We have followed the rise of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has single-handedly destroyed Turkey’s secular traditions and rolled back on civil liberties. With the support of Islamic parties, Erdogan used the recent failed coup to complete his work in arresting his critics, forcing the resignation of thousands of secular academics, and suspending all civil liberties in a proclaimed state of emergency. The United States helped create the tyranny rising in Turkey in its support of Erdogan as he systemically dismantled the only secular, free country in the Arab world. Now, Erdogan is threatening the United States that he wants his greatest critic, US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, delivered to him and that a failure to yield to his demands would be a “big mistake.” Now, one could easily dismiss this threat as the ravings of an egomaniacal, delusional dictator with a persecution complex. However, Erdogan already forced German Chancellor Angela Merkel to reject basic free speech rights to appease him.
In addition to arresting thousands and “cleansing” the country of critics, Erdogan has focused on Gulen — his long standing nemesis. He blamed Gulen of involvement or support of the coup. There is little question what would await Gulen if he were to be turned over to Erdogan who has suspended all due process and civil liberties in the country. The 75-year-old Islamic preacher still holds enormous influence in Turkey and Erdogan is obsessed with stomping out any political threats to his authoritarian rule.
Even if the Obama Administration does not simply yield to the demands of this dictator, it is clear that it intends to continue to support him and his Islamic takeover of Turkey . . . in the cause of fighting Islamic extremism.
Er-Dog-an:
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Ocalan should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and remind the world what a thug Er-dog-an is.
Slohrss29,
Add Egypt’s Presidents Hosni Mubark, Mohamad Morsi & PLO leader Yasser Arafat.
I’m trying to figure out how Syria’s Assad fits in.
Update on Syria 3 days ago:
These are the ‘good guys’! Sickening video on internet shows US-backed Syrian rebels taunting and then brutally beheading a young boy because he was a ‘spy’.
Stay tuned for more.
TJ – I hate to pass this on, but during WWII children were very good spies.
Isn’t Turkey a member of NATO? What’s Erdogan going to do with his threat, attack American interests and then join in the collective defense of the United States?
Gulen has donated large sums to the Clinton Foundation, I think that covers him for Obama as well.
I don’t think even our Appeaser in Chief will acquiesce to this.
Mr. Reardon, speaking of drones:
https://theintercept.com/2016/07/18/would-turkey-be-justified-in-kidnapping-or-drone-killing-the-turkish-cleric-in-pennsylvania/
Mr. Gulen can make a credible argument that the extradition request by Turkey is for political crimes. Here is an excerpt from the extradition treaty:
ARTICLE 3 CONDITIONS OF REFUSAL
(1) Extradition shall not be granted:
(a) If the offense for which extradition is requested is regarded by the Requested Party to be of a political character or an offense connected with such an offense; or if the Requested Party concludes that the request for extradition has, in fact, been made to prosecute or punish the person sought for an offense of a political character or on account of his political opinions.
I think Paul is right, he’s got photos. Erdogan might end up one day with a bayonet stuck in a bad place. Especially if Hillary gets in. Like Autumn said, he was our maniacal, power-hungry, zealot… until he wasn’t. At least he’ll have a lot of company under the bus with Hussein, Gaddaffi, and a host of others…
Jimmy Carter wouldn’t turn over the Shah of Iran
His arrival in New York City led to the Iranian takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran by “Students of Imam’s Line” and the taking hostage of more than 50 Americans for 444 days.
Islamic leaders, particularly the exiled cleric Ayatollah Khomeini, were able to focus this discontent with a populist ideology tied to Islamic principles and calls for the overthrow of the Shah.
Erdogan is figuring things out. There are options.
“However, Erdogan already forced German Chancellor Angela Merkel to reject basic free speech rights to appease him.”
How was Merkel “forced” by Erdogan?
Merkel was required to follow existing German law. Something the current administration refuses to do.
The current Turkish constitution has an article which calls for compulsory religious courses in elementary and high schools to be organized and supervised by the state. If that was in the original constitution then Turkey was never a secular nation.
One step forward and two steps back!
Someone needs to send a drone over ErdoWan and give him a Porkemon.
@TIN
Most excellent post IMO. What is that old adage – something about most Americans learning geography by the countries we invade? Like you, I think Ethiopian coffee is the best, but didn’t they learn to make it from the Italians?
Personally, I would close the US base and leave him on his own. His might have embarrassing pictures of Obama though.
FWIW, Turks are not Arabs and therefore Turkey cannot be “the only secular, free country in the Arab world.” There is no ethnic, cultural or linguistic relationship between Arabs and Turks, the latter being descendants of the Mongols and racially considered Asiatic. There are some historical tensions between the two, as the Turks colonized much of the Arab world between about 1500 and the beginning of WWI. While the Turks tend to look down on their former subjects, the Arabs, in turn, express a mixture of resentment and admiration for their former rulers. Some less traditional and younger Arabs are enchanted with the fact that Turkey is the most modern and westernized of the Muslim countries, a process that started with Ataturk’s efforts, beginning in 1920, to create a secular nation state. One can see that on the streets of Istanbul, where churches and synagogues co-exist alongside mosques, and women in burqas shop in the same markets as young women in pretty, sleeveless summer dresses and flowing hair.
Unfortunately, Erdogan threatens the progress that Turkey has made vis-a-vis other Muslim countries. He doesn’t really have much leverage to retaliate against the U.S., however. I suppose the worst he could do would be to shutter the U.S. Army base in Turkey that contains huge satellite listening devices designed to pick up interesting tidbits from the Russians. My cousin was stationed there in the late 60s. But the listening post isn’t that important anymore, given the technological advances in spy apparatus. And BTW, there isn’t a single coffee bush in all of Turkey. Never has been. Turkish coffee is just a style of preparing coffee that they import from Africa. Personally, I think Ethiopian coffee is the best in the world.
Yawn, here we go again,,, first he wuz “our guy” and now he’s not……….
Hmmm. Oh, I wonder if Erdogan would pay me for my idea! First, you have some Swedish chick file a report that Gulen prematurely you-know-whatted just a nanosecond after she said “not now”. The Sweden can issue an arrest warrant for Gulen, and then such us and the Swedes help each other with stuff like this, the U.S. can pick up Gulen for transport to Sweden, with a stopover at Incirlik for refueling! Unless Gulen makes it to the Ecuadorean Embassy, Erdogan will get him!
I may have been inspired in this idea, but I am still calling dibs in case there is a Turkish reward! I will take Turkish coffee, Camel cigarettes, and a nice blue Oriental Kashan rug! Maybe a Turkish drum, too!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Not sure I understand what “secular” means in this context. Feminism, pornography and abortion? Well – good for him.