Geopolitics of Turkey - Europe, Asia

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Like to share, very informative

Focus on Europe



Focus on Asia

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update. Agree, disagree?

[00001001]

Caspian Report is spot on with his observations. In one of the three video's he said that the only real problem for Turkey is the wealth gap between the East and the West and the government knows this. The Turkish government actually promotes investors to invest in projects in the East of the country (think lower taxes).

Overal I think that the direction Erdogan is taking is a good one, though he is not perfect, he is the best we practising Muslims in Turkey currently have.

[JustTime]

Erdogan is absolutely pathetic and a hypocritical liar. He cries for Muslims in Syria whilst ordering his loyal warlord pawns to attack other sincere Muslims and while acting like he cares about Syrian Muslims he does not have this same level of concern or care for our brothers and sisters in Iraq in fact he even supports the Safawi Iraqi government which is absolutely no different than Assad's government.

He is the reason Assad won in Aleppo and he will be the reason why the Muslims of Syria will lose the war.

Erdogan is a Murtad and should not be admired or revered for he is nothing more than a ploy of Shaytan to deceive sincere Muslims.

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[Ümit]

Erdogan is absolutely pathetic and a hypocritical liar. He cries for Muslims in Syria whilst ordering his loyal warlord pawns to attack other sincere Muslims and while acting like he cares about Syrian Muslims he does not have this same level of concern or care for our brothers and sisters in Iraq in fact he even supports the Safawi Iraqi government which is absolutely no different than Assad's government.

He is the reason Assad won in Aleppo and he will be the reason why the Muslims of Syria will lose the war.

Erdogan is a Murtad and should not be admired or revered for he is nothing more than a ploy of Shaytan to deceive sincere Muslims.

Although I am not an Erdogan-fan, I must say that this issue with Iraq is a bit more complicated than you are describing here.
We have a major problem with the PKK (which is the Kurdistan Workers' Party). They terrorize the country, especially in the eastern part of Turkey and get a lot of support (money and weapons) from kurdi's from northern Iraq.

PKK tries to claim eastern Turkey as a part of Kurdistan by force. this Kurdish terrorism increased every year. They want independance, a Kurdistan.
The real reason behind this terrorism is of course money. Eastern Turkey has a lot of oil and because of the treaty of lausanne II, Turkey is not allowed to drill for oil, nor to explore it.
But in 2023 this treaty is 100 years old and it will expire, which would allow Turkey to finally start its oil exploration.
The PKK also knows this and that is why they want Eastern Turkey so badly.

[anatolian]

Turkish mindset? If you love me I fight for you, if you dont love me I fight with you.. ;D;D;D

[JustTime]

Although I am not an Erdogan-fan, I must say that this issue with Iraq is a bit more complicated than you are describing here.
We have a major problem with the PKK (which is the Kurdistan Workers' Party). They terrorize the country, especially in the eastern part of Turkey and get a lot of support (money and weapons) from kurdi's from northern Iraq.

PKK tries to claim eastern Turkey as a part of Kurdistan by force. this Kurdish terrorism increased every year. They want independance, a Kurdistan.
The real reason behind this terrorism is of course money. Eastern Turkey has a lot of oil and because of the treaty of lausanne II, Turkey is not allowed to drill for oil, nor to explore it.
But in 2023 this treaty is 100 years old and it will expire, which would allow Turkey to finally start its oil exploration.
The PKK also knows this and that is why they want Eastern Turkey so badly.

I understand PKK is the Jamaat of Hellfire and degeneracy promoting homosexuality, fornication and a form of nationalism that is level of Shirk. However Erdogan's action in Iraq are unacceptable by any Muslim with an ounce of knowledge in basic Fiqh and some of his actions in Syria as well. In Iraq he supported the Iraqi Government which is more evil than even the PKK Ocalan worshipping Atheists. Though PKK seeks a degenerate society they dont curse and abuse and lie upon the Sahaba and Salaf us Salih they dont want to marxh into Makkah raising banners saying Ya Hussein they dont abuse Muslims for being Muslim they abuse Arabs and Turks for nationalist reasons which isnt good but nothing is as bad as someone who knowingly wages war on our Deen like the Rafidha Safawis and their allies like Russia.

Erdogan perhaps didnt want to support ISIS in Iraq however there are other Sunni armed groups which would have gladly taken care of the Kurds and the Iraqi Safawi regime like Saddam's former army they would have gladly taken Erdogan's help they even asked for it yet he ignored them and favored those who curse the companions.

In Syria he encourages Muslims to kill Muslims look at Idlib right now he wants the FSA to attack other groups just to expand his influence, he does not seek Islam he seeks power and greed verily he is a cursed man and his followers are too a cursed people and will be the ones who will welcome the Dajjal later on.

[anatolian]

The speaker in the videos is making a major mistake with separating the country as “Marmara “ and “Anatolia” in terms of economic and religious or cultural conservation. There are all kind of people on every part of the country but the west is generally wealthier than the east because of the number of investments.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Thanks for the info. Has the east of the country received much investment since Erdogan took power? Do you think the east could 'catch up' with the west economically?

[Lautrec]

One thing that I understand about communist...

The language they only understand is violence...
Non of their words can be trusted...

[Misbah-Abd]

One thing that I understand about communist...

The language they only understand is violence...
Non of their words can be trusted...

Mao Tse Tung said, "All communists must face the truth, political power grows out of the barrel of the gun."

[anatolian]

Salaam

Thanks for the info. Has the east of the country received much investment since Erdogan took power? Do you think the east could 'catch up' with the west economically?

Aleykum salaam. The gap between east and west didnt change in the AKP rule. Maybe even increased. But I cannot blame the government totally. There is terror on the east of the country and keeps the investor away from the region. AKP turns to totally capitalist economy. They sell anything of the state which is sellable. However the special investor doesnt want to buy something under the risk of terror. There must be a semi socialist policy on the east of Turkey for people’s benefit, I believe.

[Yahya.]

@umie @JustTime

It is not worthy, nor possible to evaluate President Erdogan's (geopolitical) actions according to Islamic values. For, he is representing a nationalist secular regime. So he is formally ought to champion state interest. And in addition he may consider in our case the interest of Iraqi Turkmens following the general pan-Turkist sentiment in Turkish public. But there is no other way around.

In my opinion, Muslims should rather focus on criticizing and rejecting political participation under the banner of secular states. The constitution of the Turkish Republic, for example, contains the dogmatic principle that all political parties must pledge their adherence to secularism and the secular-nationalist principles laid down by Ataturk. In such conditions it is impossible for a Muslim to claim that he is striving for the sake of Islam, because in formal reality he represents the secular-nationalist state entity and is coerced to act according its guidelines. Catering to such a state of paradox and adopting a double-faced identity is obviously hypocrisy, even if it is supposed to advocate the rights of Muslims. Moreover, according to Islamic fiqh it is not even legitimate for people in position of leadership to conceal their identity (taqiyyah) to evade pernicious difficulties or threats. I explained this part because many of Erdogan's Muslim advocates forward this inadmissible pretext for his actions.

[Misbah-Abd]

That is why I never have and never will participate in the political process of the kuffar and their man-made laws.

[Lautrec]

Yeah, don't participate in politic, just wait and see until the regime start to criminalize islamic teaching and promote bid'ah... just like chinese communist puppet that control my country right now...

[cinnamonrolls1]

Yeah, don't participate in politic, just wait and see until the regime start to criminalize islamic teaching and promote bid'ah... just like chinese communist puppet that control my country right now...

You're chinese? Sorry to be nosy( you can yell at me if its personal, i wont get upset lol) but are you ughyur or hui? I was just researching islam in china like a week ago and its amazing subhanallah

[Yahya.]

Yeah, don't participate in politic, just wait and see until the regime start to criminalize islamic teaching and promote bid'ah... just like chinese communist puppet that control my country right now...

Politics and formal political participation in the form of state political parties are not the same. If you are from East Turkestan, I would say that the exact reason for a diminished resistance is the participation of some Uyghurs in the Chinese' regime apparatus, be it Police, Administration or Education. Firstly, you can in no way achieve your main goal; independence and sovereignty, by complying to their system. By comprising in this way only minor advantages can be obtained, like less physical oppression. But after entering this path of political participation of the invaders' system, you can never return and claim independence. This seems especially impossible in the case of an authoritarian communist regime. They are already coercing demographic changes by settling Han Chinese in Turkestan. And the first compromise is always followed by further compromises.

