Turkey shot down Russian bomber over Syria

[angelburst29]

The Turkish Government has told officials in the European Union that it will not back down over demands to loosen its anti-terror laws, citing the suicide attacks in Istanbul airport as a vindication of its tough position.

Turkey Defies EU Over Anti-Terror Laws Following Istanbul Airport Attack
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160701/1042285298/turkey-eu-terror-istanbul.html

The EU is demanding that Turkey reform its anti-terror laws that critics say are being used to arrest and jail journalists critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government.

The demand is part of the continuing negotiations over the controversial EU-Turkey migrant deal that would accelerate Turkey's accession into the EU.

"Turkey today is fighting against terrorism. New demands directed at Turkey would encourage terrorists. We cannot make any changes in our anti-terror laws," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters.

The deal — brokered in March — was designed to encourage Turkey to stem the flow of migrants crossing from Turkey an into Europe via the Aegean and Mediterranean seas and via the so-called West Balkan Route.

As part of the deal, "irregular migrants" — those refused asylum — who arrived in Greece after March 20 would bet returned to Turkey, in return — on a one-for-one basis — for Syrian refugees from Turkey being relocated to EU member states.

Media Clampdown Contingent with the deal was the agreement that the EU would speed up Turkey's accession into the EU and that Turkish citizens would enjoy visa free travel within the EU by the end of June 2016.

However, Turkey also had to fulfil a number of other commitments, chiefly on human rights, documentation, security and refugee humanitarian needs. But the stumbling block has been over Turkey's refusal to tighten its anti-terror laws that critics say have been used to silence journalists and media organizations.

The latest example was the arrest of three journalists, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Erol Önderoğlu and Ahmet Nesin, who are all accused of "making terror propaganda" after having edited the Kurdish daily newspaper Özgür Gündem.

On Thursday President Putin canceled restrictions on the sale of tours to Turkey and instructed the government to take steps aimed at lifting the ban of charter flights between the two countries. In an interview with Radio Sputnik Turkish ex-Tourism Minister Bahattin Yücel spoke about the positive impact this could have on bilateral relations.

2016 Tourist Season Lost for Turkey Despite Improving Ties With Russia
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160701/1042272751/turkey-tourism-minister.html

Bahattin Yücel welcomed President Erdogan’s letter of apologies to Russia as an “important and positive step,” but was pessimistic about any overnight rebound in his country’s tourism industry, hard hit by the recent crisis in bilateral relations.

“Our tourism sector needs serious help. Despite the thaw in our relations with Russia, the 2016 tourist season has already been lost. Russian tourists normally return home already before August is out. During the period between May 1 and 15, when the summer season is normally planned out, our resorts were empty and remained so until the very end of June,” Bahattin Yücel said.

He also mentioned the economic downturn in Russia and, above all, the loss by Turkey of its image of a safe and secure place.

 

[angelburst29]

Turkey's authorities have asked the United States to help capture an alleged mastermind behind the recent suicide bombing attack on the Istanbul Ataturk International Airport in Turkey, Akhmed Chatayev, The Wall Street Journal said Saturday, citing a senior US official.

Turkey Asks US to Help Capture Alleged Organizer of Istanbul Terror Attack
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160702/1042342604/turkey-help-us-attack.html

Three blasts hit the Ataturk Airport on Tuesday, leaving 44 people dead and 239 injured. Turkish media reported on Friday that two of the three suicide bombers were believed to have Russian passports.

According to the US official, US intelligence services have informed Turkey that Chatayev was behind the triple bombing. However, Turkish authorities have not yet confirmed Chatayev's involvement.

Chechen man Chatayev, lived in Georgia where he received country's citizenship before leaving for Syria in 2015.

The Tuesday terrorist attack at the Istanbul airport could have been prevented with effective cooperation among countries, head of Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA) Nikolai Kovalev, said Saturday.

Europe Gave Asylum to Purported Istanbul Attack Organizer
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160702/1042343913/chatayev-istanbul-airport-attack.html

On Tuesday evening, three suicide blasts rocked the Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport, leaving 44 people dead and more than 200 injured. Turkish media citing sources in the prosecutor's office reported that the terrorist act was masterminded by Russian citizen of Chechen origin Ahmed Chatayev who was long wanted by the Russian authorities for terrorism-related offenses but has escaped to Europe and avoided extradition to Russia after being granted political asylum.

"Everyone is currently expressing condolences to Turkey for the terrorist attack that occurred, and that is duly. We also sympathize as what happened was terrible. But let's look at what is objectively happening… Russia has been requesting extradition of the terrorist attack organizer for some 13 years. We had all the opportunities to prevent the terrorist attack in Istanbul. The only thing needed was to cooperate," Kovalev said.

According to Kovalev, Chatayev received political asylum in Austria after claiming that he had lost an arm as a result of torture in Russian camps. Kovalev also said that Chatayev was detained with arms on the Ukrainian territory but was found not guilty and was handed over to Georgia.

Chatayev's involvement in the terrorist attack in Istanbul has not been officially confirmed yet.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Interior Ministry said that Chatayev lived in Georgia and received country's citizenship, after which he left for Syria in 2015.

On January 29, Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee reported that a Daesh (banned in Russia) cell under the leadership of a Chechen national, Ahmed Chatayev, was plotting terrorist attacks in Russia and Europe.

In an interview with Sputnik Abdulşükür Mert, the ex-mayor of Ovakent, a city close to the Syrian border, said that jihadists from the Caucasus and Central Asia had become active in Turkey before the start of the war in Syria.

Terrorists Used Turkey as a Base Before Syria War Broke Out
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160702/1042341788/turkey-terrorists-base.html

According to media reports, citing an anonymous source in the Turkish government, the terrorist attack on an airport in Istanbul was carried out by nationals of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Chechnya (Russia).

Thousands of terrorists have reportedly joined Daesh with an estimated 10,000 jihadists from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan currently fighting in Syria. They cross into Syria after spending some time in Turkey and training at local mosques and Koranic schools.

Zeytinburnu district in Istanbul is one such place where jihadists from the Caucasus and the Middle East get together under the umbrella of shady funds and associations with direct links to Hatay province which serves as the last stop for Syria-bound jihadists.

In Ovakent, 90 percent populated by Uzbeks who settled down in Turkey in the early 1980s, there is a number of madrassas once opened by Abdullah Buhari, the founder of the Society of Religious Assistance and Solidarity, who was later killed.

“Abdullah Buhari came here from Pakistan and spent five or six years living in Ovakent where he served as an imam in the local mosque and taught a Koranic school. Before very long many people from Uzbekiatan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan staretd coming in. Many of us here became suspicious and Abdullah said he would move to Istanbul where he would feel free to teach those who kept coming to him,” Abdulşükür Mert told Sputnik.

He added that after spending a couple of days in Ovakent, the new arrivals from Uzbekiatan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan then left for Syria to study at the local religious schools in Damascus. Soon after Buhari left town the war broke out in Syria.

“We later learned that many of those who had arrived here from Uzbekiatan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan were heading to Syria to join the ranks of either the opposition or Daesh,” Abdulşükür Mert said.

Russia is not prepared to alter its economy to suit needs of any country, including major trade partners such as Turkey, Russia Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday.

Russia Not to Adjust Economy to Suit Needs of Any Country, Including Turkey
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160702/1042332573/russia-turkey-economy.html

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree lifting restrictions on travel by Russians to Turkey, specifically a ban on charter flights to the country and a recommendation for Russian travel agencies to stop selling tour packages to Turkey. However, the ban on a number of Turkish exports remains in place.

