By Brandon Turbeville

Shortly after Christmas, and lost in the holiday shuffle, Turkish President and terrorist supporter Recep Tayyip Erdogan, made a statement accusing the U.S.-led coalition of supporting not only terrorists in Syria but ISIS itself. He also stated clearly that Turkey has proof that U.S.-led coalition is supporting the notorious terrorist organization it claims to be fighting.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, December 27, Erdogan stated that “They give support to terrorist groups including Daesh (ISIS).”

He added that “Now they give support to terrorist groups including Daesh, YPG, PYD. It’s very clear. We have confirmed evidence, with pictures, photos and videos.”

Erdogan also called on GCC members such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar to join Russia, Iran, and Syria in peace talks regarding the current crisis next month. He said these countries (the Russian coalition) have “shown goodwill and given support” to Syria. He stressed that Turkey would not take part in negotiations if “terrorist groups” like the Kurdish separatists were involved.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner responded to Erdogan’s statement by saying that it was “ludicrous” and that it has “no basis for truth.” Toner added that the U.S. is “100 percent behind the defeat and destruction of Daesh, even beyond Syria and Iraq.”

Erdogan’s statement is actually true as Mark Toner and anyone who can operate a keyboard knows full well. The United States and its coalition have long supported terrorists in Syria, and both have done so since day one. That being said, Turkey and Erdogan specifically have supported the same terrorists for just as long. For that reason, Erdogan’s statements may appear startling if taken alone.

Thus, the question now becomes – what is Erdogan’s purpose behind those statements? After all, Erdogan has remained stalwart in the NATO camp ever since the beginning of the crisis where he argued that Turkey only supported moderates, never acknowledging the fact that Turkey was buying ISIS’ stolen oil and providing jihadists with porous borders so that they could easily cross over into Syria. So why would Erdogan throw his NATO and GCC “allies” under the bus and actually spill the beans regarding Western/GCC support of terrorists?

The answer is actually a number of possibilities. Some researchers may suggest that Erdogan’s stance is changing and that he is moving Turkey more into the Russian orbit, abandoning the NATO position of destroying Syria and, thus, beginning the process of dropping the U.S., GCC, and NATO baggage and exposing imperialists at the behest of the Russians. Others attribute his statements to the mere ravings of a madman lashing out at the slightest sign of criticism or political trouble. While these explanations are possibilities, the reality is most likely that it is a complex web of intrigue that centers itself around Erdogan himself and the position of the Muslim Brotherhood that has caused Erdogan to make such a statement.

It appears that Erdogan is attempting to sit on the fence between two world powers and their alliances – the Western world hegemon and the Russian coalition – while, at the same time, trying to promote his neo-Ottoman vision for Turkey. While Erdogan was firmly within the NATO camp at the start of the Syrian crisis, it is quite likely that Erdogan has started to realize that chaos in Syria might very well equal chaos in Turkey and that U.S. support for the Kurdish fighters in Syria and Iraq might ignite Kurdish separatists in Turkey, throwing his own country into chaos and civil war yet again. Thus, Turkey has moved more toward the direction of Russia, despite having shot down a Russian jet and acting provocatively toward Russia in the past. Putin is, of course, using the carrot more so than the stick, a diplomatic strategy that tends to yield better results in the long run, particularly when the power bearing the carrot has a massive stick for backup. For that reason, Turkey is willing to at least provide token support to “peace talks” and other Russian-led initiatives.

However, to suggest that Erdogan has actually moved into the Russian orbit is naïve. Turkey continues to keep its borders open for ISIS fighters to cross into Syria and it continues to maintain its “safe zone” area which is nothing more than a forward operating base and supply line corridor (the Jarablus Corridor) for ISIS and its related terror organizations. As previously mentioned, Erdogan has been willing to risk direct war with Russia on a number of occasions and the Turkish government has even announced support for terror brigades to be used on Russian territory, the Crimea.

Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman dreams have become more and more obvious through his own statements, such as his vocal support for the Misak-Milli, a series of decisions by the Ottoman Turkish empire that saw Turkey claiming parts of Iraq, Syria, Armenia, Georgia, Greece, and Bulgaria. He has even suggested the possibility of doing away with the Treaty of Lausanne, which delineates the Turkish borders.

Erdogan’s willingness to throw his GCC allies under the bus most likely is compounded by his Muslim Brotherhood affiliations, a slightly more moderate form of Islamic extremism that calls for a referendum in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. It is for this reason that a rift exists between the Islamist Erdogan and the Wahhabist Saudis. For beginners, it is the equivalent of “Democratic” socialists versus communists.

As Erdogan’s own plan of playing both sides continues, the situation inside his own country will most likely continue to deteriorate, despite his clever handling (or masterminding) of the recent coup that saw him eliminate many of his political and institutional enemies. As the domestic situation in Turkey worsens, Erdogan will likely face losses both in Syria and Iraq and will most likely move closer to Russia. As a result, the West will attempt to rein him in, using both the carrot and the traditional American stick. Domestically, his troubles may overwhelm him or, at the very least, the stability of his country.

Erdogan is currently attempting a delicate balancing act between two world powers. Delicacy, however, is not what Erdogan is most skilled at.

Regardless, it is important to remember that Turkey is still very much a part of NATO and very much a part of the anti-Syria, pro-ISIS coalition. His recent statements regarding the coalition support of ISIS is merely an attempt to bargain with the United States and gain brownie points with Russia, both designed to enhance his position for his own foolhardy neo-Ottoman dreams.

With that being said, we should welcome Erdogan’s newfound honesty and encourage him, if he has the photos and videos he claims to possess, to release them to the media immediately.

Brandon Turbeville – article archive here – is the author of seven books, Codex Alimentarius — The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident, volume 1 and volume 2, The Road to Damascus: The Anglo-American Assault on Syria, and The Difference it Makes: 36 Reasons Why Hillary Clinton Should Never Be President. Turbeville has published over 850 articles on a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville’s radio show Truth on The Tracks can be found every Monday night 9 pm EST at UCYTV. His website is BrandonTurbeville.com He is available for radio and TV interviews. Please contact activistpost (at) gmail.com.

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