To my view, the most efficient, and at the same time legitimate (according to Islam), approach to follow would be to reject Chinese authority along all its administrative apparatus. Uyghurs should spread the awareness of not joining any government entity and form their own communit(ies). In the end the Chinese will turn desperate and the impervious resistance of the Uyghurs and their insistence on great demands (not merely the allay of oppression) will show its fruitage with the permission of Allah. This path may be difficult and require sacrifices, as the oppression would increase - but the most expedient way (political participation) is not always the right way.

And actually this is the Islamic way when there is no possibility for an armed resistance. This is how Prophet Muhammad (sallalllahu alayhi wa sallam) commenced his dawah in Mecca. He did not accept the proposal of the polytheists to be appointed the leader of Darun' Nadwa, a kind of tribal parliament in the Meccan city state where decisions of war etc. were taken. He did not even need to be elected one time and accelerate power, he could be directly appointed and obtain the authority, but he refused and exclaimed that he will continue his dawah the way Allah commanded him to.
Muslims are ought to preserve their own community under invasion and try to live according to the shariah of Allah as much as they can. And I believe that the absence of this approach is rather due to the lack of conscious organisation among Muslim than the difficulty of the method.

[Lautrec]

I'm in a country with largest "muslim" population

[Lautrec]

You're chinese? Sorry to be nosy( you can yell at me if its personal, i wont get upset lol) but are you ughyur or hui? I was just researching islam in china like a week ago and its amazing subhanallah

If you are muslim, then I have no problem with you, but my problem is with china communist puppet that run my country.

[Lautrec]

If you are muslim, then I have no problem with you, but my problem is with china communist puppet that run my country.

And I have problem with china communist party, xin jin pooh and all communist around the world.

[Lautrec]

And I have problem with china communist party, xin jin pooh and all communist around the world.

They all are the most corrupt human that I ever see

[anatolian]

I understand that you are from Indonesia but I didnt understand why you chose this thread to complain about your goverment. Do you think it has a connection with Turkey? Turkey is ruled by a capitalist puppet.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update, Erdogan has been relected, some commentary.

Anwar: Erdogan’s win a victory for the Islamic world

PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has hailed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent electoral win as a “victory for the Islamic world”.

In a letter congratulating Erdogan on winning a second term in the recent presidential election, Anwar said Turkey’s progress and its place in the world would be more assured under Erdogan’s “dynamic stewardship”.

“I am also convinced that your victory is also a victory for the Islamic world in portraying a modern and progressive face of Islam that embraces change while not compromising on the values of our faith and the fundamental teachings of the Holy Prophet,” he said.

Anwar also congratulated the people of Turkey for their peaceful participation in their nation’s democratic process.

“The resounding mandate given by the people is a testament to your leadership of not only Turkey, but the region during trying times,” he said.

“I am convinced that your commitment to democracy, the continued betterment of the Turkish people, the promotion of peace and the eradication of subversive elements which were key election promises by the AK party contributed greatly to your victory this second time around,” he added.

Under Erdogan, the Turkish government has either taken over or shut down media organisations, while thousands of people have been detained since a coup attempt in 2016.

Thanks to a referendum last year, Erdogan will assume major new powers under Turkey's new constitution, among them the power to directly appoint top public officials and to intervene in the country's judiciary.

His critics say this would place too much power in the executive, undermining the checks and balances needed for a properly functioning democracy.

Erdogan however argues that he needs this kind of authority to address the country’s economic woes and to defeat Kurdish rebels.

Meanwhile, Anwar said Erdogan’s declaration of “one nation, one flag, one country, one state” in his victory speech is the true mark of a statesman in bringing together opposing sides after a hard-fought election.

“As you know, we here in Malaysia too are going through an unprecedented chapter in our nation’s history following the victory of my coalition party for the first time.

“Closing ranks and uniting different factions is our first task in taking our nation forward.

“As you begin your second term as President, I am looking forward to continuing our working relationship, although this time not as Malaysian’s opposition leader but as a participant in Malaysia’s new government and leadership,” Anwar said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/06/25/anwar-erdogan-victory-a-victory-for-the-islamic-world/

A more sceptical view

G]

On the coming Turkish economic problems

[anatolian]

What he says is generally true. The goverment of AKP brought a new fresh air to Turkey's economy in their early periods (before 2010s) but today the Turkish economy is crawling. Dollar and Euro increased 20% in the last two months. A great economic crisis is coming here. AKP's votes as a party have already decreased from %49 to %42 but Erdoğan was clever enough to see that from one year ago and he took MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) to their side and individually got %52 votes in the presidential vote.

[JustTime]

Erdogan is a failure and the real winners here is Iran while his opposition is admittedly quite bad, Erdogan is the most harmful to the Muslims because he causes confusion his true intentions are hidden while his opposition is openly and easily identified as bad. Erdogan's victory spells out continued suffering for Syria and the continued support of Iran.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Erdogan is a failure and the real winners here is Iran while his opposition is admittedly quite bad, Erdogan is the most harmful to the Muslims because he causes confusion his true intentions are hidden while his opposition is openly and easily identified as bad. Erdogan's victory spells out continued suffering for Syria and the continued support of Iran.

Perhaps you should take time and look yourself in the mirror before casting stones.

[anatolian]

Btw I am not trying to defend Erdoğan. He is responsible of that..

[JustTime]

Salaam



Perhaps you should take time and look yourself in the mirror before casting stones.

He's a useful idiot for Russia

[سيف الله]

Salaam

A little off, topic but this is disheartening.



Blurb

When German footballer Mesut Ozil decided to quit the national team, a major debate on racism erupted. Ozil, who is of Turkish descent, says he suffered “racism and disrespect”. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she values him as a great footballer who did a lot for the national team.




Mesut Ozil agent hits back at Bayern Munich president for welcoming midfielder's international retirement

'Mr Hoeness cannot even provide any actual evidence to back up his foolish statements that are clearly exaggerated'

Mesut Ozil‘s agent has condemned Uli Hoeness as a “disgrace” after the Bayern Munich president accused the Arsenal midfielder of having been “crap for years” following his retirement from international football.

In a lengthy statement posted on Twitter on Sunday evening, Ozil – a third-generation Turkish-German who was born in Gelsenkirchen – accused the German Football Association of treating him with “racism and disrespect”.

Ozil claimed German FA (DFB) chiefs wanted him “out of the team” before the start of the World Cup, due to the emergence of a photograph featuring him with Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The picture led to criticism of Ozil in Germany. According to the player, only the intervention of head coach Low and team manager Oliver Bierhoff ensured he would then take part in Russia.

Ozil, who won 92 caps for Germany, also revealed he and his family had received hate mail and threatening phone calls and been subjected to social media abuse.

Nevertheless, Bayern president Hoeness, who won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974, found little sympathy with the midfielder when asked for his views on Ozil’s decision.

Quoted by German newspaper Bild, Hoeness said: “I’m glad this nightmare is over. He has been playing crap for years.

“The last tackle he won was before the 2014 World Cup – and now he is hiding himself and his poor performances behind this photo.”

Ozil’s agent, Dr Erkut Sogut, has since hit back at Hoeness, labelling his comments as “foolish” while describing the Bayern president as a “disgrace”.

“The comments of Mr Hoeness miss the point completely, as they have absolutely nothing to do with football. He is trying to divert attention away from the real issue, the issue of racism and discrimination in Germany, which is resurging once again within everyday German society,” he told Goal.

“As Mesut said in his statement, he accepts reasonable and fair criticism of his football, and deals with that as part of the job. However, Mr Hoeness cannot even provide any actual evidence to back up his foolish statements that are clearly exaggerated.

“Mr Hoeness, we will not waste any more time or energy talking about a subject clearly you know nothing about. Not only is he a disgrace to yourself, but also and more importantly a shame to German football and the people of Germany.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/mesut-ozil-retires-retirement-bayern-munich-president-agent-germany-arsenal-latest-updates-a8461091.html

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update

Blurb

After being elected into another term in June 2018, President Erdogan of Turkey is getting ready to construct an ambitious new waterway on the European side of Istanbul. The canal will be the third megaproject in the city after a new continent-crossing bridge was completed in 2016 and the world’s largest airport will be finished by the end of the year. Yet, the government’s vision for a new canal also carries extensive geo-economic consequences for the Black Sea domain.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Like to share, good back ground information and quite even handed.

Blurb

Why did Erdogan come to power in Turkey? How did a state that had secularism written into its very constitution come to tilt towards Islamism? This video examines the politics of Turkey throughout the 20th century, and how conditions led to the publics embrace of an Islamist political party: the AKP.



Blurb

The last video covered the appeal of Erdogan to the masses, and situated Erdogan in the broader context of modern Turkish history. This video focuses on how Erdogan has successfully consolidated his power, and avoided being ousted by the military, as many have been before him. The video will address the Ergenekon trials, Erdogan's opposition, the Gezi Park rallies, the Gulen movement, and of course, the recent coup attempt.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

What going on here?

