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Turkey’s despotic ruler Erdogan is ‘Implicitly Fueling’ Anti-Americanism in Post-Coup Turkey

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turkey-usPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been “implicitly fueling, if not yet formally endorsing” the already potent anti-American wave in Turkey as a means to pursue his domestic and foreign policy objectives, Burak Kadercan, an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Policy at the United States Naval War College, wrote for the National Interest.

Well-pronounced anti-American sentiments have been a distinctive feature of the Turkish society for decades. As many as 90 percent of the Turks held an unfavorable view of the US, according to a study released in 2012. A report, published by the Pew Research Center in July 2014, showed that more than 63 percent of Turkish people had an unfavorable view of the US in the past decade. Interestingly, anti-Americanism, according to Kadercan, is “shared by all ethnic, religious and political groups, and cannot be explained by differences in education or income levels.”

“Make no mistake: Erdogan will not only stop fueling anti-Americanism, but also put a lid on it – when, of course, he thinks it no longer serves a purpose,” he said. 

Turkey Says FBI and CIA Behind Failed Coup, Gulen ‘Only a Pawn’

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Turkish PMThe Erdogan regime continues to play with fire renewing accusations that the United States spearheaded a complex conspiracy to overthrow the Turkish government.

A Turkish prosecutor claims that the CIA and FBI provided training to followers of US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara initially called the “mastermind” of the failed attempt to overthrow the Erdogan regime on July 15 that left hundreds dead and thousands more wounded.

An indictment, prepared by the Edirne Public Prosecutor’s office and submitted to the local Second Heavy Penal Court, seeks the harshest possible punishment for 43 suspected coup plotters. In the indictment, the prosecutors allege that members of “the Fethullah Terrorist Organization” (FETO) were trained by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“The CIA and FBI provided training in several subjects to the cadre raised in the culture centers belonging to the Gulen movement,” read the indictment. “The operations carried out by prosecutors and security officials during the Dec. 17 process can be taken as a good example of this.” The “Dec. 17 process” refers to a high profile corruption probe that targeted senior government officials in 2013.

“The [failed coup] attempt aimed to weaken the state with all its institutions by getting rid of the government completely,” stated the document. “Those in the Gulen movement who work in the judicial and security institutions and who received the aforementioned training, took on the task and moved into action.”

The prosecutor’s claims were alluded to in part by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who said Friday in response to criticism by US CENTCOM Commander four-star General Joseph Votel, “My people know who is behind this scheme… they know who the superior intelligence behind it is, and with these statements [condemning the post-coup purge] you are revealing yourselves, you are giving yourselves away.” The statement was interpreted as an accusation against US intelligence agencies.

On Saturday, the Turkish President continued the theme of subtle accusations calling US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen “a pawn” backed by a “mastermind” which has also been interpreted as suggesting that the US agencies supported the failed putsch.

US military and intelligence officials have been the target of scorn and accusation from Turkish leaders in the wake of the failed coup starting with the country’s Labor Minister who said on July 16 in an interview with HaberTurk that “the United States is behind the coup.”

These accusations were forcefully denounced by the State Department which called the claims “utterly false and harmful to our bilateral relations.” However, on July 17, Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the country was ready to go to war with “any” country that backed Fethullah Gulen, viewed as a reference to America’s refusal to extradite the suspected coup leader.

These accusations have grown in recent weeks with Erdogan alleging that CENTCOM commander General Joseph Votel was siding with the coup plotters and with the country’s leading pro-Erdogan Islamist newspaper Yeni Safak printing a picture of American three-star General and commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) John F. Campbell under the headline “The Man Behind the Failed Coup in Turkey.”

The result of the shocking allegations has been an emboldening of anti-American fervor in the country with over 5,000 protesters marching towards the Incirlik Air Base on Thursday chanting “death to the US” and demanding that the United States leave. That incident came on the heels of a massive fire near NATO’s Izmir base with officials suggesting the cause was “anti-American sabotage” as reported by Turkey’s T24 News.

