Peace is attacked in Ankara: After 10/10/15 what next for Turkey?

Ankara Terror Attacks 10/10/15

The smoke may have cleared in central Ankara following the 10/10/15 atrocity by persons and organisations as yet not revealed, but the pall of grief hangs atop the Turkish Capital as 97 families grieve their losses and many more will be fearful of the fate of those who cling to life in hospital as a result of the cowardly bombings that recently occurred. At the time of compiling this copy, the identities of the bombers even if known, are not yet in the public domain; speculation is rife but IS/Da’Esh seem to be the likely culprits. PKK have been implicated too, but such an operation would not seem to have their prints on it neither is the timing – ahead of the snap elections – helpful to their cause.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has suggested that Turkey has a list of would-be suicide bombers but that the authorities are disbarred from intervening and acting upon such intelligence until an action has been carried out! By definition, you would have to think that it is a bit late to act after a suicide bomber has ‘hit the button’ and furthermore, surely National Security interests would have primacy over the legal niceties of an individuals rights (or otherwise). You could be pretty sure that here in Britain, our Intel Services would be –and almost certainly are – taking a somewhat active interest in an individual or group that were linked to such deadly organisations and it beggars belief that M.I.T are not similarly inclined. Apparently though and according to Davutoğlu, if any legal action is taken against suicide bombing suspects before the criminal act, there may be another act committed in protest by other suspects, quid pro quo. So why not take out the other suspects too!?

The terrorist action on 10/10/15 was the largest single terrorist action to be meted out upon the people of Turkeyin the history of the Republic and people have reacted angrily as they emerge from the understandable shock that such a thing took place. Following a call from the Confederation of Public Sector Trades’ Unions (KESK), the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), a march was to be held on Oct. 13, starting at Cerrahpaşa and Sirkeci, two different venues in Istanbul’s Fatih district, before joining in Beyazıt Square, to protest the Ankara bombing and commemorate the 97 victims of the massacre. 

The governor’s office however said, at around 2 a.m. on Oct. 13 that the application filed for the demonstration had been rejected because “the places where the march was slated to be organized were places citizens use frequently,” because the route for the demonstration “was not among the places listed in the law on meetings and demonstrations” and because of “the sensibility of the current period.” Accordingly, police units were deployed to prevent people from reaching the planned demonstration routes. 

In the meantime, protests were held against the massacre across the country in multiple cities, varying from İzmir and Uşak in Turkey’s west to Malatya and Adana in the east and south and Giresun and Zonguldak in the north.  Among the cities in the south of the country where protests were held, police also used teargas to attack a group of around 30 lawyers and another 150 people who came to support them in front of the courthouse in the Alanya district of Antalya.

Many interested outside observers – this column being one - have been predicting an escalation of terrorist actions within Turkey as the Syrian crisis accelerates especially since Moscow initiated unilateral actions in support of the Assad Regime. Russia claims great success in neutralising IS/Da’Esh targets but we are not being shown evidence of these strikes whilst there is plenty of reason to believe that these ‘targets’ are actually those that are in direct conflict with the Syrian government which for some 40 years, have been supported by successive Russian governments. 

Turkey is more than ‘touched and concerned’ by this conflict; given that the shared border between Syria and Turkey is some 820 kilometres in length, it would be impossible to prevent some cross-over in the circumstances. Turkey’s geographical and strategic location is critical though for it has become an increasingly important conduit for the passage of many people onwards to Western Europe and many of these will be exceedingly dangerous groups ‘on a mission’.

Russia’s motives, opportunistic they so clearly have to be seen to be, are certainly not those to be interpreted as Moscow attempting to destroy IS; on the contrary, this is Russia taking an even more embedded position in Syria and, given their long pre-existing deep water naval facility there, they are looking further. Thanks to South Cyprus, Russian naval vessels are now able to use sea bases there too and perhaps air-bases may follow. Furthermore, for many years Russian influence has been steadily growing throughout the island of Cyprus. 

Divided Cyprus 'united' under Russia?

To conclude, the Cyprus Negotiations notwithstanding, what ever may be finally agreed it is quite possible these will count for nothing as a deep ‘red carpet’ is rolled out over Cyprus from the south northward. There have already been aerial incidents between Russian and Turkish aircraft recently and these may escalate; furthermore if Russian troops are based in Cyprus, the Turkic-Russo wars may launch again as they did in 1877/8.  

