A failed coup in Turkey has changed the geopolitical landscape overnight realigning Ankara with Moscow while shattering Washington’s plan to redraw the map of the Middle East. Whether Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan staged the coup or not is of little importance in the bigger scheme of things. The fact is, the incident has consolidated his power domestically while derailing Washington’s plan to control critical resources and pipeline corridors from Qatar to Europe. The Obama administrations disregard for the national security interests of its allies, has pushed the Turkish president into Moscow’s camp, removing the crucial landbridge between Europe and Asia that Washington needs to maintain its global hegemony into the new century. Washington’s plan to pivot to Asia, surround and break up Russia, control China’s growth and maintain its iron grip on global power is now in a shambles. The events of the last few days have changed everything.…
Bolton: If coup in Turkey fails, expect brutal crackdown
Around 6,000 people have been detained so far, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told the state-run Anadolu Agency, adding that number is expected to rise.
They include Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, commander of the Incirlik Air Base, according to the Turkish President"s office. The United States uses the airbase to launch airstrikes on ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
An "order of detention" for Col. Ali Yazici, a senior military aide to Erdogan, has also been issued, according to Anadolu.
Speaking Sunday at the funeral of one of those killed in the uprising, Erdogan did not rule out bringing back the death penalty for the coup"s perpetrators.
As the crowd chanted "we want the death penalty," he said, "we can"t ignore the people"s request in a democracy -- this is your right.
"This right has to be evaluated by the appropriate authorities according to the constitution and a decision can be made," Erdogan said in the address broadcast live on TV.
"This virus will be cleaned from all departments of the government," he added.
View from the streets
In a rare show of unity, Turkey"s political parties united to denounce Friday"s coup attempt, but it"s uncertain how long that solidarity will last.
Erdogan remains a divisive figure in Turkey. "He"s loved and worshiped by a good half of the country," CNN"s Gul Tuysuz says. "The other half detests him passionately."
Indeed there was concern among some opposition figures that the President"s triumphant call to action would only embolden his tightening grip on Turkey.
The coup attempt comes as a shock to a country more familiar with tackling outside threats such as ISIS and the separatist Kurdistan Workers" Party, or PKK.
For now, Erdogan has urged pro-government protesters to continue rallying, saying: "That"s what ruined their plot.
"And for the next week we need to continue this solidarity, we must keep up these meetings."
But even as government leaders declare it"s business as usual in Turkey, many people are grappling with the fallout from Friday"s b****y uprising.
"Many people are confused by the President"s reaction to this uprising -- by his calls to have his followers continuously go out into the streets and create what can only be described as something of a festive atmosphere," said CNN"s Arwa Damon in Istanbul.
"At the end of the day, this is a country that is also trying to come to terms with the fact that around 200 of its citizens were just killed."
Erdogan blames Gulen In addition to those detained, Erdogan is demanding the United States arrest or extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom he blamed for the attempt to overthrow the government.
"Twenty years ago, I clearly stated my support for democracy and I said that there is no return from democracy in Turkey," Gulen said Saturday. "My position on democracy is really clear. Any attempts to overthrow the country is a betrayal to our unity and is treason."
Gulen, who"s living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, denied he had anything to do with it.
"It could be anything," Gulen told journalists. "I have been away from Turkey for 16 years."
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States hadn"t yet received a formal request for extradition from Turkey.
"We think it"s irresponsible to have an accusation of American involvement when we"re simply waiting for their request -- which we"re absolutely prepared to act on if it meets the legal standard," Kerry told CNN.
Tensions with the U.S.
In a country once promoted to the wider Muslim world as a model of democratic governance and economic prosperity, the attempted coup was a shocking shift. The nation plays a crucial role in the fight against terrorism in the Middle East.
The ramifications of the coup attempt on the NATO ally and U.S. partner in the fight against ISIS remain unclear.
Turkey has reopened the airspace around Incirlik Air Base, where it allows the American military to launch operations in the air campaign against terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
The airbase was closed after the attempted coup and its commander detained for his alleged involvement in the uprising.
The base is home to the Turkish air force and the U.S. Air Force"s 39th Air Base Wing, which includes about 1,500 American personnel, according to the base website.
The attempted coup
Military tanks rolled onto the streets of Ankara and Istanbul the night before and soldiers blocked the famous Bosphorus Bridge.
The military"s claim of a takeover was read on state broadcaster TRT. The military said it wanted to maintain democratic order and that the government had "lost all legitimacy."
But the coup attempt lost momentum after Erdogan returned from vacation at the seaside resort of Marmaris. In an interview via FaceTime on CNN Turk, he appealed to supporters to quash the attempted coup, and they took to the streets in masses.