On Saturday, 7000 armed police officers supported by heavy vehicles blocked all access to NATO’s Incirlik Air Base. Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported that Adana Police received a tip of a brewing second coup attempt, but the country’s European Affairs Minister Omer Celik downplayed the sudden show of force calling it a “general security check” and asserting that “nothing is wrong.”

During the temporary blockade of the Incirlik Air Base, a group of several hundred anti-American protesters assembled near the scene chanting for the base to be shut down as confirmed by video accounts on the scene although some Western outlets have provided conflicting reports that the protesters preceded the blockade and that Turkish police were there to disperse the crowd.

Source: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160731/1043813275/erdogan-turkey-purge-gulen-coup.html

Turkey authorities impose lockdown at İncirlik air base: US consulate

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Lockdown incirlik airISTANBUL – Agence France-Presse,

Turkish authorities imposed July 16 a security lockdown at the İncirlik air base in the southern province of Adana used by U.S. and other coalition forces in the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria, the U.S. consulate said.

“Local authorities are denying movements on to and off of İncirlik Air Base. The power there has also been cut,” the U.S. consulate in Adana said in a message after a coup attempt aimed at toppling the government was thwarted by the authorities.

“Please avoid the air base until normal operations have been restored,” it added, without giving further details.
There was no indication for the reason of the lockdown by the Turkish authorities. But it came as security forces were arrested thousands of Turkish soldiers across the country for involvement in the coup.

Gen. Bekir Ercan, Adana İncirlik 10th Adana Tanker Base Commander, was among those who were arrested.

 

July/16/2016

US report hints at Saudi involvement in 9/11 attacks

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Saudi reportThe US government has released 28 pages of a congressional report on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which show the Saudi government may have had a hand in the attacks.

“While in the United States, some of the September 11 hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi Government,” reads part of the report released on Friday.

“There is information, primarily from FBI sources, that at least two of those individuals were alleged by some to be Saudi intelligence officers.”

The Joint Inquiry also hints at Saudi Arabia’s support for terrorist activities in the US and other countries, but fails to show its extent.

“In their testimony, neither CIA nor FBI witnesses were able to identify definitively the extent of Saudi support for terrorist activity globally or within the United.”

The report also shows information indicating that “Saudi Government officials in the United States may have other ties to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has welcomed the release of the pages, saying there is no proof of Saudi involvement in the attacks.

“Since 2002, the 9/11 Commission and several government agencies, including the CIA and the FBI, have investigated the contents of the ‘28 Pages’ and have confirmed that neither the Saudi government, nor senior Saudi officials, nor any person acting on behalf of the Saudi government provided any support or encouragement for these attacks,” the Saudi Embassy in Washington said in a statement.

President Barack Obama, under pressure from Congress and the public, announced in April that the secret pages, which have been kept secret since 2002, would be declassified soon.

Former President George W. Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney, reportedly told the commission that they would not be formally interviewed in relation to the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and caused about $10 billion worth of property and infrastructure damage.

source: http://presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/15/475365/US-911-attack-Saudi-Arabia

Bashar Al-Assad Tell NBC U.S. Is ‘Not Serious’ About Defeating ISIS

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assad nbcby Bill Neely

DAMASCUS, Syria — A defiant Bashar al-Assad expressed confidence that Syria’s bloody war could be won within months, saying Russia’s intervention has helped tip the scales toward victory.

Assad spoke exclusively to NBC News on Wednesday at his office in Damascus in a wide-ranging interview about the Syrian war, ISIS, the U.S. and his legacy.

He was unruffled by the State Department branding his vow to retake every inch of Syria as “delusional,” saying it was only a matter of time until he regained full control of his country.

The Syrian army has made a lot of advancement recently,” Assad told NBC News. “It won’t take more than a few months.”