There is more than enough justification for Turkey to maintain and uphold her military presence in Cyprus irrespective of any deal that might be brokered in some sort of bi-federal, bi-zonal arrangement for the latter may count for nought as the Russian Bear's grip tightens. The strategic shape of the Eastern Mediterranean region could change dramatically during the next 5 years and Turkey has a right to defend her borders. The "Arab Spring" is becoming very 'wintery' indeed!

The Russians are coming!

By

Chris Green 

Besparmak Media Services

For Britain, the “EU Question” and immigration are linked: The surge to leave the EU is growing.

Great Britain to leave the EU in 2017? Why not now?

The recent announcement that Britain will take some 20,000 Syrian refugees during the term of the current parliament, whilst in itself hardly a ‘swarm’ in the grand scheme of things, it nevertheless shows that when pushed, our government have a tendency to buckle under the strain of EU diktat. Granted that Germany have absorbed a considerable number of these displaced peoples recently, but they have more room to accommodate them and, given the relatively low birth rate amongst indigenous German’s the argument seems to be that these people can be utilized productively. ‘Cheap labour’ in other words, which is precisely that status ‘enjoyed’ by Turkish immigrants in Germany for decades.

Al Umayyad Mosque - Damascus

This column writer has a particular affection for Syria by virtue of a fairly brief but quite dramatic posting to Damascus some 16 years ago which involved conducting runway surveys on Syrian air facilities including Damascus International Airport. At the time and possibly since that occasion, this was the first instance where a Westerner had access to airside aviation facilities in Syria. A wholly unique experience that was not without drama! The historic sites were equally dramatic for different reasons.

Overall, one developed a feeling for the people many of whom had been and still were, a suppressed people under what has become the ‘dynastic kleptocracy’ of the Assad Regime. Assad senior was still in power in 1999: His death in June of 2000 brought his eldest son Bashir to the ‘throne’. Despite promising beginnings, things are now as we see them and with the dubious assistance of Moscow, Syria burns and millions are fleeing from their ancestral homes perhaps never to return.

If we accept that these people have a vital need to re-settle, not all those surging towards the west are so well intentioned. There is a very real danger that Da’esh (IS/ISIL) will infiltrate those fleeing to the perceived nirvana of the western world, with their own ‘murder cells’ intent on wreaking havoc within the shores of Europe and Great Britain. To this end, it is wise that the government have decided to continue to take people who are already in established camps in Turkey rather than adopting some form of selection process at Calais where you simply could not know what you are going to end up with! It is furthermore the case, as we have seen in Eastern Europe of late, that whole armies of young men are attempting to swarm westward and it is highly unlikely that these are fleeing for their lives; indeed, some might have committed dreadful crimes themselves and are escaping their just punishment!

That such numbers are propelling themselves in our direction is hugely concerning, the human catastrophe notwithstanding. These people are not going to ‘fit in’ here; intuitively, they ‘hate’ the West largely because they have been taught to do so and many will wish to destroy us from within. The sight of minarets across the Thames at London and the imposition of Sharia Law are spectres that many will espouse as good enough reasons to deny entry. It is not an unreasonable fear to hold. Surely there are Muslim countries closer to where these refugees are running from that should accommodate them? What, for example is Saudi Arabia doing for these folk? Compared to Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey – precisely nothing and this needs to be addressed and soon, at UN level.

In the meantime, the campaign for Britain to leave the EU is growing a-pace and this movement is enthusiastically supported by this column. Ironically, the migrant question is unwittingly fanning the fire favourably towards the NO-Vote and despite what those clever pollsters may like to think, it is highly likely that those of us who are patriots and who despise our country being governed by an unelected foreign entity – the EU – will win the day in 2017. We will NOT, despite the Europhiles protestations otherwise, lose any trade or business opportunities at all but on the contrary, as we will have chosen the Open Seas (as endorsed by Winston Churchill) we will secure even more non-EU, international trade. “Trade at all Costs, but not at any price” has long been a mantra of this column and so it will continue.

To conclude, on April 25^th 1968, a speech was made by a certain politician in Birmingham. It was to pass into the annals of history more for its press-induced infamy than the prophetic statement that it was. The words uttered were right for the times and they resonate now:

“Looking forward, I am filled with much foreboding. I am like the Roman viewing the River Tiber foaming with much blood”

By

Chris Green

Besparmak Media Services

 

The battle for Great Britain is over: ‘War’ with the EU has begun.

