Emirati Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit to the Turkish capital Ankara, his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the announcement of the first investment packages were last week’s most echoed and discussed events around the world.
This campaign is useless
Allow me to make a few remarks before questioning the nature of this visit. Social media accounts belonging to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and Republican People’s Party (CHP) targeted me through thousands of accounts by sharing images prepared through certain “agencies.” This was an onslaught that ran for three days.
Normally, I would pay no attention to this sort of assault campaign bereft of any real knowledge, criticism, suggestion, reaction, logical statement, and which consists solely of profanity and insults. As someone who previously faced much more gruesome attacks, I am very well aware of the sort of operation this is connected to.
Everything I wrote was true. I stand behind my words
For the last three years, I closely monitored everything bin Zayed and that group did to Turkey and President Erdoğan. I shared it openly in my columns and through my social media account. I was acerbic when expressing my sentiments.
First of all, I stand behind everything I wrote. They were all true. They all transpired. Of course, what I refrained from writing could also fill a book. It was a very dark time indeed. In addition to the foreign siege, many threats, including an inside coup operation, intervention, and assassination attempts were in question.
I’m a journalist, not the state. I take satisfaction from speaking up during tough times
Secondly, I am a journalist. I do not represent the state. I did not serve in any state institution, and I am the same now. Hence, if a journalist is able to speak up during tough times, then they risk facing such attacks and threats.
Third, the state is not an individual. It is a system. It is the mind, the wisdom of centuries. The state represents patience; it is a long-term plan; it is the ability to manage complex relations and threats.
A political mind like Turkey, a country that has imperial wisdom, that has shaped history and built the region, cannot possibly act in accordance with mundane political opinions.
I construed the world with my feet firmly planted in Anatolia
With the mind that propelled the Turkish Republic to its ascension after the Seljuk and Ottoman eras once more taking action, a state adopting a stance in accordance with worthless polemics is out of the question.
My personal position revolves around Turkey’s axis. I look at my country, the world, the past and future through this lens. I interpret the world with my feet grounded firmly in Anatolia. Regardless of the winds that may blow, the storms that may brew, this cannot be changed.
Threats will not deter me
I am not one to heed threats, insults, and profanity. I have never been a man who could be deterred through pressure, organized lawsuits, or a fear of the future.
Frankly speaking, if the same matters arise in the future, I will continue to oppose them with the same clarity and determination. I am confident that Turkey has adopted the correct attitude a century later, that this stance is carrying our country toward a great future, and that it is an initiative that will put our region into order.
I believe that President Erdoğan is acting with the wisdom and political mind of centuries. As a member of a generation that witnessed this period, I believe that it is our duty to devote ourselves to the struggle of these centuries.
Our perspective of the matter!
This is my axis. This is the source of our criticism and praise. This is why those who are supported by the pro-tutelage groups oppose President Erdoğan. This is the reason we are striving to stand firm.
We interpret this matter through the Battle of Manzikert, the Crusades, Istanbul’s conquest, our centuries-long showdown history with the West, the political mind that spread from Anatolia through to three continents, the great attack of revenge that destroyed the Ottoman Empire, and the War of Independence that protected Anatolia.
We will not cooperate with those attacking our country from within!
We are much beyond everyday political ambitions and plans. We are beyond the betrayals of political leaders establishing partnerships with terrorist organizations for the sake of power. We are far from those promoting political and economic attacks within, and using them as weapons against their own country.
We will not cooperate with those who are mobilized for plans “to siege Turkey from abroad and stop it from within,” as President Erdoğan fights the centuries-old Western colonialism and imperialism history.
But how did the UAE debacle start?
What is the United Arab Emirates (UAE) debacle?
All the coup attempts that started with the Gezi Park events, leading up to the 2016 coup attempt, were aimed at stopping Turkey. The economic attacks that were carried out during this period are included. A historical breaking point transpired; Turkey woke up, and awakened the region as it went along. The slogan was: “Topple Erdoğan, stop Turkey.”
