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Germany shuts Ankara embassy amid fear of attack by Erdogan supporters

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germany-close-embassyGermany has temporarily closed its embassy in Ankara, reportedly because of fears of an attack. Turks are said to be outraged by a German magazine’s depiction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a dictator.

Germany closed its embassy in Turkey on Wednesday, along with all other consular offices in Turkey, with reports that officials feared the buildings might come under attack.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed that its embassy and consular offices – including the main consulate in Istanbul – would be closed from September 12 to September 16. However, the ministry did not comment on the cause.

Germany’s “Bild” newspaper reported that the decision had been taken as a precaution after the German Foreign Ministry learned that mob attacks were likely during the Eid al-Adha religious holiday. Public outrage in Turkey was said to be brewing over the depiction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the latest edition of German news magazine “Der Spiegel.”

Minarets to rockets

The Turkish government accused the weekly of giving a distorted view of the country in its “Focus on Turkey” special edition. Ankara accused Spiegel of prejudice and said the front page was “particularly provocative.”

In a statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said the cover, published during Eid, sought to create “a negative image not only about Turkey but also Islam.”

 

The front page features a stone-faced Erdogan wearing sunglasses as the minarets from Istanbul’s Blue Mosque appear to have been transformed into military rockets lifting off into the air. Under the main title “Hotspot Turkey,” is the strapline, “A land loses its freedom.”

At the bottom of the page, a teaser for one of the magazine’s stories is titled simply “The Dictator.”

The Turkish Foreign Ministry described the magazine’s publishing policy as “far from being responsible,” saying that it was “the clear and latest example of an anti-Turkey approach.”

“We regretfully condemn the attempts… to smear Mr. President,” it added, urging an end to efforts to tarnish Turkey’s image.

Turkish and German relations have been tested lately, with Turkey having barred German parliamentarians from visiting the Incirlik airbase over a Bundestag resolution that declared the massacre of Armenians during World War I to have been “genocide.” The ban was later lifted after the German government pointed out that the resolution was not legally binding.

The German government also complained last week about the confiscation of DW’s interview footage with Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Akif Cagatay Kilic. The minister had been asked about the July coup attempt in Turkey, which was followed by a harsh crackdown on opponents of Erdogan.

rc/sms (dpa, AFP, Reuters)

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/germany-shuts-ankara-embassy-amid-fear-of-attack-by-erdogan-supporters/a-19553393

Russo-Syrian Forces Close to Cutting Off ISIL’s Supply Routes From Turkey

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1030563108The Russian Air Force should continue its efforts to close the Jarabulus-Afrin corridor in northern Syria, despite the latest Turkish provocation, Bangkok-based geopolitical analyst Tony Cartalucci stresses.

Geopolitical analyst Tony Cartalucci draws attention to the fact that over the recent weeks Russian and Syrian forces have been steadily gaining ground in Syria, retaking territory from ISIL and al-Qaeda.

“The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has even begun approaching the Euphrates River east of Aleppo, which would effectively cut off ISIS [ISIL] from its supply lines leading out of Turkish territory,” Cartalucci narrates in his latest article for New Eastern Outlook.

He explains that from there, Syrian troops with Russian air support would move north, into the very “safe zone” which Washington and Ankara have planned to carve out of Syria. Cartalucci points out that the “safe zone” includes a northern Syria area stretching from Jarabulus to Afrin and Ad Dana.

If Syrian troops establish their control over this zone, the Western plan of taking and holding the territory (with the prospect of further Balkanization of the region) would fall apart at the seams. In light of this, the regime change project, harbored by the West since the very beginning of the Syrian unrest, would be “indefinitely suspended,” Cartalucci underscores.

“The endgame is at hand, and only the most desperate measures can hope to prevent Russia and Syria from finally securing Syria’s borders. Turkey’s provocation is just such a measure,” he emphasizes.

“As in the game of chess, a player often seeks to provoke their opponent into a series of moves,” Cartalucci notes.

According to the geopolitical analyst, Russia’s best choice now is to continue winning this war, eventually taking the Jarabulus-Afrin corridor. By fortifying this area Russian and Syrian forces would prevent NATO from invading Syria, at the same time cutting off the ISIL and al-Nusra Front supply route from Turkey.

https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/669170166522097664

Russo-Syrian victory would have far-reaching consequences for the region as a whole.

“With Syria secured, an alternative arc of influence will exist within the Middle East, one that will inevitably work against Saudi and other Persian Gulf regimes’ efforts in Yemen, and in a wider sense, begin the irreversible eviction of Western hegemony from the region,” Cartalucci underscores.

He believes that it is the beginning of the end of the US-led unipolar global order.

The geopolitical analyst stresses that in a war emotions should be channeled by “superior strategic thinking” into a good plan which serves both short-term and long-term objectives. According to Cartalucci, the Russian leadership has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to take balanced strategic decisions.