conflict to use all available means to stop these attacks against the peaceful civilian population of Kessab, to allow them to return to their homes in safety and security. In the last one hundred years, this is the third time that the Armenians are being forced to leave Kessab and in all three cases, Turkey is the aggressor or on the side of the aggressors [emphasis added].”
In Syria the rich mosaic and modernization of the nation state, that took place over the last four decades, continues to be undermined by Gulf and NATO powers. This applies to the open direct involvement of Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia – and the covert policies being carried out by America, France and the United Kingdom. Jordan and elements within Lebanon have also joined forces along with bigger intrigues in Libya. Despite everything, the government of President Bashar al-Assad remains steadfast in its fight for survival and recently more positive signs indicate a shifting balance tilting in the favor of the government of Syria.
Alawites, Christians, the Shia and Sunni Muslims in Syria that support the nation state over sectarianism, terrorism, and sedition, all remain determined to keep Takfiri terrorists at bay. The simple reality is that Christian Armenians in Syria fear being ruled by Gulf and NATO backed Takfiri terrorists – along with an array of terrorist factions including the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA). Not surprisingly, Armenian Christians in Syria are fleeing to Syrian government controlled areas from Gulf and NATO backed sectarians.
Turkey is now a dangerous shadow to a vast geographic region of major importance. In Syria this reality means that Takfiri terrorists, various sectarian forces, and a whole array of terrorist groups, have a free reign within the border areas between Turkey and Syria based on the intrigues of Erdogan. Similarly, the Erdogan government is openly pro-Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and this is creating tensions with Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the illegal occupation and settlement of Northern Cyprus continues alongside the de-Christianization of this part of Cyprus. Meanwhile, relations with Iraq are negative based on Turkey ignoring the sovereignty of this nation in relation to “the Kurdish question” – and signing energy contracts outside of the reach of central forces.
In the past the Russian Federation equally made it clear that jihadists from the Caucasus, notably Chechen terrorists, were utilizing Turkey. Today it is equally clear that jihadists throughout the Caucasus region can enter Turkey and obtain weapons openly based on the intrigues of Erdogan towards Syria. In the long-term, this is clearly detrimental for the Russian Federation because jihadists from Dagestan, Chechnya, and other parts of this nation, will return home in order to destabilize. Turkey is therefore the epicenter of major destabilizing policies along with adopting an anti-Armenian stance. Therefore, the latest cleansing of Christian Armenians in Kessab and the destruction of Armenian Christian churches in Syria highlights the utter bankruptcy and callowness of Erdogan.
It is time to reign-in Erdogan and for Turkey to open a genuine chapter towards the Christian Armenians. At the same time, outside meddling in Syria must end because too many different communities are under threat from a brutal Takfiri force. If the government of Syria falls then indigenous Islam and Christianity will be threatened by Takfiri Islamist forces, that seek to enslave all and sundry and to turn the clock back to “year zero.”