The U.S., Europe, and Israel built a “Turkey front” in the north of Iraq and Syria, spanning the Iranian border and the Mediterranean. They launched a map operation to alter Turkey’s borders. The July 15 attack and this map were part of the very same plan.
Who built the anti-Turkey ‘Arab front,’ and how?
Turkey tore up this map after the 2016 coup attempt and destroyed that project. This time, the same front moved to the East Mediterranean. All the southern gates were going to be shut down, with thick walls built between Turkey and the Arab-Muslim world.
Turkey prevented this as well. They are now building the same front in the Aegean, and in Greece. The Karabakh war was part of the same fight for the eastern gate.
As all this occurred, the U.S. and Israel built an anti-Turkey Arab front through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain. The aim of this front was to cut off Turkey from the Arab world and build a stronger front behind the one at the zero point of our border.
The Turkish opposition lost major support
This was led by the UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. During this period, Zayed supported all anti-Turkey elements – terrorist organizations, including FETÖ.
They also supported the assassinations conducted through Mohammed Dahlan, as well as the coup attempts aimed at toppling Erdoğan. They supported Turkey’s opposition, established media and social media networks. The majority of the current opposition parties have connections to this process.
Well, what caused this ‘U-turn’?
What happened? What caused this “U-turn”?
Turkey stands as firm as ever. In fact, it further boosted its impact following the influence wars with the U.S. and Europe. Where? In the Middle East, in Africa, in the Balkans, in the Caucasus, in Central Asia, and in the Mediterranean.
In the meantime, the “Arab front” collapsed. The U.S. concentrating its forces against the China threat in the Pacific, reducing its forces in the Middle East, and its withdrawal from Afghanistan all sent a message to this region: The U.S. can no longer guarantee the future for any country.
Will Saudi Arabia follow in the UAE’s footsteps?
These countries are in pursuit of new alliances. They made a radical turn towards Turkey, because Ankara was not really a threat. It only suggested cooperation and solidarity.
This is the sole reason underlying the UAE’s move to improve ties with Turkey. If all goes well, Saudi Arabia will very likely follow in the UAE’s footsteps. Though they seem to be reacting against it, they are closely monitoring the process kick-started by the UAE.
Turkey’s beef is the collapse of the great front that the West built in our south. This is a serious economic, political, and geopolitical gain.
This will have significant repercussions on internal policy and security matters. Erdoğan’s stance, Turkey’s stance wins once again.
What’s all the kerfuffle about?
The cause of the current tumult is this:
FETÖ, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and the Turkish opposition, who were all waiting on tenterhooks for the West to conduct gruesome attacks on Turkey, lost hope.
This was a shock wave. They panicked. This visit, just as the economic attack was launched on the country, served as a breakwater. All their long-term plans collapsed.
We will see where this will lead. The world is currently experiencing power shifts at such a dizzying rate that they produce weekly results. Countries are repositioning themselves at a rapid rate.
However, this may lead to serious consequences in Syria, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, as well as other countries in the region. I suggest that we follow the internal consequences in the short term, and the consequences abroad in the long term.
Support Turkey
It makes no sense for Turkey to prolong the hostility with the Arab front backpedaling. As a matter of fact, the hostility was on their side; Turkey was patient. We are witnessing the noble stance of a wise state. If adverse actions do take place, we will see once again the position they will adopt.
Turkey’s stance is not limited to Anatolia; it includes the region, the world. It plans with this perspective. We witnessed this in every field, and we will continue seeing them. This is what they want to stop.
I criticize what is bad for Turkey, and support what is beneficial to the best of my strength and abilities. I am not looking through a narrow-sighted domestic policy agenda. Our support will be proportional to the improvement in UAE-Turkey relations. However, if history repeats itself, we will continue our tirade.
The inside front is collapsing
One final note: Turkey will overcome this economic attack. Turkey will overcome any and every sort of internal attack it faces until the 2023 elections. These obscuring, blinding operations will fail.
Fronts are collapsing, one after the other. In fact, the inside front is collapsing as well.