Assad’s tone was strikingly different from a year earlier, when he was short of troops and losing territory to rebels and ISIS. The battlefield shifted, according to Assad, for one reason.

“The Russian support of the Syrian army has tipped the scales against the terrorists,” he said. “It was the crucial factor.”

His forces were teetering on the brink of defeat before Russia’s military intervention got underway in September. Since then, they’ve made significant territorial gains — like retaking the ancient city of Palmyra from ISIS.

While Russia has insisted its operations targeted terrorists, the West has accused Russian forces of bombing civilian targets and Assad’s moderate enemies — not jihadis.

Russia’s influence with Assad is in focus Thursday as Secretary of State John Kerry heads to Moscow for talks with Putin. Syria is high on the agenda — as is speculation of a backchannel deal involving Assad giving up power.

WATCH: NBC News’ Full Interview with Syrian President

Assad however dismissed those rumors unequivocally, telling NBC News he was confident that Russia had his back.

“The Russian politics is not based on making deals — it’s based on values,” he said.

And according to Assad, the “very frank” relationship he has with Putin is rooted in their shared values and common interest: defeating terrorists.

The Syrian president claimed that’s far from true of the U.S., which he accused of not truly wanting to see ISIS’ defeat.

“They’re not serious,” Assad said.

Message to Turkey?: Russia, U.S. warn ‘external players’ against interfering in Karabakh

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lavrov-kerryU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned “external players” against interfering in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue as they discussed the latest developments in the conflict zone in a phone conversation on Monday.
The top diplomats reiterated their governments’ appeal for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov and Kerry voiced “serious concern at the escalation of the confrontation” and agreed that “Russia, the United States and France, as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, will step up their efforts to foster a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”

“Sergey Lavrov and John Kerry condemned attempts by certain ‘external players’ to whip up the standoff around Karabakh,” it added without elaborating.

Lavrov also spoke about forces “keen to seriously complicate the settlement process” as he gave a press conference in Moscow earlier that day. He did not give names, but many analysts in Armenia and outside interpret it as a message primarily addressed to Turkey, with which Russia has been on loggerheads since last year over the situation in Syria.

Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey have repeatedly criticized the United States, Russian and French mediators for purportedly siding with Armenia in their activities as go-betweens in the Karabakh conflict settlement.

Meanwhile, loss of life continued in the conflict zone late on Monday as the sides issued conflicting reports about the situation on the ground.
In particular, Nagorno-Karabakh’s Defense Ministry denied that Azerbaijan captured the strategically important village of Mataghis in the northeast of Karabakh.

The OSCE Minsk Group is meeting in Vienna, Austria, on April 5 to discuss the latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It also emerged on Monday that the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will attend a meeting of Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet countries) foreign ministers that is scheduled to be held in Moscow, Russia, on April 8. It is not yet clear whether the top diplomats plan a separate meeting to discuss the latest upsurge in violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

Another Seasoned U.S. Diplomat Hounded Out of Office

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harut-sassounian-small2BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN

The headline of the May 17 opinion column by David Ignatius in The Washington Post — “When diplomats get punished for doing their jobs” — triggered unhappy recollections of the forced resignation of John Evans, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, for daring to speak about the Armenian Genocide, as described in his recently published book, “Truth Held Hostage: America and the Armenian Genocide — What then? What now?”

The Ignatius article was about the scandalous treatment of another diplomat, Robin Raphel, a former assistant secretary of state, who was investigated by the Justice Department for espionage.

Raphel was a distinguished American diplomat. In a 2014 article, Washington Post reporters described her as “a fixture in Washington’s diplomatic and think-tank circles…. At the time of the raid, Raphel was a senior adviser on Pakistan for the office of the special representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan. In that job, she was chiefly responsible for administering non-military aid such as U.S. economic grants and incentives. The 67-year-old longtime diplomat was among the U.S. government’s most senior advisors on Pakistan and South Asian issues…. At the time of the FBI search of her house, she had retired from the Foreign Service but was working for the State Department on renewable, limited contracts that depended in part on her security clearance.”

