By Fikret Akfırat
The US President Joe Biden has articulated the lie of the Armenian genocide. We clearly state that this step means Washington’s declaration of attack against Turkey. The fact that Biden has called Turkish President Erdoğan one day before the declaration, announcing that he will “recognize the genocide” should be read as Washington’s message to Ankara, meaning to “directly target the Erdoğan Government”. These developments are the sign that from now on nothing will be the same regarding the US-Turkish relations.
Antagonistic contradiction
We constantly emphasize that the problems between Turkey and the USA do not stem from differences in tactical issues between two allies. The problems between Turkey and the USA are not temporary but structural. There is an antagonistic contradiction between Turkey’s national security interests and the interests of the United States. The United States takes the improvement of Turkey’s relations with Russia, Iran, its neighbors, as well as China, hence its relations independent from the Atlantic system, as the biggest threat to its own interests. For Turkey, on the other hand, facing US-Israeli threats, there is no option other than breaking away from the Atlantic Alliance and turning to Asia.
Therefore, Turkey’s necessity is not to give up the S-400, but to start new defense cooperation with Russia. Strengthening its economic relations with China and taking part in the projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative is the inescapable heading determined by objective interests. Being a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an option that will strengthen Turkey’s hand. Again, the Astana partnership with Russia and Iran cannot be abandoned due to national security interests. This situation is also true for Russia and Iran, which are similarly like Turkey targets of US threats.
Revolutionary Step
Turkey’s detachment from the Atlantic Alliance does not compare to the separation of other countries such as Belgium or Norway, because Turkey’s rupture would be a revolutionary step that creates decisive changes not only in West Asia but also in the whole world’s balance. Turkey, today a medium-sized country among the developing countries, will once again break the chain of domination of the imperialist system, as it did at the beginning of the 20th century, causing an even greater impact. The US, which threatens Turkey, is a declining power today. This fact also strengthens Turkey’s hand significantly.
Turkey as a key Country
The US strategy since 9/11 primarily aims to prevent the resurgence of an alternative to the Atlantic System. First came the two terms of the Bush administration, then followed the two terms of Obama, and finally came Trump. Despite of limited differences, they all implemented policies in line with the same main strategy. Now Biden starts to gear up these policies.
US documents of national security describe Russia and China as US adversaries. However, Turkey is the key country in this strategy. The US President, who made a speech in the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1999, expressed this precisely by emphasizing that “Turkey is the key to Asia. The 21st century will be shaped according to how Turkey will define its own present and future”.
Strategic Instrument
In line with this strategy, the Greater Middle East Project was created and put into practice in 2002. Core element of this strategy is the establishment of a Second Israel, labeled ‘Kurdistan’. The goal of this project is to build a terror corridor starting from Northern Iraq and reaching over Northern Syria till the Mediterranean. It is planned then to merge these USA-ruled pieces with parts taken from Iran and Turkey. In this strategy, the PKK is a strategic instrument of the US. The US has positioned the PKK step by step according to its role in this project since the Gulf War.
The main front of the Turkish-American War
The US attempts concerning the lie of an Armenian genocide do not constitute a historical debate. Their main purpose is to put international pressure on Turkey in order to mobilize defeatism inside, and create international pressure against Turkey’s national security strategy pursued in Syria, Iraq, and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The US targets and threatens Turkey on many fronts from the Eastern Mediterranean to Syria, from Iraq to the Caucasus. These threats turned into an open and armed conflict in the north of Iraq and the north of Syria. That is why Turkey’s move to end the PKK altogether, launched on July 24, 2015, is of critical importance. The operations of Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, Peace Spring, Claw, Claw Eagle are the result of Turkey’s armed determination on this front that brought results.
The Operation of Claw Thunderbolt, which has started at the same time when Biden was preparing to announce his acceptance of the Armenian genocide lie, should therefore be understood as an expression of the resolution to end the PKK.
Turkey has been attacking now in the main front of the war. The following emphasis should be noted in President Erdogan’s statement regarding the operation: “Our aim is to completely eliminate the terrorist presence that is attempted to be created in our southern borders and to eliminate the threats against our country. We are determined to eradicate terrorism and save our citizens from the scourge of terrorism completely. The successful operations of our heroic army, which has now turned its direction to the center of terrorism indicate that we are approaching this goal”.
The statements at the press conference held by Erdogan after the government meeting that “just as we completely free our Iraq and Syria borders from the harassment of terrorist organizations, we will never allow any terrorist formation beyond our borders” have also of importance…
In the coming days, the new attacks of the game-changing power of the Turkish Army are seen to come on the main front of the Turkey-USA war.