Escalating sanctions could cripple Turkey’s economy

Russian example highlights the importance of an independent central bank

Last week, the US Treasury announced sanctions against two Turkish cabinet ministers over the detention of an American pastor. This did not come as a bolt from the blue: in the past few years, Turkey has often been at odds with the EU and US in both its domestic and foreign policies.

US president Donald Trump has previously threatened Turkey with sanctions if it goes ahead with its plan to purchase an S-400 missile system from Russia, and the US is investigating state-controlled Halkbank for breaches of Iranian sanctions. Now Bloomberg is reporting that the US has also prepared a broader list of Turkish entities and individuals that could be subject to further sanctions.

To predict how Turkey would fare, we should look to the experience of the Russian economy after Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014. At the time, its economic growth was near its potential, it had low debt levels and the central bank held net foreign exchange reserves of $470bn. But the “biting” EU and US sanctions introduced after the invasion triggered a currency crisis, followed by a two-year recession. Russian institutions were cut off from international capital markets and unable to roll over their debt. Demand for forex soared. The crisis combined with falling oil prices to force a 50 per cent devaluation in the rouble against the dollar.

Fortunately for the economy, President Vladimir Putin had delegated economic policy to a team of technocrats. The central bank courageously floated the rouble and raised its policy rate by 750 basis points in late 2014. Containing the crisis came at a cost: the government ran down one of its sovereign wealth funds, and the central bank’s net forex reserves fell by more than $150bn. However, Russia avoided capital controls and the central bank enhanced its reputation for independence.

In contrast, Turkey’s overheated economy expanded by over 7 per cent in 2017. This was accompanied by a widening current account deficit and moderate growth of the budget deficit. Although Turkey’s public debt is relatively modest, external debt is much higher as a percentage of gross domestic product than that of Russia in 2014. Unlike Russia, Turkey does not have a sizeable fiscal or foreign exchange cushion. With its net foreign exchange reserves of only $74bn, the Turkish central bank has very limited ability to help local businesses refinance forex debt.

Crucially, Turkey is as dependent on investment flows as Russia is on oil. Global investor flight from emerging market assets has weakened the Turkish lira by 25 per cent versus the dollar this year. This has fuelled inflation and made further lira depreciation highly undesirable for Turkish authorities.

I think that the new US sanctions have increased the odds of a balance-of-payments crisis in Turkey. I worry about the heavily indebted corporate sector. Turkish banks have about $55bn in forex deposits but they face heavy external debt repayments in the next 12 months. Both Turkish banks and companies need to retain access to external markets.

To regain investor trust, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan would do well to follow Mr Putin’s example by putting experts in charge of economic policy, and allowing the central bank to reassert its independence. But Turkey’s shift in July to a more powerful executive presidency leaves little hope for independent institutions. Last month, the central bank eschewed another rate hike despite soaring inflation; its decision came right after Mr Erdogan predicted that rates were poised to fall, which unsettled the markets.

Mr Erdogan hopes that Turkey will attract more loans from China and other emerging market countries, much as Russia has done. But the Russian experience shows that some foreign direct investment may be substituted, but that takes time. Turkey needs to repair its relationship with the west quickly to avoid a larger crisis.

https://www.ft.com/content/45b379ec-...e-49c908b1f264

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update, more comment.

Turkey hits back over US sanctions

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced retaliatory measures against the US after it decided to impose sanctions on two Turkish ministers over the arrest of a US Pastor residing in Turkey.[1]

American Christian missionary Andrew Brunson who had been running a church in Izmir on Turkey’s western coast, was arrested in October 2016.

Brunson was alleged to have been involved in spying for the PKK (which both countries consider a terrorist organisation)[2] and colluding with the “Fetullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation” (FETO) which is said to have been behind the failed coup in 2016.[3] [4]

On Wednesday, Washington imposed sanctions on two Turkish ministers in retaliation for the arrest of Pastor Brunson.

In response President Erdoğan instructed the freezing of assets of the US “justice and interior” ministers and remarked that the Turkish nation will not step back because of “threatening rhetoric and silly decisions” of sanctions.

This is the latest in a series of small diplomatic spats between the two countries who were once closer allies. Decades ago this incident may have played out very differently where a dominant USA would have found a country ready to accede to almost every request.

However, under the leadership of President Erdoğan, Turkey has been transformed into a political, military and economic powerhouse. In the past Erdoğan has strongly criticised and urged reform on the UN Security Council by saying that the ‘World is bigger than Five’.



This latest incident has been described as a sign of Turkey’s growing and substantial global presence. Indeed, for many Muslims Erdoğan is seen as the de facto leader of the Muslim world, occupying the role that Saudi Arabia once played, but has since vacated.

The Evangelical Christian lobby in the USA is particularly exercised by Pastor Brunson’s arrest and is also a significant source of support for Donald Trump.[5]

As such, Trump cannot be seen to accede to Turkey. Trump tweeted that it was a “disgrace” that this “wonderful Christian husband and father” had been held “hostage” by the Turkish authorities.[6]

Equally, President Erdoğan can ill afford to appear weak on this issue, especially given the reforms in Turkey, under Erdoğan, that has led to a demonstrable democratisation of the country. [7]

Previously, power in Turkey was centralised with the military, however through the latest reforms in governance, approved by the electorate, the power has shifted to the political sphere.

President Erdoğan is no stranger to realpolitik, look no further than his relationship with Putin following the downing of the Russian fighter jet.[8]

However, given that Trump’s appreciation of nuance is even less than Putin’s, this diplomatic tiff is likely to continue to fester.

https://www.islam21c.com/news/turkey-hits-back-over-us-sanctions/

[JustTime]

Salaam

Another update, more comment.

Turkey hits back over US sanctions

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced retaliatory measures against the US after it decided to impose sanctions on two Turkish ministers over the arrest of a US Pastor residing in Turkey.[1]

American Christian missionary Andrew Brunson who had been running a church in Izmir on Turkey’s western coast, was arrested in October 2016.

Brunson was alleged to have been involved in spying for the PKK (which both countries consider a terrorist organisation)[2] and colluding with the “Fetullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation” (FETO) which is said to have been behind the failed coup in 2016.[3] [4]

On Wednesday, Washington imposed sanctions on two Turkish ministers in retaliation for the arrest of Pastor Brunson.

In response President Erdoğan instructed the freezing of assets of the US “justice and interior” ministers and remarked that the Turkish nation will not step back because of “threatening rhetoric and silly decisions” of sanctions.

This is the latest in a series of small diplomatic spats between the two countries who were once closer allies. Decades ago this incident may have played out very differently where a dominant USA would have found a country ready to accede to almost every request.

However, under the leadership of President Erdoğan, Turkey has been transformed into a political, military and economic powerhouse. In the past Erdoğan has strongly criticised and urged reform on the UN Security Council by saying that the ‘World is bigger than Five’.



This latest incident has been described as a sign of Turkey’s growing and substantial global presence. Indeed, for many Muslims Erdoğan is seen as the de facto leader of the Muslim world, occupying the role that Saudi Arabia once played, but has since vacated.

The Evangelical Christian lobby in the USA is particularly exercised by Pastor Brunson’s arrest and is also a significant source of support for Donald Trump.[5]

As such, Trump cannot be seen to accede to Turkey. Trump tweeted that it was a “disgrace” that this “wonderful Christian husband and father” had been held “hostage” by the Turkish authorities.[6]

Equally, President Erdoğan can ill afford to appear weak on this issue, especially given the reforms in Turkey, under Erdoğan, that has led to a demonstrable democratisation of the country. [7]

Previously, power in Turkey was centralised with the military, however through the latest reforms in governance, approved by the electorate, the power has shifted to the political sphere.

President Erdoğan is no stranger to realpolitik, look no further than his relationship with Putin following the downing of the Russian fighter jet.[8]

However, given that Trump’s appreciation of nuance is even less than Putin’s, this diplomatic tiff is likely to continue to fester.

https://www.islam21c.com/news/turkey...-us-sanctions/

"Erdogan the leader of the Muslim world", anyone who fails to realize how ridiculous this is failing themselves and their deen. Erdogan is not a uniter he is a divider and has successfully manipulated his way through deception and acting to this "position". What has Erdogan actually done to benefit the Muslims? Why is it in Syria it's okay for him to support the rebels while in Iraq, which has a government that openly supports Assad and is 100% backed by Iran he chooses to support the Iraqi government and their filthy allied "Popular Mobilization" Basij wannabe death squads? What projects has he done in support of the Muslims? Is it that he likes to talk about supporting Palestine? Is this how cheap and easy Muslims are? You can rape, murder, steal and do the most evil things on the face of this planet so long as you go along with the pro-Palestine narrative? Is it that someone can murder your mother but you still support them because they cry fake tears for Palestine?