"This process of resuming trade and economic cooperation and resolving a number of associated political issues, including visas and so on, will be divided into stages. Let's not rush things, we are prepared to hold all these discussions with our Turkish colleagues…[But Russia] will not change its economy to suit the needs of any country, including a major trade partner such as Turkey," Medvedev said during the Vesti v Subbotu television program.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Erdogan calls Assad a ‘more advanced terrorist’ than ISIS

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2016/07/03/Erdogan-calls-Assad-a-more-advanced-terrorist-than-ISIS.html

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Saturday that Syrian President Bashar Assad was a “more advanced terrorist” than ISIS, despite the deadly attack on Istanbul's Ataturk Airport that Turkish officials blame on ISIS.

Speaking in the town of Kilis near the border with Syria, Erdogan said the Syrian leader was responsible for the deaths of some 600,000 of his own citizens and was the root cause of the war in Syria.

“He is a more advanced terrorist than a terrorist from the PYD or the YPG,” Erdogan said. “He is a more advanced terrorist than Daesh.” Erdogan was referring to Syrian Kurdish militia, which Ankara accuses of being a terror organization because of their affiliation with Turkey’s Kurdish rebels, and to the ISIS group by its Arabic name.

Three militants armed with assault rifles and suicide bombs attacked one of the world's busiest airports on Tuesday night, killing at least 44 people. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Turkish officials say they believe it was the work of ISIS.

Turkish authorities have detained at least 24 people in raids in several Istanbul neighborhoods over possible connections to the attack. Seventeen other people were detained in the province of Gaziantep, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Erdogan paid an unannounced visit to the airport on Saturday, saying a prayer in front of a memorial set up for the victims, which features the pictures of airport employees killed in the rampage.

He later flew to Kilis, where the number of Syrian refugees is higher than the local Turkish population. ISIS militants have also attacked the town with cross-border rocket fire, killing 21 people there since January.

Erdogan said countries he did not name were supporting the Syrian Kurdish militia and the ISIS in a bid to prevent democracy in Syria and for their “dirty calculations” in the region. He also announced that his government would allow Syrian refugees in Turkey to take on Turkish citizenship.

Turkey has been accused of long turning a blind eye to militant fighters who crossed into Syria from Turkish territory in the hope that they would hasten Assad’s downfall. Turkey has also been accused of not doing enough to fight IS, despite allowing the US-led coalition to use a key air base to conduct air strikes against militants.

Turkey denies the accusations but such statements from Erdogan help reinforce beliefs that fighting ISIS is not a priority for Ankara despite the extremist groups’ attacks on Turkish territory.

Earlier, the Istanbul governor's office said 52 people were still in the hospital - 20 of them in intensive care - four days after the devastating airport attack. It said 184 airport victims had been discharged from hospitals so far, including 13 people released Saturday.

Prosecutors have established the identity of two of the three airport attackers - giving their names as Rakim Bulgarov and Vadim Osmanov - and were trying to identify the third, Anadolu said. Other media reports have given different versions of Osmanov’s name.

Investigators’ attentions have reportedly focused on whether a Chechen extremist known to be a top lieutenant in ISIS masterminded the attack.
US Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, told CNN that Akhmed Chatayev directed the attack. The CIA and White House declined to comment on McCaul’s assertion and officials said the investigation into the airport bombings is still ongoing. McCaul could not be reached for further comment.

Turkish officials also were not able to confirm Chatayev’s possible role in the deadly attack. The Sabah newspaper, which is close to the Turkish government, said police had launched a manhunt for him.

ISIS, which has used the porous border with Turkey to establish itself in neighboring Syria and Iraq, has repeatedly threatened Turkey. In turn, Turkey has blamed ISIS for several major bombings in the past year in Ankara and Istanbul.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Turkey Could Allow Russia to Use Incirlik Air Base - Foreign Minister

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160704/1042387419/middle-east-russia-turkey.html

According to the Turkish Foreign Minister, Russia might be allowed to use Incirlik Air Base.

Cavusoglu noted that Ankara could allow Russia to use the base to fight against Daesh in the region.

"We will cooperate with everyone who fights Daesh. We have been doing this for quite a while, and we opened Incirlik base for those who want to fight terrorists. Why not cooperate with Russia as well on these terms? Daesh is our common enemy, and we need to fight this enemy."

The Incirlik base is five miles north of the Turkish city of Adana near the Syrian border.

The airbase currently hosts aircraft of the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Qatar involved in the US-led air campaign against Daesh, which is outlawed in several states, including Russia.

 

[angelburst29]

Erdogan calls Assad a ‘more advanced terrorist’ than ISIS

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2016/07/03/Erdogan-calls-Assad-a-more-advanced-terrorist-than-ISIS.html

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Saturday that Syrian President Bashar Assad was a “more advanced terrorist” than ISIS, despite the deadly attack on Istanbul's Ataturk Airport that Turkish officials blame on ISIS.

Speaking in the town of Kilis near the border with Syria, Erdogan said the Syrian leader was responsible for the deaths of some 600,000 of his own citizens and was the root cause of the war in Syria.

“He is a more advanced terrorist than a terrorist from the PYD or the YPG,” Erdogan said. “He is a more advanced terrorist than Daesh.” Erdogan was referring to Syrian Kurdish militia, which Ankara accuses of being a terror organization because of their affiliation with Turkey’s Kurdish rebels, and to the ISIS group by its Arabic name.

Erdogan keeps flipping like a pancake - I think, he has completely lost all of his marbles? His apparent instability is worrisome and dangerous.

Something doesn't feel right? After Erdogan met with Netanyahu, he has "this sudden interest" in wanting to apologize and mend relations with Putin, and now with Assad? Personally, I wouldn't put it pass Erdogan, to try an assassination attempt, if he could get in arm's length - with either Putin or Assad? Might be the reason, why Putin would only except a phone call from Erdogan, instead of setting up a personal meeting in Moscow?

Last week, the Turkish government took steps to mend relations with both Israel and Russia. Now, Turkish People's Democratic Party (HDP) parliamentary group leader Idris Baluken suggests that Ankara may very well be carrying out secret negotiations aimed at mending ties with Syria as well.

'Assad the Enemy' to 'Assad the Brother': Ankara Prepares Shift in Strategy
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160704/1042428007/turkey-syria-mending-relations-prospects.html

Last Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized to Moscow over the Su-24 pilot who died after being shot down over Syria by a Turkish warplane in November 2015; the same day, Ankara and Tel Aviv agreed to mend relations, ruined in 2010 following an Israeli raid on a Turkish humanitarian aid ship destined for Gaza which resulted in the deaths of 10 Turks.

Now, according to HDP parliamentary group leader Idris Baluken, Ankara may be trying to mend relations with Damascus as well. Late last month, the lawmaker tabled a parliamentary question on the secret talks allegedly being held between Syrian and Turkish officials in third countries.

Speaking to Sputnik Turkey, Baluken explained that "according to available information, secret negotiations are being conducted between Syria and Turkey, in Algeria and several other countries. As far as one can judge, the Turkish leadership is preparing the groundwork for a transition away from rhetoric of 'Assad the enemy' to rhetoric of 'Assad the brother'. It seems entirely possible that Damascus has already been sent a letter of apology."

"At the plenary session of parliament, I appealed to the government to clarify the situation regarding information of secret talks between Syria and Turkey. However, we have not received a response officially refuting this information, nor a declaration explaining the details [of such negotiations]."

The lawmaker emphasized that Turkish lawmakers, including members of his party, "have the full right to receive detailed information on changes in the government's strategy on Syria, as we are the ones to feel the brunt of the leadership's misguided Syrian policy."