In the heady period since the Conservative party pulled off their unexpected but much-needed victory in the British General Election on May 9^th 2015, the political scene has undergone significant changes at the cost of one or two key scalps; in other words certain well-known MP’s lost their seats perhaps never to be seen again. 

The natural party of fiscal competence and managerial ability, now unencumbered by their former coalition partners the weak, left-leaning Lib Dems, are now able to govern the country without the handbrake being randomly yanked upwards by way of intervention. More crucially, we can now progress towards that which has been denied the British Electorate by successive governments, a referendum on continued membership of the accursed European Union. This column will join others in aggressively supporting the OUT campaign.

The Labour party whose former leader (for want of a more accurate expression) Ed Milliband is now dining alone on his favoured bacon sandwiches, whilst the party machine busies itself in the task of finding a replacement. Veteran hard-Left Wing Jeremy Corbyn has thrown his red hat into the ring at the 11^th hour just to add a further entertainment factor into this circus, for not one of the candidates are even remotely statesman-like nor competent. This is good news for the Tories who, if they perform well over the next five years, will renew the tenancy and retain the leys to Number 10 Downing Street for the foreseeable future. 

The Liberal Democrats however are now extinct, something that this column predicted would be the case many times during the past year or so. UKIP despite having polled millions of votes were victims of our electoral system but hey ho, we needed a Tory government and thankfully we got one. We now need to further stabilise the economy and also to hopefully prepare for life unfettered from governance by an unelected foreign entity, the EU.

Across the straits of Dover beyond Calais, which itself is clogged by the worlds unwashed and unwanted -the economic migrants who view Great Britain as the land flowing with milk and honey and who will do anything to set foot here- the EU hierarchy are reeling at the prospect of the inevitable debt default that will be perpetrated by Greece. The EU, in particular France and Germany who were key at ushering Greece into the EEC in 1981, only have themselves to blame.

 

They knew that the then government in Athens had cooked what passes for their books to enter the EU, but the aforementioned nations were keen to supply military hardware to Greece who at that time and probably still now, harbour thoughts of competing militarily with Turkey. Witness that in 1974, Greek and Greek Cypriot Coalition militia were virtually destroyed by the Turkish Intervention forces in respect of Cyprus, the defeated Greeks were still smarting in the early ‘80’s. Similar perfidy applied when Greece entered the Euro Zone and they have been basically proffering their many and various begging bowls ever since. 

Ironically, the much-vaunted Grexit once it has happened will play into Britain’s hands for Germany in particular does not want to lose the UK as EU members nor the net contribution that we make. If cards are played cannily, treaty change is a strong possibility. That said, Prime Minister Cameron is intuitively pro-EU and his EU counter-parts know this very well. This reality could be our ‘Achilles heel’ to make use deliberately, of a Greek analogy.

Back in Britain, with a guaranteed fixed term of government, the ruling party has much to do. They do not enjoy that much of a majority and the SNP hooligans who have invaded former Labour benches are more than just an invasion of rabble-rousing; they will use their 50+ votes cannily, of that there should be no doubt. Nevertheless, the Tories have already suggested ways to strengthen their position by preventing the Unions from financing the Labour Party. This column would go far further by way of a windfall tax on all union assets to the tune of say 40%, the proceeds of which once collected could be transferred to the NHS.

Surely the union grandees could hardly object given that they are constantly bleating on that the NHS is under threat under a Tory government, whilst conveniently forgetting the enthusiastic manner that PFI was introduced to run our hospitals under the Bliar/Brown era under Nu-Labour. In the perhaps unlikely event that these initiatives were to be introduced, both the unions and Labour would have their functionality nullified. Furthermore, if Mr Corbyn prevails in the Labour leadership campaign, we can expect a Tory government to remain in power for two or three terms, perhaps more.

In conclusion and as we have seen, the pollsters got it badly wrong in respect of predicting the outcome of the recent General Election. They are currently suggesting the OUT campaign will not poll well in the referendum. Well, we shall see, will we not! The signing of the Treaty of Lisbon and ceding the governance of our nation to an unelected foreign entity without a mandate was an act of High Treason. It is therefore our patriotic duty to vote OUT in 2017; to do otherwise is also treason.

By

Chris Green 

Beşparmak Media Services