Where is Erdogan when it comes to Egypt and the abuses of Sisi? Or how about Iran? Last time I checked he had no problem whatsoever shaking hands with Rouhani and talking about how they're going to divide and conquer Syria among themselves. Or in Yemen where is his involvement in the war on the Houthis? Why is there still Turkish soldiers in Afghanistan instead of in Yemen? Anyone who is upright would hate the PKK, but what is his hatred based on? Personal interests, the PKK for him is a tool as is Gulen they are excuses for him.

Do you think Erdogan invaded Syria to benefit Syrians? Because the evidence suggests not, where was he for Aleppo? He was ordering the withdrawal of men to go fight in his campaign, the battle of Aleppo was almost a victory but Erdogan he didn't care all he cared about was pleasing the international community and building up his position as Turkey's leader the "New Sultan". Why is it when the Syrian military along with Russian forces, the IRGC and Hezbollah launched a massive offensive in Idlib, Erdogan suddenly decided to launch an operation in Afrin, yet again withdrawing fighters from the front lines with the army of Bashar and the Party of Satan to go fight in Afrin?

Why is it okay for Erdogan to allow his intelligence agency to assassinate Muslims and divide the people of Idlib? Who does this benefit while he builds more "observation points" right next to Russian and Iranian bases while the latter continue their aggressive airstrike and shelling campaigns across Idlib, why has Erdogan not even lifted a finder in opposition as the so called "Guarantor of the de-escalation agreement"? It's because he's too busy ordering the total division of the ranks in Idlib right before, all while Assad and his pack of thugs are planning a very bloody slaughter for Idlib.

Erdogan is a prostitute for Russia.

[anatolian]

"Erdogan the leader of the Muslim world", anyone who fails to realize how ridiculous this is failing themselves and their deen. Erdogan is not a uniter he is a divider and has successfully manipulated his way through deception and acting to this "position". What has Erdogan actually done to benefit the Muslims? Why is it in Syria it's okay for him to support the rebels while in Iraq, which has a government that openly supports Assad and is 100% backed by Iran he chooses to support the Iraqi government and their filthy allied "Popular Mobilization" Basij wannabe death squads? What projects has he done in support of the Muslims? Is it that he likes to talk about supporting Palestine? Is this how cheap and easy Muslims are? You can rape, murder, steal and do the most evil things on the face of this planet so long as you go along with the pro-Palestine narrative? Is it that someone can murder your mother but you still support them because they cry fake tears for Palestine?

Where is Erdogan when it comes to Egypt and the abuses of Sisi? Or how about Iran? Last time I checked he had no problem whatsoever shaking hands with Rouhani and talking about how they're going to divide and conquer Syria among themselves. Or in Yemen where is his involvement in the war on the Houthis? Why is there still Turkish soldiers in Afghanistan instead of in Yemen? Anyone who is upright would hate the PKK, but what is his hatred based on? Personal interests, the PKK for him is a tool as is Gulen they are excuses for him.

Do you think Erdogan invaded Syria to benefit Syrians? Because the evidence suggests not, where was he for Aleppo? He was ordering the withdrawal of men to go fight in his campaign, the battle of Aleppo was almost a victory but Erdogan he didn't care all he cared about was pleasing the international community and building up his position as Turkey's leader the "New Sultan". Why is it when the Syrian military along with Russian forces, the IRGC and Hezbollah launched a massive offensive in Idlib, Erdogan suddenly decided to launch an operation in Afrin, yet again withdrawing fighters from the front lines with the army of Bashar and the Party of Satan to go fight in Afrin?

Why is it okay for Erdogan to allow his intelligence agency to assassinate Muslims and divide the people of Idlib? Who does this benefit while he builds more "observation points" right next to Russian and Iranian bases while the latter continue their aggressive airstrike and shelling campaigns across Idlib, why has Erdogan not even lifted a finder in opposition as the so called "Guarantor of the de-escalation agreement"? It's because he's too busy ordering the total division of the ranks in Idlib right before, all while Assad and his pack of thugs are planning a very bloody slaughter for Idlib.

Erdogan is a prostitute for Russia.

I agree with you for this time only except the last sentence. Erdoğan is trying to establish his own sultanate and he is open to anyone else, not only Putin. If America gives him what he wants he will kick Russia on the next day. Now America is nervous because of Turkey ‘s ongoing relations with Russia and china. That pastor is just a tool for the sanctions. America is preparing a long term war with these two and doesnt want Turkey to be on their side

[anatolian]

By the way the current develuation of the Turkish Lira has little to do with the sanctions. Turkish economy was already falling down for a long time. One Dollar was less than 4 Lira one year ago but today it became 5.35 Lira. However MR Erdoğan is keep telling us thats not important and temporary. He is just fooling people.

[anatolian]

1 USD became 5.72 TL today.. Hail the sultan !!! I think he just thinks that ruling a country is like a game. He will soon see the reality...

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Yes, I'm really concerned whats happening in Turkey

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I really don't think this is a good idea

Blurb

Reuters reports that President Tayyip Erdogan appointed his son-in-law as Turkey’s finance minister on Monday, hours after he was sworn in with sweeping new executive powers. Erdogan named his son-in-law Berat Albayrak as treasury and finance minister in an updated cabinet that excluded former deputy prime minister Mehmet Simsek, who was seen as the main market-friendly minister in the previous government.



Having said all this, its easy to throw rocks, Id like to get perspective from Erdogan supporters. So I can get the complete picture of whats going on. A lot of Western elites are not happy that Turkey is slipping out of (their) grasp.

[anatolian]

Erdoğan made the Turkish economy dependant on the foreign money and investment since long time ago. His company built all those roads and bridges but they did not built new factories. Erdoğan sold them old public factories under their prices and some of them are closed now. Turkish economy turned to a consumer economy instead of a productive economy. We have long been waiting for such an end. Those supporters will tell you the cliche that everything is done by some sinister powers to discredit Erdoğan but they fail to see that even if thats the case still its his fault to put the country’s economy in such a risky position.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

I have to reluctantly agree with you, it reminds me of the pathetic Blair.



Having said that I do like some of Erdogans policies (keeping the seculars in line, revival of Ottoman culture, helping Syrian refugees, speaking out for the Palestinians, generally acting more as a sovereign nation etc), though I think he has been corrupted by having so much power reminds me of this saying.

'Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely'

The same phenomena happens in the UK as well, UK used to have a large manufacturing base but now is heavily skewed towards the service sector and consuming. Its similar in the USA as well.

Blurb

After lobbyist Bruce tells him that certain politicians are not willing to vote for his ideas anymore because of the arrest, Frank explains what's wrong with the country today.



Sometimes I wonder why its so hard for countries to act in a sovereign manner and make the right long term decisions (globalism? etc).

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Things are going from bad to worse :(

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And some more.

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(from Guardian)

Brother anatolian is everything ok with you and your family etc? Just worried with all the news reports coming in.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update

Erdogan: How Turkey Sees the Crisis With the U.S.

Unilateral actions against Turkey by the United States will undermine American interests and force Turkey to look for other friends and allies.

By Recep Tayyip Erdogan

For the past six decades, Turkey and the United States have been strategic partners and NATO allies. Our two countries stood shoulder to shoulder against common challenges during the Cold War and in its aftermath.

Over the years, Turkey rushed to America’s help whenever necessary. Our military servicemen and servicewomen shed blood together in Korea. In 1962, the Kennedy administration was able to get the Soviets to remove missiles from Cuba by removing Jupiter missiles from Italy and Turkey. In the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, when Washington counted on its friends and allies to strike back against evil, we sent our troops to Afghanistan to help accomplish the NATO mission there.

Yet the United States has repeatedly and consistently failed to understand and respect the Turkish people’s concerns. And in recent years, our partnership has been tested by disagreements. Unfortunately, our efforts to reverse this dangerous trend proved futile. Unless the United States starts respecting Turkey’s sovereignty and proves that it understands the dangers that our nation faces, our partnership could be in jeopardy.

On July 15, 2016, Turkey came under attack by members of a shadowy group led by Fethullah Gulen, who leads his organization, officially described by my government as Fethullah Terrorist Organization, from a compound in rural Pennsylvania. The Gulenists tried to stage a bloody coup against my government. On that night, millions of ordinary citizens rushed to the streets out of a sense of patriotism, similar to what the American people undoubtedly experienced after Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Two hundred and fifty one innocent people, including Erol Olcok, my longtime campaign manager and dear friend, and his son, Abdullah Tayyip Olcok, paid the ultimate price for our nation’s freedom. Had the death squad, which came after me and my family, been successful, I would have joined them.