"The results of this policy include the explosion at the Ataturk Airport, which claimed dozens of lives," Baluken said. "In this connection, the Justice and Development Party is obliged to inform the Turkish public about what changes are envisioned in policy on the Syrian track."

Commenting on Ankara's broader foreign policy, Baluken pointed to several other major policy reversals that have already been made. "Based on the examples of relations with Israel, with Russia and with Egypt, we have seen the kinds of changes that are occurring in the government's foreign policy strategy; they are aware on the need to change tactics in order not to lose power. To that end, the ruling party is ready to do anything, and so we assume that the information on the negotiations with Syria is true. If the government insists that this information is false, let them make an official statement to the effect that such negotiations are not being conducted."

Asked about the likely main theme of the talks, the lawmaker suggested that it may very well be the Kurdish issue, "specifically [Ankara's] desire to challenge the status of the Rojava, [the area of northern Syria inhabited by Syrian Kurds]. Erdogan wants to establish contact with the Syrian government using anti-Kurdish rhetoric. We believe that this approach is fundamentally wrong. In doing this, Erdogan and the AKP are again committing the same mistakes again."

Ultimately, Baluken suggested that it is "entirely possible that Damascus has already been sent a letter of apology, in secret. For example, we did not know anything about the letter that was sent to Moscow. Therefore, now it would not be at all surprising if it turns out that a similar letter was sent to the Syrian leadership as well. If this is the case, Erdogan must say so openly."

Whether or not secret Turkish-Syrian negotiations are underway, it remains unclear how exactly the Syrian government and ordinary Syrians are expected to accept a rapprochement with Ankara, in light of its brazen support for the militant groups which have terrorized the country for over five years.

 

[bjorb]

[quote author= sToRmR1dR]Erdogan calls Assad a ‘more advanced terrorist’ than ISIS[/quote]

[quote author=angelburst29]'Assad the Enemy' to 'Assad the Brother': Ankara Prepares Shift in Strategy[/quote]

Erdogan seems psychofrenic in his words and actions. Real fitting for a psychopath.


The west threw him under the bus. And by doing so he got nowhere else to go than to build a strong relationship with Russia. Funny enough I am sure this isn't what the West intented him to do.

If Putin can convince Erdogan to stop supporting terrorism in Syria. The war is basically over, I wonder if Putin saw this all coming.

And if that fails, I believe that Iran is eager to send a force of 130.000 ground troops. (Last meeting of the 4+1 coalition in Tehran) But it will be Russia responsibility to first try all possibilities of reaching peace in the less bloodshed way possible.

Erdogan isn't trustworthy, but Putin can trust his self-interest. And it is in Erdogan self-interest to stop his foreign genocide in Syria. I hope Erdogan is able to see this within his cloud of wishfull thinking.

If Erdogan sides with Russia on this manner. It will be a master move by Putin.

Either way, the 4+1 coalition is planning to end this war asap.

 

[angelburst29]

The first organized group of 189 tourists from Russia was met with flowers and cocktails at a Turkish airport in the resort city of Antalya.

Russian Tourists Received With Cocktails, Flowers at Turkish Airport
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160709/1042707621/russian-tourists-turkey.html

After a warm reception at the airport they were taken to various resorts and hotels.

According to the deputy governor of the province of Antalya, Mehmet Yavuz, the flight that brought the tourists was not a charter one.

“The flight was organized within the framework of previously obtained permits for tour packages. As for charter flights, permission for their operation has not yet been granted,” Yavuz said.

In connection with the normalization of bilateral relations between Russia and Turkey, Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 30 lifted the ban on sale of tours and charter flights to Turkey.

On July 8, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev instructed the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with other relevant authorities to submit to the Government within a week agreed proposals for the resumption of charter air transportation between Russia and Turkey.

Medvedev gave priority to transport safety, ordering no flights in regions with heightened terrorist threats, it adds.

 

[angelburst29]

On Sunday, seven Turkish servicemen were killed in two separate bombing attacks carried out by Kurdish insurgents in Turkey’s restless southeast. A total of three incidents occurred in the region in 24 hours, marking the continuation of a bloody standoff between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Seven Turkish Troops Killed in Bloody Standoff With Kurdish Militants
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160711/1042746389/seven-turkish-troops-killed-pkk.html

One of the attacks occurred in Hakkari province, where PKK militants planted an explosive device on a road connecting the Semdinli and Aktutun districts, the army said in a statement. The bomb blasted once a military vehicle was passing by, killing four and critically injuring one soldier, who died later.

The officials said that Border security forces supported by the country’s air force launched an operation in an attempt to find those responsible for the assault.

In another attack earlier in the day, a soldier and a member of a state-backed militia were murdered in a car bomb attack in Van province, the statement added. According to the report, ten more soldiers and five village guards were wounded as a result of explosion.

In the town of Kiziltepe near the border with Syria, six Turkish police officers were wounded in a course of a fierce battle with PKK militants. Law enforcement killed two Kurdish fighters and captured two others.

The news of a spike in hostilities came following reports that one of the PKK’s leaders, Fehman Huseyin, was assassinated in Syria on Friday. However, Rezan Heddo, a member Syrian Kurds' People's Protection Units (YPG), denounced reports as “devoid of truth” in an interview with Sputnik.

On Saturday, PKK members conducted car bomb attack on Turkish forces in Mardin province, eventually killing two troops and a civilian and wounding dozens.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Erdogan calls Assad a ‘more advanced terrorist’ than ISIS

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2016/07/03/Erdogan-calls-Assad-a-more-advanced-terrorist-than-ISIS.html

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Saturday that Syrian President Bashar Assad was a “more advanced terrorist” than ISIS, despite the deadly attack on Istanbul's Ataturk Airport that Turkish officials blame on ISIS.

Speaking in the town of Kilis near the border with Syria, Erdogan said the Syrian leader was responsible for the deaths of some 600,000 of his own citizens and was the root cause of the war in Syria.

“He is a more advanced terrorist than a terrorist from the PYD or the YPG,” Erdogan said. “He is a more advanced terrorist than Daesh.” Erdogan was referring to Syrian Kurdish militia, which Ankara accuses of being a terror organization because of their affiliation with Turkey’s Kurdish rebels, and to the ISIS group by its Arabic name.

Erdogan keeps flipping like a pancake - I think, he has completely lost all of his marbles? His apparent instability is worrisome and dangerous.

Something doesn't feel right? After Erdogan met with Netanyahu, he has "this sudden interest" in wanting to apologize and mend relations with Putin, and now with Assad? Personally, I wouldn't put it pass Erdogan, to try an assassination attempt, if he could get in arm's length - with either Putin or Assad? Might be the reason, why Putin would only except a phone call from Erdogan, instead of setting up a personal meeting in Moscow?

Last week, the Turkish government took steps to mend relations with both Israel and Russia. Now, Turkish People's Democratic Party (HDP) parliamentary group leader Idris Baluken suggests that Ankara may very well be carrying out secret negotiations aimed at mending ties with Syria as well.

'Assad the Enemy' to 'Assad the Brother': Ankara Prepares Shift in Strategy
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160704/1042428007/turkey-syria-mending-relations-prospects.html

Erdogan's Russia Apology Has Been Anything but Sincere

http://russia-insider.com/en/erdogans-russia-apology-has-been-anything-sincere/ri15559

He's still in bed with al-Qaea and has no intention of severing links

Originally appeared at Sic Semper Tyrannis

_http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2016/07/httpswwwwashingtonpostcomworldnational-securitydouble-game-even-as-it-battles-isis-turkey-gives-other-extremists-shel.html

If you read through all the linked material below, you might reach something like the conclusions that I have:

1. Turkey continues to allow/support re-supply and reinforcement of Nusra/Ahrar al-Sham forces in the Latakia and Aleppo princes of Syria. These forces continue to play the major role in attempts to block government and YPG interdiction of the Castello Highway into rebel held parts of Aleppo City. This is presently the only available LOC into rebel territory. As of the 11th of July the SAA Tiger forces armored brigade has closed from the north to within several hundred meters of the Castello Highway after having taken, lost and re-taken the Mellah farms area. at the same time the YPG Kurds having re-taken the Sheikh Maqsood neighborhood south of the Castello Road are also close enough to make the road unusable to the rebels through attacks by fire. The RUAF contributes mightily to this interdiction situation through more or less continuous strkes on the road in its loop from the west through the jaws of the SAA and YPG disturbance of this route into the city.