By the time he re-emerged after hours of silence, dozens had died.
Of the nearly 200 deaths, most were police officers killed in a gunbattle with a helicopter near the Parliament complex in Ankara, reported NTV, a Turkish television station. An additional 1,140 people were wounded.
Erdogan was elected Prime Minister in 2003. Under his rule, Turkey became a powerhouse in the Middle East. His reign came to an end in 2014, and his own party"s rules prevented him from seeking a fourth term.
But in a bid to maintain an important position in Turkish politics, he ran for President in 2014 -- and won.
The post was largely ceremonial before Erdogan"s presidency.
He has tried to change that by altering the constitution to give him more power.
Erdogan remains arguably the most powerful figure in Turkish politics, regardless of title.
CNN"s Euan McKirdy, Steve Almasy, Jamie Crawford, Barbara Starr, Ivan Watson, Kevin Bohn, and Amanda Wills contributed to this report.
Muhammed Fethullah Gülen b: 1941 in Turkey is a Turkish preacher, former imam, writer, and political figure. He is the founder of the Gülen movement. He was an Iman at age 17, having studied with Sufi masters. He currently lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, residing in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.
We just witnessed an attempted coup by some of Turkey's military on Friday. President Recept Tayyip Erdogan has accused an Iman in Pennsylvania of being the catalyst for this and wants the USA to return him to their government, probably for trial.
This is an important event. Turkey is very important to the USA. "Turkey is a member of NATO and a key US ally in the region, providing its airbase for the ongoing military campaign in neighboring Syria. It also hosts American nuclear weapons, with an estimated 50 to 90 B61 bombs stored at the Incirlik base." This coup has caused the death of 265 so far with 1440 injured. 2,800 have been arrested, soldiers who participated in the coup. Their grievance is that Erdogan has been taking over positions; not a very democratic thing to do. However, with Erdogan's popularity, the head generals were not involved in this.
There are lots of Turkish Americans around his home right now planning to demonstrate in Washington who think that this Iman's plea of innocence is a lie. The Iman is Fethullah Gulen. "While in the U.S. in 1999 for medical treatment, he was charged in Turkey with attempting to create an Islamic state— anathema under Turkey's secularist constitution. He stayed in Pennsylvania, where he now lives on a 25-acre estate in the Pocono Mountains. Over the years, he said, he has left the estate twice."
"Alliance For Shared Values (AFSV) is a New York-basednonprofitumbrella organization and major part of the Gülen movement according to Wikipedia. Having been inspired by Turkish preacher, Fethullah Gülen, their stated goal is to "[serve] as a voice for civic, culture and service organizations around the U.S dedicated to promoting community service, education and interfaith dialogue. The president of the organization is Alp Aslandogan." "In 2014. the AFSV released a statement in which they condemned what they called "politically-motivated attempts to crackdown on law-abiding citizens" by then-Prime Minister of TurkeyRecep Tayyip Erdoğan against members of the organization, including defaming Gülen and demanding his extradition without any charges or legal case against him. They also accused him of taking advantage of Turkey’s strategic relationship with the US."
Hillary Clinton, Presidential Candidate
The Daily Caller, conservative from USA, " alleged in 2016 that they had found connections between Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the Gülen Movement, including the Alliance for Shared Values. They accused the AFSV of hiring the Podesta Group, a group co-founded by Clinton’s current campaign chairman and his brother, to lobbyCongress on its behalf. They also claimed the AFSV's president, Alp Aslandogan, had formerly donated money to Clinton’s campaigns. The article was referred to by the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah, which is itself accused of being close to Erdogan."
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, in power since 2002
This is the group's comment today after the President of Turkey's accusations. "News media reported about developments in Turkey today regarding actions of Turkish Armed Forces.
For more than 40 years, Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet participants have advocated for, and demonstrated their commitment to, peace and democracy. We have consistently denounced military interventions in domestic politics. These are core values of Hizmet participants. We condemn any military intervention in domestic politics of Turkey. Events on the ground are moving quickly and it would be irresponsible for us to speculate on them. We remain concerned about the safety and security of Turkish citizens and those in Turkey right now."Comments by pro-Erdogan circles about the movement are highly irresponsible."
Erdogan has said that "“Any country that protects Fethullah Gulen will be an enemy to Turkey,” Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday, naming the imam who Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asserts is the mastermind behind Friday’s failed coup."
So here's the conundrum: the president of Turkey thinks Iman Gulen brought about an attempted coup and wants him returned to him or else-all troubles fall on the USA. Hillary Clinton is involved with the group that has been defending Gulen from these accusations. What will Obama do? This is not the first time that Turkey has wanted him back.