The Turkish people expected the United States to unequivocally condemn the attack and express solidarity with Turkey’s elected leadership. It did not. The United States reaction was far from satisfactory. Instead of siding with Turkish democracy, United States officials cautiously called for “stability and peace and continuity within Turkey.” To make matters worse, there has been no progress regarding Turkey’s request for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen under a bilateral treaty.

Another source of frustration relates to the partnership between the United States and the P.Y.D./Y.P.G., the Syrian branch of the P.K.K., an armed group that is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Turkish citizens since 1984 and that is designated a terrorist group by the United States. According to estimates by the Turkish authorities, Washington used 5,000 trucks and 2,000 cargo planes to deliver weapons to the P.Y.D./Y.P.G in recent years.

My government has repeatedly shared our concerns with American officials about their decision to train and equip the P.K.K.’s allies in Syria. Unfortunately, our words have fallen on deaf ears, and American weapons ended up being used to target civilians and members of our security forces in Syria, Iraq and Turkey.

In recent weeks, the United States has taken a series of steps to escalate tensions with Turkey, citing the arrest by the Turkish police of an American citizen, Andrew Brunson, on charges of aiding a terrorist organization. Instead of respecting the judicial process, as I urged President Trump to do in our many meetings and conversations, the United States issued blatant threats against a friendly nation and proceeded to impose sanctions on several members of my cabinet. This decision was unacceptable, irrational and ultimately detrimental to our longstanding friendship.

To convey that Turkey does not respond to threats, we retaliated by sanctioning multiple American officials. Moving forward, we will abide by the same principle: Attempting to force my government to intervene in the judicial process is not in line with our Constitution or our shared democratic values.

Turkey has established time and again that it will take care of its own business if the United States refuses to listen. In the 1970s, the Turkish government stepped in to prevent massacres of ethnic Turks by the Greek Cypriots despite Washington’s objections. More recently, Washington’s failure to grasp the seriousness of our concerns regarding national security threats emanating from Northern Syria resulted in two military incursions that cut off the so-called Islamic State’s access to NATO’s borders and removed the Y.P.G. militants from the city of Afrin. As in those cases, we will take necessary steps to protect our national interests.

At a time when evil continues to lurk around the world, unilateral actions against Turkey by the United States, our ally of decades, will only serve to undermine American interests and security. Before it is too late, Washington must give up the misguided notion that our relationship can be asymmetrical and come to terms with the fact that Turkey has alternatives. Failure to reverse this trend of unilateralism and disrespect will require us to start looking for new friends and allies.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/o...sanctions.html

[urkahnkhan]

Turkey dosen't really have any geopolitics except compromising with the west and giving as much as they can for just suviving. Example they betrayed the rebels in Syria recently. I find that quite expected except for people who had hope in them but I predicted this basically.

Turkey will realize one day that betraying the people of Idlib was one of their worst mistakes when that same enemy enters Istanbul for I believe somehow Turkey will get invaded down the line and it's not because of them being good muslims or anything but they will not want them to grow stronger so at some point down the line Turkey will become the next Iraq just like how Saddam was targetted out of the blue.

What Turkey, Egypt, Jordan etc etc don't realize is that the western world is not an ally to them in truth but despises them and this is where their hearts lay in all truthfulness and whoever reads how they post on social media regarding turkey or any of these so-called muslim countries is very very negative because they are just channelling their inner feelings towards these states and never will they become accaptable to their sight unless they leave islam all-together. This people will keep hating on you until you officially leave your religion and this is what Allah(Swt) said about them because he created them and he fully knows where their hearts lay at. You can seek forcing giant gold out of the mountains for them their hearts will never accept you. This has come to word

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update

Blurb

A week since the Turkish Lira crisis hit the headlines and whilst Erdogan and Trump play out a diplomatic tussle, the Turkish lira improved from record lows after Qatar’s Sheikh - Thamim bin Hamad Al Thani - said Qatar was standing by it “brothers in Turkey,” as he announced a $15bn investment into the country’s financial markets and banks. But why has Qatar entered the scene and helped to temporarily, temper the crises. I’m Kasim, this is KJ Vids and in this video, we will look at the Qatar-Turkish alliance and the motive that Qatar has in allying with Turkey. Qatar and Turkey are bound by strategic relations at the political, economic and military levels.



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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. You will not be able to find a contemporary Muslim leader of his that has matched these points. (I didn't even get to include him reading the Qur'an in public, his relationship with his mother, crying in public, ridding his country of IMF debt etc)

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Pakistan leader Imran Khan gives support.

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More critical comment.

Solely his fault? I doubt that.

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Can agree with this

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[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update

Turkey says U.S. waging 'economic war', lira weakens

The lira slid on Thursday after Turkey accused the United States of waging “economic war” amid a bitter standoff between the NATO allies over the fate of a Christian pastor detained by Ankara.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said Washington must respect the legal process concerning the pastor, Andrew Brunson, whose trial in Turkey on terrorism charges has infuriated U.S. President Donald Trump.

The lira dipped as far as 6.1350 against the dollar and was 0.7 percent weaker on the day at 6.0785 at 1200 GMT. The dollar was boosted by U.S. Federal Reserve minutes indicating it would raise interest rates in September.

The lira is down 37 percent this year, with the crisis in Turkish-U.S. ties exacerbating losses prompted by concerns about Erdogan’s influence on monetary policy. He says interest rates are the “mother and father of all evil” and opposes hiking them.

Economists said Turkey had still to convince investors it was ready to take measures needed to shore up its economy.

“The problems of Turkey are not fixed,” said Cristian Maggio, head of emerging markets strategy at TD Securities. “There is not one single structural solution or reform that has been advanced or detailed by the local authorities.”

Maggio added that lira volatility had increased due to thin trading volumes as Turkish markets are closed all week for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, told Reuters overnight that comments by Trump’s national security adviser showed the United States was targeting Turkey’s economy.

John Bolton told Reuters that Turkey had made a “big mistake” in not freeing Brunson, and was sceptical about $15 billion of investment support from Qatar, saying it was “utterly insufficient to have an impact on Turkey’s economy”.

“(Bolton’s) statement is proof that the Trump administration is targeting a NATO ally as part of an economic war,” Kalin said.

“The Trump administration has ... established that it intends to use trade, tariffs and sanctions to start a global trade war.”

“RESTRICTIVE AND PUNITIVE”

Until Kalin’s statement, Turkish officials had been silent about comments on Turkey this week by Trump and Bolton. Trump told Reuters on Monday he would make no concessions to Ankara in return for Brunson’s release.

Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for two decades, has been detained for 21 months and is now under house arrest. He denies the charges against him.

Trump, who counts evangelical Christians among his core voter base, has doubled tariffs on metal imports from Turkey, prompting Ankara to raise tariffs on U.S. car, alcohol and tobacco imports by the same amount.

Ankara has also initiated a WTO dispute complaint on the tariffs.

“Turkey will protect its national interests on every platform and work with the rest of the world against restrictive and punitive measures,” Kalin said, adding that Qatar’s support had had a positive impact on markets.

“The steps we have taken to prevent an assault on the Turkish lira yielded positive results” and the Finance Ministry and other institutions will continue to “take precautions and protect our economy”, Kalin added.

A German government source said the International Monetary Fund could help Turkey weather its currency crisis, but Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan’s son-in-law, has said Ankara has no plans to go to the IMF.

Cemil Ertem, Erdogan’s chief economic adviser, reinforced that message on Thursday, saying Turkey must deepen economic and trade ties with the European Union and other countries.

“Let alone the IMF, not one crumb of the IMF mentality must come through our door after this. If it does then we will face a real collapse and crisis,” Ertem wrote in Milliyet newspaper, describing the “attack” on Turkey’s economy as a “fantastic opportunity” for all emerging economies.

The analyst Maggio highlighted market concerns that Turkey’s central bank has not been hiking interest rates despite double-digit inflation and the ailing lira.

“They just squeezed liquidity out of the market but now they have started to reduce that squeeze, which is removing the support the lira received,” said Maggio. “I would be very surprised to see a sustained rally in the lira.”

In his comments to Reuters, Kalin also said Mehmet Hakan Atilla, a banker at Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank, had been unjustly convicted in the United States for taking part in a scheme to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions. Atilla was sentenced to 32 months in jail in May.

“It is unacceptable that certain baseless and false allegations are made against Halkbank to weaken this public bank,” Kalin added.

“Turkey is extremely frustrated with this process.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-turkey-currency/turkey-says-u-s-waging-economic-war-lira-weakens-idUSKCN1L80OT

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update

Flightless Turkey

The political and economic turmoil in Turkey has set off alarm bells in the US and UK defence industries, with a $10bn fighter jet deal now in the balance.