2. In response the rebels, principally Nusra Front and other jihadi groups supported by Turkey, the US and Saudi Arabia have been heavily shelling government held parts of the city using weapons and ammunition that continued to be supplied by their foreign sponsors through Turkish border control posts on the Hatay Province/Syria border. It should be noted that the government held parts of Aleppo City are the place where the great majority of Syrian civilians live.

3. Additionally, the variegated rebel groups are counter-attacking on the ground wherever they can engage. They are attacking the Tiger Forces brigade from the NW seeking to threaten the rear line of communications of the brigade enough to force another withdrawal from the high ground overlooking the Castello Highway. This worked once a few days ago and the brigade had to fight to re-take the lost ground, losing men and equipment in the process. At the same time rebel forces are attacking to the NW and SW from WITHIN the rebel held parts of the city with the evident objective of opening a new LOC to their friends outside the government area of Aleppo City by breaking out of what is now an encirclement.

4. If the rebels within the encirclement cannot break out somewhere or re-open the Castello Road as an LOC to the inner city they are certainly going to lose their foothold in the city . It will be just a matter of time.

5. At Manbij east of Aleppo, the SDF/YPG Kurd/Arab alliance have so far been unable to capture the city. This, despite heavy US air support and the mentorship of US SF. This not a good sign. Here as in the defeat of the SAA attempt to advance to Tabqa air base, a shortage of means on the ground is evident.

6. While all this is occurring the MSM in the US is trying to develop the idea that Erdogan has made a serious effort to regain Russian favor by distancing Turkey from the non-IS jihadi AQ allied rebel forces in Lattakia and Aleppo provinces. These are the same jihadi forces that Turkey has continued to help with massive assistance to the present day. At the same time, apparently to "sweeten" the appeal of Turkey's "offer" to the Russians, the US has supposedly made an offer of joint operations in Syria to the Russians, perhaps from Incerlik Air Base at Adana in Turkey. I agree with those like "b" who say that this is yet another trick like the late un-lamented cessation of hostilities.

7. Erdogan is trying to win the day through chicanery. The Russians would be well advised to demand several "pounds of flesh" at each stage of a rapprochement. with Turkey.

8. At the tactical level, it would seem logical that ground mounted surveillance radar placed on the heights overlooking the Castello Road would enable SAA artillery fire and Russian air in keeping the road closed to rebel traffic. the road can easily be cratered by Russian air and all bridges or overpasses wrecked and collapsed. In that situation, repair work should be interesting and challenging. pl

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Why Recent Steps With Russia, Israel Won't Really Change Turkish Foreign Policy

http://russia-insider.com/en/why-recent-steps-israel-russia-wont-really-change-turkish-foreign-policy/ri15606

In the big picture Ankara remains devoted to Islamism and sectarianism

Originally appeared at Al-Monitor

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/07/erdogan-russia-israel-mavi-marmara-reset-foreign-policy.html

According to some Turkish and international observers, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making a U-turn from his confrontational foreign policy these days, moving to a more moderate one. The argument is based on two developments in June. The first is the agreement Turkey reached with Israel after protracted secret negotiations to restore bilateral ties, which had been in a state of a near cold war since the Mavi Marmara crisis in 2010. The second development is the letter Erdogan sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin apologizing for the November shooting down of a Russian fighter jet, which had allegedly violated Turkish airspace along the Syrian border.

Meanwhile, Erdogan is also making overtures toward Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's administration in Egypt, which he had declared "illegitimate" after Sisi's overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood government in July 2013, but these efforts have yet to bear fruit.

Erdogan's solutions with Israel and Russia are called "normalization" in the media. Hence, some argue Turkish foreign policy is changing, too, based on the assumption that ties with Israel and Russia have been normalized. But how much do the terms "normalization" and "change" correspond to the actual state of affairs? To make a reality check, let's use the two questions below and see whether one could answer them in the affirmative.

Do Erdogan's steps vis-a-vis Israel and Russia signify a definitive end to his "new foreign policy," which had crystallized in 2009 with Ahmet Davutoglu's appointment as foreign minister?

Now that Erdogan has removed Davutoglu from the prime minister's post and sidelined him from politics, is another "new foreign policy" emerging?

The available facts do not justify a "yes" answer to either question. One simply lacks the grounds to suggest Erdogan has abandoned his old "new foreign policy." The solutions employed to ease tensions with Israel and Russia are devoid of any content that heralds the emergence of "the newest foreign policy."

To use a metaphor, Erdogan's foreign policy today is a ship run aground — the result of the reckless adventure he and Davutoglu embarked on with great hopes in 2009. Moreover, the accident is not something new — the ship has been stuck for quite some time.

This failed policy Islamized Turkey's Western-oriented, secular and republican political culture, while seeking to reorder the Middle East under the leadership of "new Turkey." It bore the hallmarks of Islamist ideology, both in terms of content and style, and the line separating foreign policy from domestic politics became virtually nonexistent. The new regime was Islamist and pro-Sunni, both at home and abroad, and therefore it was anti-West. Pulling Turkey away from the West was in fact an objective the new foreign policy pursued. In this context, the suspension of reforms needed for EU membership was not a mere coincidence.

After the 2009 Davos incident, anti-Israelism became the engine of the new foreign policy, in which Hamas — an ideological ally of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party — was accorded the centerpiece. The drive culminated in the Mavi Marmara incident on May 31, 2010, but this climax proved to be also its dead-end.

Then, the Arab Spring came to the rescue. Erdogan and Davutoglu were simply tantalized by the rebellion against Bashar al-Assad's regime in neighboring Syria in the wake of uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Tempted to topple the regime and replace it with an ideologically friendly Islamist government, the duo embarked on a policy that was well over the head of Turkey's military, economic, diplomatic, academic, institutional and social capacities. The miscalculation stemmed from the false assumption that the Assad regime would crumble in months, if not weeks, which, in turn, was the result of poor knowledge, intelligence and analysis.

In September 2011, while Syria descended into chaos, Erdogan and Davutoglu officially made the lifting of the Gaza blockade a third precondition to resolve the Mavi Marmara crisis with Israel, in addition to apology and compensation. They were well-aware they could never get the blockade lifted, but what they really wanted was something else — to tie the solution of the Mavi Marmara crisis to the solution of the Gaza-Hamas problem, and thus make it virtually impossible. This was necessary in order to perpetuate the state of crisis with Israel, which promised political fuel for their dream of leadership in a bloc of Brotherhood-inspired regimes encompassing Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Turkey.

But that's all water under the bridge now. Erdogan no longer needs the crisis with Israel, for Sisi's coup in Egypt has destroyed his dream of a Brotherhood union and his proxy war in Syria has long proved unwinnable. Russia's military intervention in September 2015 was only the proclamation of Erdogan's irreversible defeat.

That's how Erdogan's Turkey ended up lonely and isolated in the Middle East. Deprived of dialogue channels, incapable of developing a new policy and with no room to sustain its existing one, it was immobilized by a self-inflicted paralysis.