Who is this Iman? He's been put on trial 3 times in absentia in Turkey already. He was noticed in Turkey about 50 years ago who taught a philosophy that blended mystical Islam with democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue. He had many supporters who started 1,000 schools in more than 100 countries and included about 150 charter schools that were taxpayer -funded in the USA. In Turkey they run universities, hospitals, charities, a bank and media of all types.
Erdogan's history has been that of a problem for Israel when Israeli sailors had to board a ship they brought in loaded with boxes for Gaza and had to be inspected. The inspection was not welcomed and Turks were killed when Israeli sailors had to defend themselves. This was in 2010 when Turkey was in a flotilla of ships disregarding the Israeli blockade of Gaza receiving goods not inspected which many have had ammunition in them to use against Israel. . Iman Fethullah Gulen was against Turkey sailing to Israel and breaking their law. "Mr. Gülen said organizers' failure to seek accord with Israel before attempting to deliver aid "is a sign of defying authority, and will not lead to fruitful matters." It certainly didn't. Just recently the two countries finally settled things and are on good terms. Erdogan himself has been leaving a secular outlook and has become much more religious. Turkey is very important to the USA militarily, but they are having their own problems with rebels and with ISIS.
Gulen has been found to have ties with John Esposito, an apologist for radical Islamists including the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Gulen has had some surprising motivation. " Gulen's efforts to make Turkey an Islamic state have brought him into conflict with the nation's military, which has long been a bastion of support for modern Turkish secularism as conceived by Kemal Ataturk." "According to Rachel Sharon-Krespin of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Gulen is a bitter foe of Turkish secularism. In a detailed account of his public career, she portrayed Gulen (who has had well-publicized interfaith meetings with Christians and Jews) as an Islamic supremacist who wants Turkey ruled by Sharia."
Sic Semper Tyrannis The "coup" was a fraud?" Col. W. Patrick Lang, US Army (ret.), former military intelligence officer at the US Defense Intelligence Agency
Some depth reporting on Turkey from Katehon. If this reporting is in the ball park, and I suspect it is based on acquaintance with Korybko's work, it will be interesting to see how Washington spins this.
The situation is still very confused but my impression is that the coup has probably failed. If a government is not overthrown within a few hours of a coup taking place then the coup generally cannot succeed.
EK; What do you see as the range of plausible outcomes from this point? DR: I hope that the coup will fail. Assuming that is what happens, it will clear the way for total domination of Turkish politics by Erdogan. It will make it easier for him to make the constitutional changes he wants to make himself essentially the one and only politician deciding everything in the country.
Either way, the chances for democracy have receded even further.
This is very short. It's only important because Mercouris is well-connected and would be expected to know the background if it were available. Looks like we'll to say and see what emerges.
If the coup results in the permanent removal of Erdogan then it's a good thing. Erdogan was a creep who enabled ISIS and terrorism. He gave them sanctuary, the ability to sell oil and safe transit between Turkey and Syria. Erdogan gave the order to shoot down that Russian jet fighter and in so doing, backed NATO efforts to provoke Russia and maybe draw it into a war. Erdogan was dangerous.
The question is, what will be the reaction of the crazy neocons in Washington and NATO? They used Erdogan for their subversive purposes. Erdogan was a key player in the NATO's designs on Russia so if he is gone what will their reaction be?
That is the real, and very serious, question. I don't know this for sure, but if we take the coup plotters' statements, which are now emerging from the chaotic situation in Turkey, it seems that they had enough with Erdogan's subversive and autocratic rule. That's good for anyone who is against ISIS and terrorism and NATO "adventurism."
But will they succeed? Will NATO, the CIA and the neocons let them succeed? This could get very messy.
Sic Semper Tyrannis Coup attempt in Turkey Col. W. Patrick Lang, US Army (ret.), former military intelligence officer at the US Defense Intelligence Agency
The Khazars were a Turkish or Finnish tribe which settled in the lower Volga region. They built their capital in Itil on the Volga delta. The Russians called them White Ugrians. Hungarians in that period were called Black Ugrians.
By the 8th to 10th centuries, the Khazar state was at its peak of having power in the area. It extended west as far as Kiev which is the capital of the Ukraine, founded in the 8th century, possibly by the Khazars. It was not a strictly religious center, such as cities in Lithuania. Its royal house intermarried with that of Byzantium. By the 8th century, a powerful judaizing movement had happened among the Khazars. From approximately 786-809, their king, Bulan and 4,000 of his nobles accepted Judaism which was encouraged by Prince Obadiah, a successor of Bulan who was the next king. The people were choosing between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the king chose Judaism. Most Khazars practiced a shamanist-Tari religion. In the late eighth to early ninth century (but perhaps as late as 861), the Khazar ruling elite converted to Judaism. His subjects were free to choose or not. Obadiah had the religious zeal to convert. So many more Khazar shamanists converted to Judaism than otherwise would have been the case. Shamanism is a practice that involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with a spirit world and channel these transcendental energies into this world.