Turkey is scheduled to buy 100 of the controversial Lockheed Martin F-35 jets from the US, with the huge cost to be offset partly by Turkey becoming the European hub for the deep repair and engine maintenance facility for all European based F-35s, including the RAFs. There’s another UK interest in the deal, as BAE Systems is a major sub-contractor for the F-35 producing around 15% of the components.

All this is now in doubt. Last week Donald Trump signed a bill holding up the transfer of any jets Turkey for at least 90 days (pending a Pentagon assessment), and that delay may well become a cancellation. Over in Turkey the drop in the value of the lira (not least as a result of Trumps tariffs on steel and aluminum) has already made the F-35 deal for more expensive for the Turks, should it go ahead.

The Stipulation in the contract that deep repair and maintenance would be carried out by Lockheed at its Turkey hub was always unpopular with other European air forces, as the perceived instability of Turkey was considered a problem – but the situation was accepted with reluctance, in the hope it would deepen the NATO alliance, so much for that.

ANKARA BRIEFING

Officials from Vote Leave who in the final days of the 2016 referendum campaign commissioned a series of social media ‘fright ads’ about Turkey joining the European Union will no doubt be overjoyed to hear that efforts are being stepped up to finalise a post Brexit trade deal between the UK and, er, the world’s newest economic basket case.

The Foreign Office has found money to send additional mandarins to Ankara to help out. Its far from clear, however, how the new staff will handle of the more delicate issues Turkey will raise, including visa free travel for Turks wanting to visit the UK and tariff free importing of Turkish agricultural products.

Tariff free trade on manufactured goods, but not food or agricultural products, has existed between the two countries since Turkey joined the EU Customs Union in 1995, but that will end on 29 March next year when the UK leaves the EU.
Shortly before he was distracted by the collapse of the Turkish lira and a face off with the United States, Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan published his 100 day programme of things he hopes to achieve as he begins his terms as Turkeys first executive president, Number 11 on the list is his intention to ‘strengthen the floor of commercial and economic relations with the UK for the post Brexit period’.

No detail has emerged from either side, but previous statements by the UK officials suggest a trade deal with Turkey could provide an alternative source of the food products the UK currently imports tariff free from the EU. But this raises the issue of differing standards.

Turkey has a huge agricultural sector and has succeeded in tripling its food exports over the past decade. But there have been issues. Three times in the past decade, Russia has barred imports of fresh fruit and vegetables from Turkey, alleging fruit fly infestation, while other products such as honey have been blocked by several countries.

Turkeys own food security was brought into question two months ago when the price of staples such as potatoes and onions skyrocketed, prompting allegations of stockpiling and emergency imports from neighbouring war torn Syria.

Likely to be of more concern to the Leave camp, though, is what Turkey will want in return for a free trade deal. Even a collapsing economic and a trade war with Washington is unlikely to persuade Erdogan to moderate his long standing demands from Brussels for visa free travel for Turkish passport holders. With Turkeys escalating economic woes, a free trade deal that includes such a concession might actually help realise the Leave camps worst fears – explained graphically by the large arrow in their social media fright ads.

PE issue 1477

[Abz2000]

The turkish government's own stupidity for not uniting with other god-fearing nations and for not building their own jets and ships and tanks and weapons - but instead joining in the oppression of the cursed enemies of Allah :swt: isn't going to serve them well - it's not like there isn't enough expertise and material to build simple tanks for Allah's sake.....

Hopefully people are thinking about the fact that the meeting with Allah :swt: is near and that the remainder of concerns must fall in line with Allah's judgement.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update

Blurb

The close U.S.-Turkish relationship dates back to the early days of the Cold War. That’s when Turkey sent its troops to fight alongside U.S. soldiers in the Korean War. In return, Turkey become an important NATO member and a bulwark against Soviet expansionism in the eastern Mediterranean.

As of 2018, Turkey’s armed forces are the fourth most powerful in the Alliance. And the Incirlik air base in Southern Turkey serves as a critical hub for U.S. fighter jets in their Middle East missions, particularly over Iraq and Syria. But despite the current cooperation between the U.S. and Turkey, the strategic alliance and trust between the countries began to falter with the end of the Cold War. I’m Kasim, this is KJ Vids and in this video, we will look at the US-Turkish Relationship.



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BAKU - With the lira plunging to new depths before partly rectifying itself, Turkey has seen better days. Yet, what’s happening to the lira is not restricted to Turkey. Global credit levels, especially US dollar-denominated debts, are at an all-time high. Access to cheap credit has facilitated a new crisis in many emerging markets. Now, those reckless monetary policies are starting to show their cracks.



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Donald Trump slapped some new tariffs on Turkey, leading to a currency crisis. But is the Turkish economy's fall really his fault?



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The transatlantic financial elite are nearly throwing the kitchen sink at Turkey, as far as currency & economic war is concerned. Since the Coup of 2016 didn’t work in making Ankara heel before Atlanticist imperial desires, the money vice is now re-deployed, as it had been over the past couple of years, and in clumsy, desperate fashion, driving this strategically vital NATO member (barely a NATO member at this point, though…) further eastward into the waiting arms of Russia, China, Iran, and their rising number of Eurasian, southern hemispheric and Belt & Road Initiative transcontinental partners & allies.

[Yahya.]

The turkish government's own stupidity for not uniting with other god-fearing nations and for not building their own jets and ships and tanks and weapons - but instead joining in the oppression of the cursed enemies of Allah :swt: isn't going to serve them well - it's not like there isn't enough expertise and material to build simple tanks for Allah's sake.....

Hopefully people are thinking about the fact that the meeting with Allah :swt: is near and that the remainder of concerns must fall in line with Allah's judgement.

Turkey is manufacturing weapons since the 70s and 80s and they are working on the development of Altay, a 3+ generation main battle tank. They are also cooperating closely with willing governments of Muslim majority countries like Qatar, Kuwait and the Turkistan countries. But to speak of taqwa in the sphere of modern international politics is undue. Most states in the Muslim world are either secular or at 'least' lead by hypocrite puppets. Erdogan's AKP itself is the foremost supporter of secularism and state nationalism.

[anatolian]

Yes Turkey is building good weaponry but still needs the foreign sources for high tech. The first problem which led America to take those actions against Turkey started when we bought the Russian S-400 missiles. This made them mad. We also needed modern jets and purchased those F-35s from America. They now refuse to submit those jets to us although, as far as I know, we have already paid the price as a reaction our business with Russia.

This made me remember a story from history. Ottoman state purchased two war ships from Britain just before the 1st world war. Ottomans were officially neutral back then. However, although their prices were paid, Britain refused to submit them to us and even when the Ottoman officials went to Britain to take the ships they arrested these people. Then Germany gave us two war ships for free in place of them with a condition. These ships would go to Sevastopol with the Ottoman flags and bomb the city..and this became the official entrance of the Ottoman state to the WW1 which caused a chain of important events for not only Turks but all Muslims.. Ottoman state which defended Islam against Christiandom for centuries declined and then the official Caliphate declined.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

This made me remember a story from history. Ottoman state purchased two war ships from Britain just before the 1st world war. Ottomans were officially neutral back then. However, although their prices were paid, Britain refused to submit them to us and even when the Ottoman officials went to Britain to take the ships they arrested these people. Then Germany gave us two war ships for free in place of them with a condition. These ships would go to Sevastopol with the Ottoman flags and bomb the city..and this became the official entrance of the Ottoman state to the WW1 which caused a chain of important events for not only Turks but all Muslims.. Ottoman state which defended Islam against Christiandom for centuries declined and then the official Caliphate declined.

I always wondered why the Ottoman empire became involved in this conflict. Maybe a thread for the history section.

[anatolian]

Salaam



I always wondered why the Ottoman empire became involved in this conflict. Maybe a thread for the history section.

They did it because they were already planning to invade the soils of the Ottoman state before the war. Maybe this move of America is a signal of a similar purpose, who knows...

[سيف الله]

Salaam

2 Questions.

Who was planning to invade in the lead up to WW1?

When it comes to fighter aircraft has Turkey thought about manufacturing their own, is it feasible?

[anatolian]

Salaam

2 Questions.

Who was planning to invade in the lead up to WW1?

When it comes to fighter aircraft has Turkey thought about manufacturing their own, is it feasible?

Wasalam.

Britain and france were planning to invade the Ottoman soils prior to the war. It was a sick man with full of oil. Ottomans wanted to be ally with them at first but since their plans were different Britain made this game to convince the Ottoman state to take the other side. Otherwise you cant invade the lands of your ally.