So, the Israel and Russia solutions are an attempt to get the ship afloat again. Yet they remain tactical maneuvers aimed at damage control. There is no indication to suggest that a fundamental policy change is under way. Reading the "change" argument through the chain of values, principles and actors leaves no room for any other conclusion.

So what is actually happening? The deal with Israel became possible because Turkey dropped its condition for lifting the naval blockade on Gaza. Technically, it was Erdogan who made a concession. Israel had already extended an apology and will now compensate the victims' families. The two sides will exchange ambassadors. Turkey, meanwhile, has dispatchedhumanitarian aid to Gaza, via the Israeli port of Ashdod, consisting of items permitted by Israel.

None of these is an indication that Turkish-Israeli ties are on a normalization course. Normalization requires the establishment of a minimum level of mutual trust. Economic, diplomatic and military cooperation needs to be institutionalized and updated. Reining in the anti-Israelism in Turkey, which has become part of the country's new political culture and often borders on anti-Semitism, is also a prerequisite for normalization.

When it comes to Russia, normalization will take more than a Turkish apology and a compensation for the downed jet. That much could secure the return of some Russian tourists, of course, but economic and political ties will remain unsettled. For a true normalization, an explicit and fundamental revision in Turkey's Syria policy is a must, including an unequivocal end to Turkish support for jihadi groups, the restoration of border control and an unconditional struggle against the Islamic State. Turkey's Syria policy was the core cause of the Russian intervention in Syria; hence, no normalization should be expected unless this policy is fully abolished. Though certain signals to that effect have to be acknowledged, there is no indication that Turkey's support for jihadis has been terminated.

In sum, Erdogan is not changing his foreign policy — he is resetting it. Getting the foreign policy ship afloat is nothing but an attempt to reset — or jump-start — his pro-Sunni, Islamist agenda.

What Turkey needs is not a reset but a reformatting of its foreign policy — a reprogramming from A to Z. This means the dismantling of an extremely personalized Islamist and sectarian foreign policy and its replacement with a secular one that relies on the Foreign Ministry’s institutionalism and projects the classic values of modernity to the Middle East, namely human rights and democracy. With Erdogan in office, none of these can ever materialize.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Turkish PM: No solution to Syria while Assad remains

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/07/14/Turkish-PM-No-solution-to-Syria-while-Assad-remains.html

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has warned there can be no solution to the Syrian conflict or the threat from miltants while President Bashar al-Assad remains in charge.

In recent days, Yildirim has repeatedly said Turkey would seek good relations with Syria after diplomatic successes with Israel and Russia, raising speculation of a possible change in Turkish policy.

However, in an interview with the BBC broadcast late on Wednesday, Yildirim said Assad had to go because with him in charge, the conflict would not be solved.

“On one hand, there’s Assad and on the other, Da’esh (ISIS). If you ask, should we prefer Assad or Da’esh (ISIS), we cannot choose one over the other. They both have to go – they’re both trouble for Syrians,” he said.

“Let’s imagine we got rid of Da’esh, the problem still won’t be solved. As long as Assad is there, the problem won’t be solved. Another terrorist organization would emerge.” He accused the Assad regime of creating IS through its policy of killing its own citizens deliberately.

There has been confusion this week over whether Turkish policy towards Syria and Assad was changing after several terror attacks by IS in Istanbul and in the capital Ankara in October.

Despite previously having good relations before the start of Syria's five-year civil war, Turkey has been one of the Syrian regime's fiercest opponents, supporting opposition groups fighting against Assad.

On Wednesday, Yildirim told his party’s provincial leaders in Ankara that he was sure Turkey would “normalize” relations with Syria and in the BBC interview, Yildirim said Assad had to change without specifying what kind of change.

“Things must change in Syria but first Assad must change. Unless Assad changes, nothing changes.”

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Turkey Seals Off Key Border Crossing with Syria's Idlib

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950426001269

Bab al-Hawa border crossing overlooking Idlib province in Syria was closed by the Turkish government.

The Arabic-language Halab al-Youm news channel reported that the main reason for closing the border crossing was the failed coup in Turkey.

Bab al-Hawa is one of the main routes which link the terrorists in Idlib and Aleppo to each other.

Earlier on Saturday, the terrorists in Syria voiced their support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in their web pages and accounts on social media networks and prayed for his victory in the ongoing developments in his country.

The terrorists in Syria are praying for Erdogan to eventually come triumphant against his opponents and the orchestrators of the coup in Turkey.

The terrorists rushed to the web to declare their concerns and support for Erdogan after a section of the Turkish army staged a coup against his government.

Turkish government officials said the army factions that have staged the coup are receiving orders from Islamist opposition leader Fetullah Gulen who is in exile in the US. Hundreds of Gulen's followers in the army, police and judiciary were arrested and jailed last year. Prosecutors in Turkey's capital announced on Wednesday that "Ankara has prepared a file for extraditing the US-based preacher Gulen, who is accused of leading a terrorist organization, as well as trying to infiltrate and overthrow the elected government".

Fetullah Gulen and his supporters issued a statement last night to "condemn the coup" in an apparent attempt to distance themselves from government accusations.

The opposition, including the Kurdish minority, have also condemned the coup attempt.

Turkey is a NATO member, which has been convulsed by military takeovers at least three times over the past half-century. The coup has taken the lives of 265 people, including 41 policemen, 49 civilians and 104 coup supporters, and injured 1,440 others. Also 2,900 pro-coup forces have been arrested so far.

 

[angelburst29]

Turkey could prolong the announced three-month emergency regime imposed across the country in the wake of a failed coup attempt, if it becomes necessary, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Saturday.

Ankara Not Planning to Extend Emergency State Unless Necessity Arises
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160723/1043537953/ankara-not-planning-extend-emergency-state-regime.html

Ankara does not plan to prolong the announced three-month emergency regime imposed across Turkey following a failed coup attempt, but may do so if it becomes necessary, Yildirim said.

“Our intention is not to extend it [the state of emergency], but it may have to be extended if such need arises,” he told the ATV television station.

On Thursday, the Turkish parliament approved a governmental decree on introduction of state of emergency for three months. The decree gives President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the ability to enact new laws bypassing the nation’s legislature and restricts public gatherings.

Turkish authorities promised a fair trial for all soldiers who are linked to the failed military coup in mid-July.

Turkey Promises Fair Trial for All Soldiers Linked to Military Coup Attempt
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160723/1043527539/turkey-coup-trial-soldiers.html

Ankara's Chief Public Prosecutor Harun Kodalak promised Saturday fair trails for all soldiers linked to the military coup attempt which happened in the country on July 15.

"We will immediately separate soldiers who did not fire on people, who did not drive army vehicles over people, who did not know what was happening… We will treat them fairly," he said as quoted by Anadolu news agency.

At least 1,200 soldiers have been already released, Kodalak added.

Nephew of the US-based dissident Muslim cleric Muhammed Fethullah Gulen, considered by Ankara to be allegedly behind the coup attempt in Turkey, was taken into custody as a part of the ongoing investigation on Saturday.

Nephew of Turkish President's Rival Gulen Arrested After Coup Attempt
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160723/1043523349/muhammet-gulen-arrested.html

Muhammet Sait Gulen was detained in eastern Turkish city of Erzurum and expected to be transferred to Ankara for questioning, Anadolu news agency reported.

Turkish authorities detained the "right hand" of US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused of masterminding the failed coup attempt, said a spokesperson for President Erdogan.

Turkey Detains Top Aide to US-Based 'Coup Mastermind'
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160723/1043538607/erdogan-turkey-coup-gulen-arrest.html

Halis Hanci, described as cleric Fethullah Gulen's right-hand man, apparently entered Turkey two days before the abortive coup, Turkish presidential officials stated.

