Turkey is seeing red

Submitted by Michael S. (United States), Jun 23, 2015 at 13:19

Hello, Dr. Awwad

Are you still following events in Turkey? I just noted the following recent article, which touches on an important issue:

Turkey warns US against Kurdish autonomy in Syria

DEBKAfile June 23, 2015, 10:56 AM (IDT)

Kurdish YPG and rebel forces last week captured from ISIS the key border town of Tel Abyad, thereby linking two Kurdish cantons along the Turkish border to establish a contiguous Kurdish region from Kobani to Hasakah. As the Kurds made further conquests against ISIS Tuesday, Ankara warned the US that a green light for a Kurdish autonomous state in northern Syria would cross Turkey's red lines.

-- http://www.debka.com/newsupdatepopup/11728/

I was especially interested in the use of the word "red lines" -- something that is an absolute joke when US President Obama or Israeil PM Netanyahu says it; but perhaps it means more when the Turks say it. There can be no doubt, that Turkey is diametrically opposed to US policy along the parts of Syria bordering Turkey. The area is inhabited, and largely controlled, by Kurds; and the dominant Kurdish party there (the YPD) is sympathetic to the PKK in Turkey; yet the US has found that the YPD is our ONLY reliable ally in Syria-Iraq against the Islamic State. Up until now, Turkey and the US have managed to side-step each other and coldly look across the Syria-Turkey border. The term "red line", however, suggests that US-Turkish relations are becoming more hostile. The fact that the US has been drawing closer to Iran lately, moreover, which supports the regime in Syria that Turkey opposes, has only added kindling to the fire-stack.

A Turkish demand over the years, besides a call for the removal of Syrian President Assad, has been the establishment of a "safe zone" on the Syrian side of the border, that suspiciously coincides with the Kurdish-controlled areas. One can't help but think that the "safety" envisioned is not safety for Syrian internal refugees, but safety for the Turkish regime from its Kurdish enemies.

The Biblical passage Ezekiel 38-39 prophecies Turkey attacking Israel in the "last days", after Israel has been re-established as a nation (namely, today). Such an attack would probably come by air, sea and land; and the "land" part of the attack will most likely go through Syria.

One result of the recent Turkish election, has been to make Turkish President Erdogan feel less secure in his 1000+ room palace. This is not good news for the region; and his using words like "red lines" is not an indication of change for the better.

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