Raphel began her government career as a CIA analyst. She served 30 years in the Foreign Service while stationed in Great Britain, India, Pakistan, South Africa and Tunisia. In 1993, she was appointed as first assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs. She retired from the State Department in 2005 and returned in 2009 to work as an advisor to Richard Holbrooke, special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Prior to that position, Raphel worked as a lobbyist for Cassidy & Associates, representing Pakistan, Equatorial Guinea and Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government, according to The Washington Post.

Raphel’s investigation began on Oct. 21, 2014, when the burglary alarm was triggered in her house. Incredibly, FBI agents could not bypass the alarm system, something common burglars are able to do! Raphel rushed to her home and found the agents going through her files which included some classified documents. Simultaneously, other FBI agents were searching and sealing her State Department office. Subsequently, Raphel was placed on administrative leave, had her security clearance revoked, and her contract with the State Department was not renewed.

The New York Times revealed in March of this year that “the inquiry began when American investigators intercepted a conversation in which a Pakistani official suggested that his government was receiving American secrets from Raphel, conversations that led to months of secret surveillance,” and accusations that she was spying for Pakistan.

In his opinion column, Ignatius noted that her case raises “disturbing questions about how a diplomat with nearly 40 years’ experience became the focus of a career-shattering investigation — apparently without anyone seeking clarification from knowledgeable State Department officials about her assignment to open alternative channels to repair the badly strained relationship with Pakistan.”

Raphel explained to Ignatius: “The FBI’s case of me was flawed from the beginning because they had a fundamental misunderstanding of what diplomats do.”

Jeff Smith, a former CIA general counsel who was one of Raphel’s attorneys, told Ignatius that “if the Bureau [FBI] had talked to senior people at State who were knowledgeable about her work, I believe they would never have launched this investigation.”

Amy Jeffress, another one of Raphel’s lawyers, told The N.Y. Times in March: “It is of utmost importance to our national security that our diplomats be able to do their work without fearing that their routine diplomatic communications will subject them to criminal investigation.” Raphel’s colleagues raised $90,000 for her legal defense fund.

Even though the Justice Department ended up dropping all charges against Raphel, her case had a “chilling effect on other diplomats, who feared they might be next,” several State Department officials told Ignatius.

The hounding of experienced personnel like Amb. Evans and former assistant secretary of state Raphel deprives the United States of competent and honest diplomats who can fearlessly defend the foreign policy interests of the United States in an effective and fair manner.

It is still not too late to hold a congressional hearing on the appalling mistreatment of two outstanding civil servants Evans and Raphel. At the very least, the President or the Secretary of State should issue a formal apology to both diplomats!

Armenian President, U.S. Vice President speak by phone

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US VP and ArmenianYEREVAN. – President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke on the phone Friday to discuss issues related to the current stage of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict normalization.  The conversation took place upon the initiative of the American side.

The sides attached importance to the full and productive implementation of the arrangements reached upon the initiative of the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries in Vienna on May 16.

They also agreed that the conflict can be resolved exclusively by peaceful means and in the framework of the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating co-chairmanship.

Sen. Mark Kirk: U.S. Should Hold Azerbaijan Accountable

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Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL-10)

Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL-10)

(The Hill)— The time has come for Azerbaijan to face consequences from the United States and the international community for its blatant military aggression against the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

After years of saber rattling, Azerbaijan’s four-day assault on the NKR earlier this month is its most egregious attack since it signed a cease-fire agreement with Armenia and the NKR in 1994. These recent military actions indicate the clear need for new measures to modify a cease-fire framework that is not working.

With no system to referee the cease-fire, Azerbaijan has become increasingly belligerent while facing no consequences for its violations. This must change.