Hanci was arrested in Trabzon's arakli district, according to Turkish local news.

Earlier Saturday, Muhammet Sait Gulen, Fettulah Gulen’s nephew, was also arrested on the orders of the chief prosecutor of Ankara.

The failed Turkish coup attempt has triggered a heated debate about its origins and alleged plotters. Canada-based author John Chuckman explains why he believes Washington could have winked and a nodded to Turkish military rebels.

Why Turkey Suspects Washington of Playing a Part in Failed Coup
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160723/1043531783/turkey-washington-coup.html

The failed Turkish coup is surrounded by controversy. Following the coup attempt Ankara demanded that Washington extradite the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, an alleged mastermind behind the attacks against the Turkish government, who is living Pennsylvania.

Furthermore, during his live television appearance on news channel Haberturk, Labor and Social Security Minister Suleyman Soylu went even so far as to accuse the US of having its hand in the failed coup.

US Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed the accusations telling Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during their phone call on July 16 that "public insinuations or claims about any role by the United States in the failed coup attempt are utterly false and harmful to [US-Turkish] bilateral relations."

However, it seems that the relationship between Turkey and the US continues to deteriorate.

Hurriyet Daily News reported Monday that Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim warned Washington that "Turkey may question its friendship with the US" if it refuses to extradite the exiled cleric.

It should be noted that the US-Turkish relations were strained even before Gulen became an apple of discord between Ankara and Washington.

In his interview on The John Batchelor Show Professor Stephen F. Cohen pointed to the fact that relations between Turkish President Erdogan and then UK Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Obama were particularly frosty during the Warsaw NATO Summit in early July.

The Turkish President was nearly "ostracized" by his NATO allies.

Furthermore, according to Afshin Rattansi, a London-based author and journalist, it looked rather strange that no NATO member states lent a helping hand to Erdogan when the military coup erupted.

It's astonishing that just a couple of years ago, we would have expected the NATO nations to have come to the aid of the Erdogan government which was elected in November. This time? Nothing," he stressed in his interview with RT.

These developments have prompted analysts to assume that the US could have really had a hand in the coup or allowed it to happen.

In his article for Consortiumnews.com a Canada-based author John Chuckman suggested that the US could have given a "wink and a nod (and of course, as always, some cash) to Turkish rebel forces" following the recent Russo-Turkish rapprochement.

"But that would not be the only reason for America supporting a coup. The truth is, from the American point of view, Erdogan's erratic behavior — shooting down a Russian war plane, firing artillery into Syria at American Kurdish allies, blackmailing Europe over large numbers of refugees in Turkish camps, and still other matters — over the last few years has added uncertainty and potential instability to a strategically important region," Chuckman writes.

On the other hand, the author continues if Washington was not involved in the plot the question arises: why it did not warn the Turkish president?

"After all, no one is better equipped for international communication interception than the US National Security Agency. If the United States were not involved, why didn't it warn Erdogan?" Chuckman asks.

There is yet another argument in Chuckman's article. The author calls attention to the fact that Turkish jets engaged in the coup took off from the Incirlik Airbase, used by the US and NATO for airstrikes against Daesh.

This airbase is Turkish, but has many American residents, including some high-level ones since there is not only a sizable air force stationed there but an estimated fifty thermonuclear bombs. The Turkish commander, Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, was in daily contact with the Americans and sought asylum in the United States before he was arrested by Turkey," the author points out.

Interestingly enough, in the wake of the coup the Turkish authorities started a search of the air base, while commercial power was cut off and the airspace above it closed.

However, there could be yet another explanation to NATO and the US not raising a finger to help Erdogan during the coup: some observers suggest that the failed coup could have been staged.

"There is a possibility that it could be a staged coup and it could be meant for further accusations [against Gulen and his followers]," exiled cleric Gulen said as quoted by the Guardian, sparking speculations about an alleged false flag operation in Turkey.

Still, these claims do not hold water according to London-based political analyst Alexander Mercouris.

"The suggestion Erdogan stage-managed the coup himself is a fantastic one. On the contrary all the facts show that he and the other members of his government were utterly shocked by it, and were seriously frightened for their lives during it," Mercouris underscores providing an analysis of how the coup erupted in his article for The Duran.

According to the analyst that explains the massive purge in Turkey.

"This is being misinterpreted as a sinister power-bid by Erdogan to tighten his grip on Turkey. Frankly it doesn't look like that to me at all. On the contrary it looks to me to bear all the hallmarks of something else: blind panic," he underscores, pointing to the fact that Erdogan and his supporters can no longer trust any part of Turkey's Deep State.

Turkey is surprised at lacking visits of high-ranking EU officials after the attempted coup in the country, Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik said on Saturday.

Turkey Surprised at Lacking Visits of EU Officials After Attempted Coup
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160724/1043539226/ankara-surprised-lack-eu-officials-visiting-turkey.html

Celik said that the Turkish authorities expected EU's representatives visiting the country in the wake of the failed coup attempt.

"We expected EU officials, representatives of the European parliament and the European Council to visit Turkey in order to express their support for democratic values that we share," Celik said at a press conference.

At the same time he expressed gratitude to all Turkish allies for their words of support.

 

[angelburst29]

Did Russian Special Forces save Erdogan's life?
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/07/did-russian-special-forces-save.html

The pro-American coup attempt led by Gulen in Turkey last Friday shocked Turkey. But when exactly did the threat of a coup become known and who had such information?

As analysts have reconstructed the events, the Turkish intelligence service MIT could have learned of the coup threat and reported it to the General Staff only several hours before it actually began. According to the MIT report, the coup took place at 16:00 on July 15th. The information from MIT officially reached General Staff Chief Hulusi Akar, land forces commander Salih Cholak and General Yashar Guler, who were all later arrested by the rebels, but the General Staff did manage to get out in time the orders banning military aircraft and helicopter flights over Turkey.

At the same time, President Erdogan stated that he received the news of rebellion only after it had begun and was able to leave his hotel a mere 10-15 minutes before the putschists’ special forces arrived in helicopters. He stated: “On the 15th, I was in Marmaris, where we had five days of vacation. At around 10 P.M., I was told about what was happening. They decided to take me away from the hotel. An operation against me was carried out in Marmaris and two of my guards were killed. If I had stayed an additional 10-15 minutes, I would have been killed or captured.”

The question immediately arises: if the security services and General Staff had known about the coup being prepared, then why was Erdogan not warned until 6 hours later? This was quiet sabotage which means that the leadership of the security services and General Staff also contained conspirators, and that the arrest of generals could have been a diversion. Or did Erdogan receive the information, know everything, and decide to provoke the conspirators into open rebellion in order to nip the coup in the bud?

There is yet another detail: two of Erdogan’s military advisors were arrested following the putsch. It is unknown, of course, what exactly their role was, but it cannot be excluded that the information from the army and security services had gone through them and that it was them who delayed such an alarming message.

In response to these inconsistencies, yet another, rather interesting theory has appeared in the press which says that the President of Turkey thanked the Russian Federation for saving his life. As the authors of this theory have conveyed, Russia’s intelligence structures found out about the US’ conspiratorial plan to overthrow Erdogan as early as 9 months ago.

The plan was to shoot down his plane and then, with the help of the CIA, replace Erdogan with Fethullah Gulen, using ISIS terrorists as the main active force. But seeing as how the President of Turkey had already apologized for the downing of the Su-24 bomber two weeks ago (which was admittedly quite unexpected), then the Ministry of Defense of Russia could have then found it possible to launch an operation to protect the Turksh leader “with the help of the elite 26th special forces regiment of the Russian Defense Ministry’s GRU.”

