Turkey's dangerous bid

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
9/20/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The Turkish government is playing a delicate political game.

Turkey is making a power play by courting the new governments of Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. Complicating matters is the continued decline in Israeli-Turkish relations.

Turkey is trying to spread its influence, but it's a risky move.

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CAIRO, EGYPT (Catholic Online) - Turkey's Prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in North Africa this weekend, building relations with the new governments there. Many see this as part of a movement which has been coined "neo-Ottomanism."

Turkey and Israel used to have a warm relationship, but that has since changed. the 2008-2009 Gaza conflict and a 2010 raid on a Turkish ship that killed nine Turkish citizens, has put Turkey and Israel at odds with one another.

That raid has been particularly upsetting to Turkey and despite a UN conclusion that Israel acted with, "excessive and unreasonable force," Israel has refused to apologize. Tension between the two countries remains palatable as Turkey now begins to court historic enemies.

In addition to the diplomatic tension between the two countries, Turkey has already suspended military trade with Israel, expelled top diplomats, and has continued to pledge support for Palestinian statehood, a question that is shortly expected to be brought before the UN and is very unpopular with Israel. Turkey has gone so far as to vow sending naval support for any aid convoys that may be sent to Palestine in the future.

Analysts are concerned that Turkey may be realigning itself and taking a more pro-Islamist position in world politics. Turkey has refused to participate in sanctions against Iran, and has even maintained strong relationships with Syria and Sudan, both under intense criticism from the West.
Israel, and the world should be worried. The Arab Spring movements, which the west has publicly endorsed, are tainted with militant-Islamic sentiments and many of the new governments threaten to be hostile to the west. At least with Gaddafi and Mubarak, although corrupt and at times evil, the world knew who it was getting. With the revolutions, uncertainty abounds. And Turkey, a NATO member and a key western ally, appears to be aligning itself with the new governments.

The greater concern is that Turkey is stirring up sentiment against Israel, in its bid to become leader of a new bloc of Islamic states. Politically, Israel is an easy target and a unifying catalyst for militant Islam around the world.

Turkey has long been an example of a moderate, modern middle-eastern state. It has done much to separate religion and politics and to follow a western cultural trend. But conservative militant Islam is on the move, all around the world. Islam is rapidly spreading as a religion, and the Arab Spring has communicated to leaders throughout the Islamic world, that they ignore popular sentiment at their peril.

Turkey must, however manage its politics very carefully. The state is not only at a geographical crossroads between the east and west, but it is also at an economic crossroads. Turkey has many key trading partners, both east and west. It has attracted considerable foreign investment because of its relative stability and its lack of conflict.

As Turkey looks to assert itself as a bold new player in middle-eastern politics, the state must act carefully. Reducing relations with Israel might make the country popular on Arab streets, but it could also jeopardize relations with the west. Turkey has power to gain, but it also has a lot to lose from its present course.

� 2011, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Turkey, Ottomanism, Islam, Israel

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1 - 3 of 3 Comments

Binmath
1 year ago
Dear David,

I've to agree, to most of what you've mentioned, it leads me to say what Dr. Peter Kreeft (a contemporary, Catholic - former Protestant, Philosopher - www.peterkreeft.com) said, for the Catholics to remain in GOD's favour over the Muslims, we need more Saints. So become a Saint, David, we are all called to be Saints, when we turn back our wrongful paths, back towards GOD, victory is achieved and Muslims will become Catholics!

GOD Bless!
David Carlon
1 year ago
Empirical observation shouts to anyone that has ears that it has been the enlightened and godless West that has industrially murdered more humans in recorded history in endless wars for profit. In the womb and after birth it makes no difference to Americans and Europeans who are never satiated in their lust for money and power. Jews, Catholics and heretical Christians could learn a lesson or two from the Muslims about practical devotion to God. Was it not our Lord who withdrew his grace from ancient Israel for lesser sins?
Binmath
1 year ago
Praise the LORD!

Turkey is only just showing its true colours (atleast the political leadership). A nation that was once proudly anti-Islamic, has been, for some time now, showing its Islamic colours, with the present political party in power.

The military, which once stood as the bastion of anti-Islamism, saw unprecedented arrests of its top leaders, by the present government.

This move is not something new, because, as it unfurls, it reveals a hidden agenda of the Islamic forces within Turkey (once the most communist Muslim nation in the world).

Turkish establishments have been for some time (without much publicity) been buying into establishments in the Islamic world, two instances I would like to point out (which can found even on their websites):

1) Banque de Commerce et de Placements (BCP Bank; website: www.bcp-bank.com):
This Swiss Bank was bought by Turkish holding company Cukurova Group and presently 69% of shares are held by this company and balance 31% share are held by Turkish Bank, Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi A.S. Istanbul.

2) Razi Petrochemical Co. (website: www.razip.com/home-en.html):
This Iranian petrochemical company (one of the most reputable one in Iran) was bought over by a group of Turkish companies, headed by the fertilizer conglomerate of Turkey, Gubretas, in 2008. Now over 83% of the shares now in control of Turkish firms.

The above two are some of the most obvious and clearly evidenced on these websites (and the websites of the parent Turkish companies), in the business world.

In the cultural world, while the Europeans are now contemplating a ban on burqa (the covering prescribed by Islamic law - Shariah, for a woman, that would completely cover her - which is strictly applied in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for all women - irrespective of religion), Turkey has had a ban on Islamic headscarf for women in Universities and official buildings (BBC Report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4424776.stm) from the inception of the Republic of Turkey in 1924. However the wife of the present Prime Minister was among the first (after the election of the present Prime Minister) to be seen, publicly endorsing the Islamic headscarf. One of the failed attempts by the present Government in Turkey to remove the ban had been attempted in 2008, which met annullment of the same by the Constitutional Court of Turkey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headscarf_controversy_in_Turkey). However now the same is informally permitted, as there is a ruling against punishing any student found wearing an Islamic headscarf.

These evidences clearly point to the fact that the hidden agenda of the political leadership of Turkey is slowly being revealed. While initially a lot of questions were raised about the present leadership, being Islamic in nature (as compared to the fiercely secular nation of Turkey), the same had been thoroughly denied by them, thereby seeking the support of the secular as well as the conservative people.

We can only pray, that while Muslims cry foul about Crusades (a simple examination of history would show the need for Crusades), they all too often forget that present - day Turkey is the once proud Christian empire of Byzantine (also known as Eastern Roman Empire), with Constantinople as the capital (now called Istanbul) and the most celebrated and architechturally most advanced and grand Cathedral of its time (even more than the St. Peter's Basilica) and the largest Cathedral for over a thousand years, Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque (place of worship for Muslims) in the conquest by the Muslims of Constantinople (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia) in 1453) and was further converted to a museum in 1931 (after the secular Republic of Turkey was formed in 1924).

We would pray that the people of Turkey would heed the call to CHRIST, that the prayers of the Saints of the past, together with the Saints of the present (of which we're all called to be part of) would be answered!

GOD Bless!

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