Mega-terrorist Turkey accuses Finland and Sweden of supporting terrorists
Welcome to the bizarre world.
This is where Turkey, a notorious state sponsor of international terrorism, has the sheer power to accuse Finland and Sweden of supporting terrorists.
Even more bizarre: neither Finland, Sweden, the United States, NATO, the EU or any country or leader has, as far as I know, pointed out Ankara’s obvious hypocrisy.
Turkey claims that Finland and Sweden accept members of the PKK, the militant Kurdish organization that the US and the EU consider terrorists. Both Scandinavian nations deny the allegations.
Like many Europeans, however, Finns and Swedes sympathize with Kurds. Turkey has long suppressed and ethnically cleansed the latter.
Regardless, Ankara is blocking the uncivilized Finland and Sweden from joining NATO.
Ironically, Turkey – autocratic, notoriously violating human rights and systemically corrupt – would be unqualified to join NATO today if it were not already a member.
The point is, who is Turkey to accuse others of terrorism?
Mega-terrorist Turkey
No objective analysts question Turkey’s long-standing sponsorship of ISIS and other terrorist groups.
Turkey’s Anti-Terrorism Chief from 2010-2013, Ahmet S. Yayla, acknowledged in 2020 that “Turkey was a key hub for … over 50,000 ISIS foreign fighters and the main source of ISIS logistical material [including] IED, which makes Turkey and ISIS virtually allies. “
Terrorism expert / adviser from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs David L. Phillips leads Columbia University’s program for peacebuilding and human rights. It has confirmed Turkey’s alliance with ISIS: ISIS-Turkey Links (2014) and Turkey-ISIS oil trade (2015-2016).
NY Times (2014): “Western intelligence officials … track ISIS oil shipments … to Turkey,” [which has] failed to “help curb the oil trade.”
In Turkey: A state sponsor of terrorism? (2021), Phillips once again documents Ankara’s protection of terrorists. If a “non-NATO country behaved like Turkey, it would justify the appointment as a state sponsor of terrorism”, like Iran and North Korea.
The US State Department (2021) says that Turkey is a financial hub for ISIS / al-Qaeda. Yet Washington has punished only a few Turkish individuals and companies, with minimal effect.
In 2020, Turkey transported thousands of terrorist mercenaries to Azerbaijan to attack the Armenian-populated Artsakh / Nagorno-Karabagh and Armenia.
These included war criminals and former ISIS commander Sayf Balud and commander of the Sultan Murad Brigade – several of them murderers and rapists.
So why does the US / NATO / EU not expose Turkey’s terrorist hypocrisy over Finland / Sweden?
Partly because America and Europe are schizophrenic to ISIS and similar groups.
America’s fake global war on terrorism
While the West loudly condemns and sometimes fights such groups, it sometimes considers them militarily useful.
The Foreign Ministry, for example, quietly wants Turkish-backed terrorists (such as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) / Syrian National Army (SNA)) to help oust President Assad and drive Russia out of Syria.
There is no other explanation for our nation’s tolerance of Ankara’s terrorist sponsorship. Assad is also in line with Shiite powers that America detests: Iran and Hezbollah.
“Our (America) enemies (Assad / Russia / Iran / Hezbollah) are our friend’s enemy (Turkish-backed terrorists).
Thus, America repeatedly ignores Turkey’s support for terrorists and its invasions, occupation and ethnic cleansing of northern Syria.
However, the United States disapproves of Turkey targeting the pro-American, anti-ISIS, Kurdish YPG in Syria. Turkey insists that the YPG is an arm of the PKK. But America usually lets Ankara get its way with the Kurds anyway.
Elsewhere, the US House and the European Parliament criticized Turkey’s use of terrorists against Armenians in 2020. Nevertheless, the West did not take action against Turkey because Armenia, a Russian ally, lost the war. This brought forward America’s and NATO’s strategy to penetrate the Caucasus.
In 2021, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee openly asked Deputy Foreign Minister Victoria Nuland about Turkey’s deployment of terrorists in Azerbaijan. She refused to respond publicly, again revealing Washington’s tacit support for Turkish-backed terrorists.
Even when America and Europe really do not agree with Ankara’s demands / threats, they rarely push back with their own counterclaims / threats.
Western submission
Turkey’s incessant, incessant tantrums have always psychologically disarmed the Western world. The Turks know it and take advantage of it.
And despite the boasting of pro-Turkish sycophants, Turkey is no more important, and certainly not more powerful, than the United States / NATO / EU.
Instead of pushing back against Turkey due to the turmoil between Finland and Sweden, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urges us to feel empathy for Ankara’s demands.
Meanwhile, Finnish and Swedish delegations have run to Ankara to prostrate themselves before His Royal Highness, King Erdogan.
American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Dr. Instead, Michael Rubin proposes that NATO threaten to ban Turkish Airlines, damage Turkey’s already battered economy and legitimately withhold certain classified documents / intelligence from Ankara.
Only rarely does the West counteract Turkish mischief. Turkey has – temporarily in any case – been kicked out of the US F-35 jet program because it bought Russia’s S-400 missiles.
In addition, by imposing financial sanctions on Turkey, Washington Pastor Andrew Brunson won the 2018 release. But these only happened because the Pentagon unequivocally insisted on it and because evangelicals pressured the White House.
Whether it is Turkey threatening Greek islands, making illegal claims on energy deposits in the Mediterranean, threatening to release millions of Syrian refugees to Europe, or countless other examples of bullying, Western capitals tend to appease Ankara.
Why would our (and NATO’s) military and military spill their blood when fighting a largely false global war on terrorism, especially when NATO member Turkey directly supports terrorism?
Frankly, when it comes to Turkey, Western countries behave like weaklings. Besides, they do not even realize it.
Welcome back to the bizarre world.
David Boyajian’s main foreign policy focus is the Caucasus.
His work is onArmeniapedia.
READ MORE: NATO Vice President: Greece respects the rule of law and seeks dialogue.