According to this theory, it was Russian Spetsnaz who successfully evacuated Erdogan to the Case De Maris Hotel shortly before the assault on the Grand Yazici Club Turban where he was previously located and where 8-10 militant groups managed by the CIA violently broke in only to find an empty room.

It is difficult to say how much truth there is in this version, but there is the fact that President Erdogan’s first appeal to the people to take to the streets against the rebellion was relayed through social networks while he was still in some kind of “unofficial” shelter with lace curtains on the windows. And then suddenly the center of the country’s governance was taken back into is hands while covered on a flight by Russian air forces to Ankara, allege such sources. Why the rebel pilots of the Turkish Air Force failed to shoot down the president’s Gulfstream IV with TC-ATA registration, if they indeed already had it in their sights, is also up for speculation.

“Of course, it cannot bet said that Erdogan was saved by our guys, Russians,” Yuri Pershikov, an information analyst specializing in Turkish affairs commented on these reports. “Reports have appeared that some of our electronic warfare systems deployed in Russia and Syria blocked the navigation equipment on [Turkish] air force bases. Information has also appeared that Erdogan’s plane was caught by two Turkish aircraft but they were, for some reason, unable to shoot. Afterwards, reports appeared that our air forces and satellites were involved. For sure, we will hardly find out whether this is true or not, but we can assume that they could have suppressed the guidance systems of these planes. Russia has the technological capabilities to have helped and supported Erdogan.”


Secret Turkish intelligence source: Erdogan rebelled against NATO but won after taking control of nuclear bombs
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/07/secret-turkish-intelligence-source.html

While some insist that the attempt to topple Recep Tayyip Erdogan's - ambitious and bloody, was staged, others (primarily in Turkey) believe that the leader of their state almost lost his life due to rapprochement with Russia. An expert on the Middle East, head of Lev Gumilev Center, Pavel Zarifullin told "Komsomolskaya Pravda" what secret intel he received from Turkey from a local high-ranking and well-informed friends. Their information says one thing - the coup was prepared with the help of our overseas "partners".

THE GOAL IS TO CONTROL

- Pavel, who are these people - who gave you information from inside Turkey? In light of recent crackdown how do you keep in touch with them?

- It is the elite of Turkish society, with whom I have been associated due to work for many years. Some of my colleagues were jailed by Erdogan back in 2007, but that's another story. Now I communicate with one of the famous Turkish professors, a consultant to local intelligence services. His name, of course, I will not disclose. He, like thousands of others, is walking on the edge - there is the same crackdown as in 1937 under Stalin. We correspond in a private chat room with coded messages. He is a supporter of Turkey's accession to the Eurasian Union, not the EU. And there are many influential people with similar views. Government, academia and those in security services have no doubt that the coup was prepared by Americans. Like all the previous ones in this country, since 1960. The military has always interfered in political process and acted in coordination with Americans.

- What did he tell you?

- Here's a quote: "The West, hoping to get control of the country through a military coup, as in Egypt, at first supported the coup. The putschists were not able to succeed without outside help. Only the West did not calculate that Turkish people do not accept any undemocratic process". Under the West he means primarily the United States. But it is possible that the Germans had a hand in this - they also pressured Erdogan. Don't forget, the Bundestag - the German Parliament - did not even recognize the genocide of Armenians by the Turks.

TOO MANY DIFFERENCES

- I don't understand why the US and Germany need this coup?

- It is no secret. The main reason is rapprochement with Russia. Here's another quote from the correspondence with my source: "EU and NATO were unhappy with Turkey's rapprochement with Israel and Russia. The United States was irritated by the announcement in Turkey of Kurdish separatists in Syria being a terrorist organization while USA supported them. The positions of Ankara and Washington differed on Iraq and Syria. In dealing with refugee crisis the EU blamed Turkey, believing that it should block the flow of refugees at any cost."

- That is the coup was overdue. From the outside. Is there information about how it was prepared?

- The nucleus of the coup was the American Incirlik air force base in Turkey (located on the Mediterranean coast, a few hundred kilometers from the border with Syria, allows to control the Middle East. - Ed.). Chief of the base, Turkish General Bekir Ercan Van is now arrested (the base was also used for Turkish aircraft - after all the country is a member of NATO. - Ed.). All the main characters are from there. According to my insider information, the US Ambassador to Turkey John Bass (he had previously served in Georgia and there also conducted the anti-Russian policy) met several times with the former commander of the air force and the leader of the coup Akin Ozturk and the head of the base under the pretext of discussing relations with the Kurds in Syria and Iraq. The Turkish military - in general are mostly graduates of NATO military institutions, are pro-American. As interrogations show, the current conspirators, among whom were the top and the second echelon, received serious guarantees from the military and diplomatic leadership of the United States. They were promised asylum in the base in case of failure.

THERE WERE HYDROGEN BOMBS

- And were cheated?

- No. But the Turks were ready to take the base by storm, but at the beginning just cut off power supply. But there were nuclear weapons stored!

This has never happened before! Therefore, the Americans agreed not to interfere with arrests at the Turkish part of the base. Such unpublished information was passed on by our source. And the silly staging hypothesis is actively pushed just in the West. Even though just the number of dead and wounded (after a night of the coup 290 people are dead, nearly 1,500 wounded. - Ed.) shows how serious this is.

- Is the opposition preacher Gulen, residing in USA, whose extradition is demanded by Erdogan, lying, he had nothing to do with it?

- It is another American "column" which, of course, is also used. Here's what my source wrote in his last message (we talked on the night of July 20):

"They (Putin and Erdogan. - Ed.) should meet as quickly as possible. Here everyone can't stop talking about this meeting. USA have done everything and are doing everything to prevent it. Including the coup so the leaders don't talk. We (the Eurasianists of Turkey. - Ed.) see the country's salvation in this meeting with Putin." I hope that repressions will not touch my expert, and he along with the other Turks will attend our Eurasian conference in Ankara immediately after the meeting of the presidents of Russia and Turkey. Today there is more and more talk about leaving NATO. Erdogan is better to go this route and become the Islamic Hugo Chavez. Otherwise he'll have to prepare for the next coup attempt.

MILITARY EXPERT COMMENTARY

Igor Korotchenko, chief editor of the magazine "National Defense":

- I have no confidence to assert that the coup was prepared by the Americans. But the fact that they knew about it (taking into account the capabilities of the CIA and NSA) and were interested in it, that's for sure. Just they did not warn Erdogan, hoping that the victory of the coup will be good for them. The "Incirlik" base houses Americans and that means there are CIA employees. I have not been there myself and can't say about security and defense and how it is provided with backup power. But it is impossible to cut off power to our [Russian] air bases, even if you shut off electricity.

Victor BARANETS, "KP" military observer:

- According to various estimates, "Incirlik" airbase is home to up to 100 American nuclear bombs. Electricity is really needed to monitor the status of ammunition, for their protection. In the event of an accident diesel engines are automatically turned on. But they cannot operate indefinitely. If Americans were cut off from the fuel supply, there could be a very serious trouble. Despite the fact that the base commander was a Turk, he gave the order to shut off only the Turkish part of "Incirlik". You have to understand that it houses American and Turkish aircraft, and during operations there are planes from the UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar. However, at the time of the coup they were not there.

Let me remind you that the commander of the base, Turkish General Van asked for asylum in the United States but was refused. If he was granted asylum, it would immediately become obvious that the US is somehow sympathetic to the coup, and maybe had a hand in this. However, when the arrests were carried out in the Turkish part of the base, the flights resumed, electricity was reinstated to the Turkish part of the airbase, and the base began to function normally.