Turkey has been using, producing and developing F-16s since the 90s. However their technology is old now. Turkey is also starting to produce the new F-35s but I dont know why we also purchased these 30 nos from America. But as you see we have to use the American technology as a member of NATO. We dont have our own core technology

[Futuwwa]

The US Federal Reserve can't keep the Lira depressed forever. Dumping its Lira reserves on the market causes a spike in supply and a resulting drop in price, but then the US Federal Reserve is out of Liras. In the long run, the price of the Lira will be determined by the productivity of the Turkish economy, and until then, a low currency just makes Turkish exports more competitive, which contributes to driving the price of the currency back to that long-term equilibrium.

[JustTime]

Acting like Turkey becoming economically independent or that them developing their own weapons makes them any better Islamically is wrong, Erdogan is an insignificant taghout munafiq murtad.

[anatolian]

The US Federal Reserve can't keep the Lira depressed forever. Dumping its Lira reserves on the market causes a spike in supply and a resulting drop in price, but then the US Federal Reserve is out of Liras. In the long run, the price of the Lira will be determined by the productivity of the Turkish economy, and until then, a low currency just makes Turkish exports more competitive, which contributes to driving the price of the currency back to that long-term equilibrium.

Thanks for your good wishes but thats the capitalist way of sugar coating an economic crisis. We need the dollar much more than they need the lira. During this long turn the rich will continue to be richer and the poor will continue to be poorer in Turkey. A high inflation is only good for the export not for the millions who has standard monthly incomes. Ofcourse Erdoğan and his company will find a way to benefit from this scenario.

[Futuwwa]

Thanks for your good wishes but thats the capitalist way of sugar coating an economic crisis. We need the dollar much more than they need the lira. During this long turn the rich will continue to be richer and the poor will continue to be poorer in Turkey. A high inflation is only good for the export not for the millions who has standard monthly incomes. Ofcourse Erdoğan and his company will find a way to benefit from this scenario.

It's not sugarcoating, it's basic macroeconomics. As for whether "they need the lira", that's irrelevant. Once the Fed is out of liras to dump on the market, it can't depress the lira further.

If companies that are fundamentally viable go bankrupt simply because their dollar-denominated debts are too high, that just means that the companies will be sold off intact to pay as much of the debt as possible. The companies will keep on doing their thing under new ownership, free of debt, and debtors fall short of getting theirs. That, or they will agree to debt restructuring.

[anatolian]

It's not sugarcoating, it's basic macroeconomics. As for whether "they need the lira", that's irrelevant. Once the Fed is out of liras to dump on the market, it can't depress the lira further.

Thats basic capitalist macroeconomics. Thats the economy which will cause the rich get richer and the poor get poorer in Turkey as I mentioned above. The way you portray it made me think that you accept and are happy with such an end for the Turkish people. If thats the case know that I will never accept and normalize it for my people. Turkey buys more and more foreign Dollars to balance the gap ( We have just bought 15 billions from Qatar and ofcourse they did not give it for the sake of love) and each time we get more dependant on the foreign money and investment.

If companies that are fundamentally viable go bankrupt simply because their dollar-denominated debts are too high, that just means that the companies will be sold off intact to pay as much of the debt as possible. The companies will keep on doing their thing under new ownership, free of debt, and debtors fall short of getting theirs. That, or they will agree to debt restructuring.

Which companies you mean? Public companies that belong to the nation? Erdoğan is good at selling them to his businessmen. He is selling our own property and in such a case he sells them under their prices to pay the debt. These new owners either shut down them or work with lesser salaries. Either I have no idea what you are talking about or you have no idea what you are talking about bro..

[JustTime]

It's clear where Erdogan stands now,
https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/stat...02818601742336
https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/stat...03924237119491
https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/stat...07901435564032

It's with the Rafida, and I ask Allah to forbid them from taking Al-Quds or Myanmar

Khamenei.ir auf Twitter: "World of Islam’s most crucial need today is growing closeness & convergence. Cooperation between Muslim countries surely facilitates solving region’s problems; hence, arrogant powers, esp. U.S., are troubled by cooperation between Muslim countries, formation of an Islamic power.… https://t.co/p8GLLIqymN" ...

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update

Erdogan to seize Turkish opposition party’s bank stake

President says legislation will transfer Isbank shares to Treasury

Turkey’s president has said legislation will be introduced to seize the main opposition party’s stake in the country’s largest listed lender and transfer it to the Treasury.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who exerts unprecedented control of over Turkey’s $800bn economy, has repeatedly criticised the Republican People’s party (CHP) for holding a 28 per cent stake in Isbank that was granted by the modern republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, upon his death in 1938.

“Ataturk did not do this so the CHP could take it and use it. He did it so it would go to the Treasury. We are now bringing this matter to parliament . . . and we will transfer the stake to the Treasury,” Mr Erdogan on Saturday told a crowd in the city of Kayseri.

The CHP has four seats on Isbank’s board and donates its dividends to cultural associations. The lender’s ties with the CHP are seen as a shield against Mr Erdogan’s meddling in the banking sector.

In September, Mr Erdogan demanded an investigation into the CHP’s stake, sending Isbank’s shares and the lira tumbling. At the time, the lender, which has assets of about $68bn, said it was too important to the economy to be dragged into a political debate.

No one was available from the party on Saturday to comment on Mr Erdogan’s remarks. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the CHP’s chairman, urged respect for Ataturk’s legacy last month when Mr Erdogan threatened to investigate.

The Nationalist Movement party, which acts as junior partner to Mr Erdogan’s Justice and Development party (AKP), has said it would support legislation to seize the CHP’s stake, which would secure the draft bill enough votes to pass parliament. The pro-government Sabah newspaper said on Saturday the AKP was already drafting the bill.

Investors are unnerved by the extent of Mr Erdogan’s control over the economy since he won a June election to a new executive presidency that vastly expanded his powers.

The central bank’s independence has been eroded amid his repeated call for lower interest rates, arguing the unconventional view that higher interest drives inflation.

He has appointed himself chairman to the country’s sovereign wealth fund and named his son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, as economy tsar.

Concerns about Mr Erdogan’s power grab contributed to a currency crisis that erupted in late July, driving the lira to record lows. It has lost more than a third of its value this year.

https://www.ft.com/content/065bb752-cf03-11e8-a9f2-7574db66bcd5


Mr Trump called the release a "tremendous step" towards a "great relationship" with Turkey.

He insisted there had been no deal made with Turkey, but said the US would reconsider its "very tough" sanctions on the country in light of Mr Brunson's release.

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Mr Trump said the US felt "very differently about Turkey" in light of the pastor's release.

When asked by a reporter if the release had any relation to the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the president said the timing was "strict coincidence".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45842735

[anatolian]

The US Pastor Brunson was captive Turkey for around two years with the accusation of being a CIA agent who supports PKK and FETO (Gülenist terrorist organization). Erdoğan was just saying two months ago that America waged a financial war on Turkey because of this agent and no one could take him from us. He is released yesterday..This again and again shows what kind of a shameless hypocrite this Erdoğan is..A minimum of 90% of his words are lie. He just speaks whatever fits to the current situation of politics and easily U turns later when he needs.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update

Why dissidents are gathering in Istanbul

A century after Turkey lost the Middle East, Istanbul is an Arab capital again

REFUGEES, dissidents and émigrés from across the Arab world are flocking to the old imperial city which ruled their lands until 1918. In Mukhtar, a popular café in Istanbul’s “Little Syria”, outcasts from regimes that crushed the Arab spring sip coffee spiced with cardamom—and plot their comeback. They hail from Egypt, Syria, Yemen and other Arab countries where the Ottoman Turks once ruled. Some advocate peaceful means, others violent. “These tyrants will never hand over power peacefully,” says a Kuwaiti dissident.

Istanbul may host as many as 1.2m Arabs, including many of the 3m-plus Syrian refugees in Turkey. A former presidential candidate from Egypt is there, along with Kuwaiti MPs stripped of their citizenship and a crop of former ministers from Yemen. Dozens of Arab websites, satellite-TV stations and think-tanks relay grievances back home. Istanbul’s Arab Media Association now counts 850 journalists as members.

Most Arab states deny citizenship to foreigners and their offspring, even those born and raised in their countries. By contrast, Arabs may get a Turkish passport after five years of residency, or immediately if they bring in at least $250,000. “There they treat us like slaves,” says a Lebanese education consultant who took a pay cut to move from Dubai to Istanbul. “Here we belong.” Some Arabs arrive after failing to win asylum in less friendly Europe. “It’s more familiar, Muslim and closer to home,” says an applicant. Saudis snap up property in case things go wrong back home.