Khazarian on horse
From this fact, Judah Ha-Levi (1075-1141) (A Spanish Hebrew poet and religious philosopher born in Toledo, Spain and lived in several towns in Christian and Moslem Spain, mainly in Cordova, wrote his Kuzari., which presented the merits of Judaism andwhich was of great influence among Jewish readers and is regarded as one of the classics of Judaism. He was a physician by profession, and lived a life of affluence and honor. In his old age, his meditations led him to leave Spain and settle in Palestine, which was the time during the 2nd Crusade. He died in Alexandria, Egypt when trying to reach his destination. Hasdai Ibn Shaprut (915-970) a Spanish statesman, not a Jew, also a physician by profession, served at the courts of the caliphs. His linguistic ability and adroitness in negotiation made him useful in diplomatic relations. He supported Jewish culture and scholars and used his high political office to defend Jewish communities and was widely regarded as the protector and spokesman of Jewry. He wrote a letter to the king of the Khazars, King Joseph, expressing his joy at their independent Jewish kingdom. He believed that the Khazars belonged to the Lost Ten Tribes, and started corresponding with their last king, Joseph in 950. Joseph's reply reached him in 944, stating that Joseph's ancestor, King Bulan, was circumcised and officially converted to Judaism, and drove out sorcerers and idolaters from the kingdom and trusted G-d alone. King Obadiah, a successor of Bulan, invited Jewish sages from many lands to come to Khazaria in order to expain the meaning of the Torah, Talmud, Mishnah, and prayers.
Another document was found in the Cairo genizah and it gives a romantic account of the origin of Judaism among the Khazars. The truth is that only the king with a good proportion of the nobility and some of his people became converted. The Jewish element in the country constituted a minority at all times. What we do know is that Khazaria became a refuge for persecuted Jews, so Kazaria was a haven for them, and they would mix in with the converted newbies to Judaism. Some historians have said that the Khazars adopted Judaism as a conscious political decision designed to help preserve the political independence of Khazaria from the Christian and Muslim empires surrounding them. They could hold the balance of power between the Christian Byzantine Empire and the Muslim Caliphate this way.
What went on in this part of the world was that there were separate judicial systems for the members of the many different faiths. The Khazars' power was broken by the Russian archduke Yaroslav in 1083. The remnants of the Khazars on the Volga disappeared in the Tatar invasion of 1237. Kiev's Jewish community was destroyed by the Tatars in 1240. Italian merchants in Crimea referred to "Gazaria" (Khazarians) until the 15th century.
Descendants of the Khazarians probably survived among the Crimea Karaites, the Krimchaks, and other Jews of Eastern European origin. Many of us could be carrying some segments of the original converted Khazarians along with other segments of Jewish origin DNA as well, but there is no scientific way to find out, even with DNA.
"Eastern European Jews have significant Eastern Mediterranean elements which manifest themselves in close relationships with Kurdish, Armenian, Palestinian Arab, Lebanese, Syrian, and Anatolian Turkish peoples. This is why the Y-DNA haplogroups J and E, which are typical of the Middle East, are so common among them. Jewish lineages from this region of the world derive from both the Levant and the Anatolia-Armenia region." The Armenians (mainly Christians) in Turkey suffered a genocide in 1915. From 1915 to 1918, the Turkish government deported, enslaved, tortured, and killed 1.5-2 million Armenians in an effort to ethnically and religiously cleanse the Turkish nation. All existing studies fail to compare modern Jewish populations' DNA to ancient Judean DNA and medieval Khazarian DNA. There is no evidence from genome-wide data of a Khazar origin for Ashkenazi Jews. This finding is from Doron M. Behar of Rambam Health Care Campus, Israel, Mait Metspalu and Bayazit Yunusbayev of Estonian Biocentre, Evolutionary Biology Group, Estonia, Yael Baran and Naama M. Kopelman of Tel-Aviv University, Israel, and several other scientists in their published study.
Resource: The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia The Jews of Khazaria, 2nd Edition, by Kevin Alan Brook http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Khazars.aspx http://www.khazaria.com/genetics/abstracts.html http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/study-finds-no-evidence-of-khazar-origin-for-ashkenazi-jews/2014/02/23/ http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-1915-armenian-genocide-history-causes.html