 

[angelburst29]

A massive fire erupted near a NATO base in western Turkey. Authorities are investigating the fire as a possible act of anti-American sabotage.

Massive Fire Near NATO Base in Turkey, Possible Anti-American Sabotage (Videos)
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160725/1043572493/fire-turkey-nato-sabotage-erdogan.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PujuYdcu61A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06AA1NTODJ4

The inferno started on Sunday evening in western Turkey. The fire blew through the grassy wooded area and is now perilously near NATO’s military base pushed forward by strong winds.

CNNTurk reports that the fire threatens a number of populated areas, and has already impacted a home for the elderly and its adjacent garden, T24 News reports. The channel also reports that anti-American "sabotage" in the wake of the attempted overthrow of the Erdogan government is suspected.

The fire threatens the Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) base at Şirinyer (Buca) in İzmir, Turkey. LANDCOM is tasked with supporting US troops to enhance reaction time and the unit is equipped to respond to international crises.

Although Washington maintains its largest overseas nuclear arsenal in Turkey, consisting of up to 90 tactical nuclear weapons, the US atomic weapons stockpile is stored at Incirlik air base and no such weapons of mass destruction are reportedly stored at the Izmir base.

The fire is not fully subdued despite hours of effort along with the use of firefighting helicopters and
airplanes conducting water drops according to local news outlets.

The Yeni Safak newspaper printed a picture of a US military commander it claims led the attempt to overthrow the Erdogan government only hours before a massive blaze broke out near a NATO base.

Pro-Erdogan Islamist Paper Said US General Led Coup Prior to NATO Base Fire
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160725/1043575616/erdogan-izmir-fire-nato-military.html

On Sunday, hours before a massive blaze broke out near the NATO base in the western Turkish town of Izmir, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s primary print publication for his Islamist supporters – Yeni Safak, printed the image of NATO International Security Assistance Force Commander Army General John F. Campbell accusing the US military official of plotting the coup against Erdogan in league with US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.

The conservative Turkish daily newspaper is known for its hardline support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The newspaper is known for inciting violence and spreading disinformation about Gezi protesters during the 2013-2014 protests in Turkey, threatening journalists for other news outlets saying “they will pay a heavy price for treason,” and fabricating interviews.

Yet the newspaper does have a strong pro-Erdogan and Islamist reader base serving as a critical outlet for the Turkish government to influence views and actions of the people of Turkey and to incite a reaction.

Hours after the publication of the article, the NATO military base in Izmir became victim of a mass fire that continues to rage on at this hour despite desperate attempts by forces to contain the blaze using helicopter and airplane water drops. The fire threatens US munitions stockpiles at the base which could result in a severe exacerbation of the fire, loss of expensive weaponry, and safety dangers.

The fire, which has already burnt through an elderly nursing home, is being investigated by officials as an act of anti-American sabotage according to local reports.

The US maintains a stockpile of as many as 90 tactical nuclear weapons in Turkey, more than in any other foreign country, but the atomic bombs are not threatened by the current blaze in Turkey. Those weapons are stored at a different base in Incirlik and reportedly no such munitions are stored at Izmir.

An attack at a police checkpoint in Eastern Turkish city of Tunceli allegedly carried out by Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) left one police officer dead and two seriously injured, local media reported Sunday.

At Least 1 Police Officer Dead, 2 Wounded After Checkpoint Attack in Turkey
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160724/1043548054/checkpoint-attack-turkey.html

Those wounded were transferred to Tunceli State Hospital and then to Firat University Hospital, Anadolu news agency reported.

Tensions between Ankara and the Kurds escalated in July 2015 when a ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK collapsed over a series of terror attacks allegedly committed by the PKK members.

Turkish authorities have imposed several round-the-clock curfews in Kurdish-populated towns in country's southeast, preventing civilians from fleeing the regions where the military operations are taking place.

With polls showing that only 17% of Turks welcome the US in their country and with the country's leadership accusing the United States of staging the attempted government overthrow and even threatening war against the Americans, this relationship appears doomed to fail.

Turexit: Will Turkey Leave NATO Over Post-Coup Attempt Rift with the US?
http://sputniknews.com/analysis/20160724/1043541265/turkey-nato-erdogan-obama-coup.html

The death of NATO appeared to be all but written on the wall in the wake of the failed coup attempt when Turkish Labor Secretary Suleyman Soylu said during a live interview with Haberturk television that "The US is behind the coup" – a statement that Ankara still refuses to condemn.

The situation became worse as the country’s provocative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded that the US extradite the "head of terrorist" referring to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara claims was behind the failed government overthrow effort while the crowd sang "death penalty for Feto"

​But it was Prime Minister Binali Yidlirim who really lowered the boom threatening to go to war with "any" country that supports Fethullah Gulen – a direct reference to the United States.

Since accusing the United States, their long-time ally, of masterminding a failed attempt to overthrow a government whose connections to Islamic terrorist organizations – with evidence showing that Ankara has been engaged in regular weapons and oil trade with Daesh and reports connecting the Erdogan regime with a false-flag sarin gas attack in Syria – already much too close for Washington’s liking many believed that the United States would pack up and leave.

Instead, the US State Department has cautioned that accusing the United States of attempting to overthrow an allied government is "harmful to bilateral relations," expressing continued support for the Erdogan regime, and has attempted to explain to Turkey that under US law evidence is needed to support the extradition request Turkey seeks.

The final straw may very well have come several months ago with the attacks against three US marines in Istanbul on Wednesday by a group of Turkish nationalists who will no doubt be emboldened by their leaders’ statements that the Americans were behind the attempt to destabilize the country. The attackers put white hoods and bags over the heads of the US soldiers while yelling “Yankees go home” while calling them "murderers" and throwing orange paint on them.

​"Because we regard you as murderers who kill men, we require that you leave our country," one of the Turks said in English while the soldiers were chased down the street. Despite the Obama administration’s attempts to downplay this growing sentiment among the Turkish people, a poll in October revealed that only 19% of Turks welcome Americans.

Washington now faces a critical challenge with Turkey serving as the linchpin to America’s security strategy in the Middle East and the Balkans based on its geography and longstanding alliance with the United States.

NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis explained in a recent Foreign Policy magazine article that Turkey has been critical to "virtually every NATO operation with significant impact: training Afghan Security Forces and leading coalition efforts in the central district, including Kabul; sending ships and aircraft to Libya; participating in counterpiracy operations; maintaining a steady presence in the security and peacekeeping force in the Balkans."

Despite its strategic importance, Ankara has increasingly become a thorn in the side of the Obama administration and NATO which houses some 90 tactical nuclear weapons at Incirlik Airbase only 60 miles northwest of the Syrian border with growing political instability raising the prospect of a "loose nuke" falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.

That possibility looms large as the Erdogan regime engages in a full-scale purge of opposition having locked up over 10,000 alleged supporters of Fethullah Gulen from the country’s education, judicial, and military sectors while hinting at the idea of bringing back the death penalty to engage in mass executions by saying earlier this week "why should I keep them locked up and feed them."

Washington now faces a conundrum of setting back its defense strategy a decade by losing access to a critical regional base or enduring repeated accusations that it attempted a coup against its ally, attacks on US soldiers by an increasingly hostile Turkish population, the threat of weapons of mass destruction falling into the waiting arms of terrorists, and sanctioning the activities of a leader who has hinted at killing off over 10,000 people on allegations of treason.

It may ultimately not be Turkey that leaves NATO, but rather the West that decides Ankara has drifted too far down the road of perdition. One way or another, the clock appears to be ticking on the waning hours of the once great military alliance.