Turkey’s political system is another attraction. Its democracy looks flawed to European eyes. But it is a paragon compared with most Arab regimes. Its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose wife is of Arab origin, still openly champions the Arab uprisings of 2011 and the Muslim Brothers who briefly ran Egypt until its current president, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, took over in a coup in 2013. “It’s the last corner of the Arab spring,” says Ayman Nour, once a candidate for Egypt’s presidency, who now runs his own television station from the city.

These days hot Arab bands come to play in Istanbul. The city also hosts the biggest Arab book fair in a non-Arab land. Last month a school opened for Palestinians from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Ibn Haldun, a new university on Istanbul’s outskirts, offers scholarships to students across the umma, or Muslim nation, to promote Islamist values. Mr Erdogan’s son, Bilal, is on the board. A new Arab Council for the Defence of Revolutions and Democracy seeks to bring all the city’s Arab émigrés together. But after the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, their haven may feel a bit less safe.

https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2018/10/13/why-dissidents-are-gathering-in-istanbul

[anatolian]

I was planning to write something regarding the so called pastor Brunson but I see you suddenly changed the topic :).

Turkey generally and particularly Istanbul became a popular destination for Arabs recently for both touristic and residential purpose. It is a democrasy with an Islamic enviroment and culture. So this attracts those rich ones who have the opportunity to buy a second residency abroad. This rapid move annoys the nationalists but they fail to see that the southern sea side regions have already been occupied by the north europeans for the same purpose.

This country is getting more diverse each day but I am afraid my turkish people are not ready for this rapid change. We Turks are generally a welcoming people but if people violate our rules we can get a little tough.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Its important to respect and understand the culture you are in, I completely agree. I think it will be easier for for those who come from Muslims backgrounds.

Post away on the Pastor, Id like to get Turkish perspective on this.

[anatolian]

The problem is, not all turkish people care muslimhood at all. There are people who dont care Islam and/or muslim brotherhood. Turkish people are already culturally and mentally very diverse. We will see what this will bring us.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update

Blurb

Turkey is re-calibrating its foreign and regional policy at a time when the Middle East is undergoing a major transformation. Russia appears to be doing the same. As both look for more influence in the region, their relationship will be at times cooperative and at times competitive.

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Another update. More likely to marginalise its influence.

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EXCLUSIVE: Saudi Arabia’s ‘strategic plan’ to take Turkey down

In a confidential Emirati document seen by MEE, Mohammed bin Salman's scheme to confront Erdogan's government is outlined in full

Saudi Arabia has begun implementing a “strategic plan” to confront the Turkish government, after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman decided he was being “too patient” with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.

The plan is detailed in a confidential report based on open- and closed-source intelligence prepared by the kingdom’s ally, the United Arab Emirates.

The intelligence report is one of a monthly series written by the Emirates Policy Centre, a think tank with close links to the Emirati government and security services.

Entitled “Monthly Report on Saudi Arabia, Issue 24, May 2019”, the report is of limited circulation and intended for the top Emirati leadership. It does not appear on the think tank’s website. A copy has been obtained by Middle East Eye.

It reveals that in Riyadh in May, orders were given to implement the strategic plan to confront the Turkish government.

The aim of the plan was to use “all possible tools to pressure Erdogan’s government, weaken him, and keep him busy with domestic issues in the hope that he will be brought down by the opposition, or occupy him with confronting crisis after crisis, and push him to slip up and make mistakes which the media would surely pick up on”.

Middle East Eye contacted the Emirates Policy Centre for comment, with no reply by the time of publication.

Restricting influence

Riyadh’s aim is to restrict Erdogan and Turkey’s regional influence.

“The kingdom would start to target the Turkish economy and press towards the gradual termination of Saudi investment in Turkey, the gradual decrease of Saudi tourists visiting Turkey while creating alternative destinations for them, decreasing Saudi import of Turkish goods, and most importantly minimising Turkish regional role in Islamic matters,” the report says.

According to the report, Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, took the decision to confront Turkey following the assassination of Khashoggi by a team of Saudi agents in their country’s Istanbul consulate.

The murder of the Saudi journalist, a Middle East Eye and Washington Post columnist, created international outrage, in large part due to Turkey’s insistence on Riyadh providing accountability and transparency over the affair.

“President Erdogan … went too far in his campaign smearing the kingdom, especially the person of the crown prince, using in the most reprehensible manner the case of Khashoggi,” the reports says

In the document, the Emirates Policy Centre claims Turkey did not provide “specific and honest” information to assist the Saudi investigation into the killing, but instead leaked “disinformation” to the media “all aimed at distorting the image of the kingdom and attempting to destroy the reputation of the crown prince”.

Riyadh had concluded that Erdogan failed in his attempt to politicise and internationalise the case and now was the time to mount the fightback, the report says.

Both the CIA and leading members of the US Congress have accepted the Turkish intelligence assessment of Khashoggi’s murder.

The CIA also concluded that Mohammed bin Salman almost certainly signed off on the operation, an assessment based on its own intelligence as well.

“The accepted position is that there is no way this happened without him being aware or involved,” said a US official familiar with the CIA’s conclusions, the Washington Post reported.

Since then, a report by United Nations human rights investigator Agnes Callamard detailed the difficulties the Turkish authorities had in investigating the murder and gaining access to the consulate building and the home of the consul-general.

Callamard concluded independently that the crown prince ordered Khashoggi’s murder.

The pressure begins

Last week came the first public sign of the campaign detailed in the Emirati document coming to life.

Saudi authorities blocked 80 Turkish trucks transporting textile products and chemicals from entering the kingdom through its Duba port.

Three hundred containers carrying fruit and vegetables from Turkey had also been held in Jeddah’s port, according to a Turkish official who spoke to MEE on condition of anonymity.

The number of Saudi tourists visiting Turkey decreased 15 percent (from 276,000 to 234,000) in the first six months of 2019, according to official data released by the Turkish tourism ministry.

Saudi Arabia has approximately $2bn worth of direct investment in Turkey, according to the Turkish foreign ministry data from 2018.

That year, Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia were valued at around $2.64bn, while imports from the kingdom stood at $2.32bn.

Behind the scenes, other signals have been sent to Ankara.

The Emirati report says “in a sign that the Saudi leadership has severed its relationship with … Erdogan and started treating him as an enemy”, King Salman approved “without hesitation” a recommendation from an advisory committee not to send an official invitation to attend a high-profile Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit in Mecca.

The Turkish president’s name was added to the list of those excluded from the summit, alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Eventually, King Salman decided to allow the Qatari emir to attend the event in Mecca, though Erdogan’s invitation was not forthcoming.

The Turkish government is aware of the Saudi crown prince’s attempts to sever relations and is trying to combat them through keeping direct communications with his father, King Salman.

A senior Turkish official, speaking anonymously, said the existence of a Saudi strategy to punish Turkey over its stance on the Khashoggi case wasn't surprising.

"We are aware of what they are doing. It is almost public, to the extent that you could see their activities on Saudi-backed social media and Saudi state media,” the official told MEE, noting that they had openly called for a boycott.

“Tourist arrivals are decreasing, while we are having problems related to Turkish exports. We are closely following the situation.”

The Turkish official said, however, that Ankara does not believe that Saudi citizens are altering their stance on Turkey, despite the government in Riyadh’s efforts.

“Istanbul, for example, is still full of Saudi tourists. Saudi officials should check the BBC’s poll on Erdogan's popularity in the Middle East. Then they will realise that they are failing,” the official said.

Erdogan phoned the king on Thursday, raising the problem of Turkish exports being held at Saudi ports.

Another Turkish official, also speaking anonymously, said Erdogan's phone call with the Saudi king was cordial and focused on regional developments, such as Syria and the Palestine question.

The official, who was informed about the call, said the king was lucid and supportive of Turkish concerns with regard to Syria.

In the same call, Erdogan invited King Salman and his family, including the crown prince, to Turkey.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/e...ke-turkey-down

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Like to share. This is troubling, respect the brothers steadfastness.

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[anatolian]

I dont see any provocation in the above video except the video itself focusing the man directly. Apart from this the car is ful of Kemalists celebrating the feast and an appearantly coservative muslim standing in front of them. It seems the provokers are the ones portraying this as provocation. The girl thinks that the whole car is singing the march just inorder to provoke the bearded man..Oh my Allah..

[سيف الله]

Salaam

Thanks for the perspective, perhaps there's more to this story than meets the eye, still, a less than edifying sight to witness.

[anatolian]

There was a video last year some feminists protesting the police in the Taksim square and the provoker started recording them when azan began then published it as “feminists protesting the azan”..This one is similar to that video. There is an ongoing tension between conservative muslims and seculars in Turkey and lots of provokers are working to increase it. Just dont believe everything you ‘see’..