I strongly support a congressional response, spearheaded by Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which offers three pro-peace measures to bring needed oversight to a cease-fire that has been precariously self-regulated by Armenian and Azerbaijani forces for more than two decades.

First, all sides should agree not to deploy snipers along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact.

Second, advanced gunfire locator systems and sound ranging equipment, monitored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), should be installed along the line of contact to verify the source of any attacks.

And third, additional OSCE observers should be deployed along the line of contact to more effectively monitor cease-fire violations. There are only six OSCE observers monitoring the conflict zone — woefully insufficient given the number of cease-fire violations each day.

More than 80 members of the House of Representatives have signed the bipartisan Royce-Engel proposals, which have also been supported by the U.S. State Department and the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group.

In order for a lasting peace to be established, there must be goodwill and trust on both sides. But, while both Armenia and the NKR have affirmed their support for these peace-building measures, Azerbaijan has not. In truth, the lack of oversight on the current cease-fire framework provides useful cover for Azerbaijan’s belligerence.

U.S leadership is needed now to stop the bloody pattern in which Azerbaijan attacks the NKR, the NKR responds, and then Azerbaijan blames the Armenians for violating the cease-fire. We should no longer accept Baku’s flagrant duplicity.

I call upon the administration to raise the Royce-Engel proposals to the highest levels of the Azerbaijani government.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has faced a chorus of international criticism for human rights abuses, such as the wrongful imprisonment of Radio Free Europe journalist Khadija Ismayilova and some 20 others who have been prosecuted on politically motivated charges, according to Human Rights Watch.

Just as the international community has come together to hold the Baku government responsible for its transgressions against civil society in Azerbaijan, so too should we call it to account for its treatment of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The OSCE’s Minsk Process, which started in 1995 to bring the parties of the conflict to a peaceful and comprehensive settlement, is hanging on by a thread. If diplomacy is to endure, there must be a verifiable cease-fire in place.

The onus is on Azerbaijan to demonstrate to the U.S. and the international community that it truly wants to be a partner in peace with Armenia and the NKR. Baku must fully commit to the Royce-Engel proposals.

The choice for President Aliyev is clear: Either he subscribes to diplomatic negotiations with the Armenians under peaceful circumstances or continues with a belligerent and futile policy of attrition.

If he chooses the latter, he should know that every act of Azerbaijani aggression will only further validate the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s argument that it go the way of Kosovo. As a veteran of the Kosovo War, I truly hope Azerbaijan realizes that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should only be resolved through peaceful means.

Kirk has represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate since 2010 and was previously a five-term U.S. representative from the northern Chicago suburbs.

Iraq, Deadly car bomb targets U.S. consulate in Iraq’s Erbil

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ERBIL | By Isabel Coles
Smoke rises from the site of a bomb attack in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region, April 17, 2015. Reuters/Stringer


Smoke rises from the site of a bomb attack in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, April 17, 2015.
Reuters/Stringer

(Reuters) – A car bombing at the entrance to the U.S. consulate in the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region killed at least one person and wounded five others on Friday the local mayor said.

The State Department said no U.S. personnel were killed in the blast that it said was caused by a “vehicle-borne improvised explosive device” that went off right outside the entrance to the heavily guarded compound.

Semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan is an important partner in a U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants who have seized swathes of Iraq.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

A Reuters witness heard the blast which was followed by brief gunfire. Such attacks are rare in Erbil, a haven of relative safety in a country torn apart by insurgency and sectarian strife where, in many areas, bombings are a daily occurrence.

“A car bomb exploded outside the entrance to the U.S. consulate,” Nihad Qoja, the mayor of Erbil’s city center, told Reuters. “It seems the consulate was the target.”

He said the bomber had killed one person and wounded five others. It was not immediately clear who had been killed.

The blast produced a plume of black smoke that rose high above the Ankawa district, a predominantly Christian neighborhood packed with cafes that is popular with foreigners.