By: Hasan Öztürk*
We said, “The western part of the Euphrates is our red line.” It was the People’s Protection Units (YPG) terror organization that crossed the red line and moved toward the west along our southern border and the U.S. was its supporter. What went ahead of it was Daesh. First, Daesh entered a region, and then the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and YPG settled there under the pretext of removing it.
It seems that while switching from “Strategic Partnership” to “Model Partnership” in Barack Obama’s period, a group in the U.S., which we accepted as our ally for years, did not want to regard Turkey as a whole.
Those who wanted to surround us from our southern borders were the same circles as those who provided them both logistic and strategic support. They were also the ones who said the PYD and YPG were their land force.
YPG and PYD’s protectors in Ankara
Turkey has long tried to convince its interlocutors about the western part of the Euphrates. It used the diplomacy. It cautioned. Sometimes it talked pedantically.
It was in vain!
Moreover, some decision-makers in Ankara at that time hardly saw any problems with “partnership” with the YPG and PYD. They still do not see … Let us form a few more sentences.
There was a lot of difference between Turkey’s intention of the reconciliation process and of the PKK and PYD.
Moreover, some decision makers in Ankara were prone and sympathetic toward the PKK and PYD’s view of the reconciliation process. Some still think so! Let us leave it as it is! Because this is not our topic.
We take matters into our own hands
When Turkey’s concerns about the west of the Euphrates were not resolved by the U.S., President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “Then, we can take matters into our own hands.”
This is what has happened today! With the Operation Euphrates Shield, Turkey is mopping up the Daesh terror organization from the scene. It is also building a deep shield among PYD and YPG terrorists who crossed the western part of the Euphrates.
We are in a rough struggle in al-Bab for a few days. We have about twenty-nine martyrs and dozens of injured. I wish mercy to our martyrs, and recovery to the injured.
There are a few answers to the question of “Why has the number of martyrs in al Bab increased.” But this is not the issue of this article.
The matter is that al Bab will be cleared from Daesh in the near future. But we need to see al Bab as part of the game played by those who test Turkey in the scene.
Remember, in recent history, when Turkey was marching into al-Bab with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the PYD and YPG took action and headed there from the northwest. Turkish jets destroyed them one night. I wonder why?
East of the Euphrates is terror’s logistics center
We remember statements that we would head toward Manbij after al-Bab’s purification of Daesh. Although they know Turkey’s decisive stance, Americans still direct PYD and YPG militants there. We know what this means.
There is something else!
We cannot say that Turkey, which is in a cruel struggle against terror organizations in the west of the Euphrates, does not know that the logistical support to terrorist organizations come from the east of the Euphrates.
We know what kind of operations is being conducted at al-Qamishli Airport and what is in the huge boxes attached to parachutes flying in the Kobani skies.
So, we have to put the east of the Euphrates on our agenda, knowing our power, energy and capacity.
The logistics of the west of the Euphrates come from the east of the river. And without cutting these logistics, we do not have a chance to completely clear terrorist elements in the west of the Euphrates.
If Daesh is the first target, of course the PYD and YPG must be the second target. And stopping the PYD and YPG only in the west of the Euphrates will not be a permanent solution.
A new process has begun in Syria. The U.S.’s terrorists alone have remained. It is trying to take the initiative through them. Turkey, Russia and Iran agree on Syria’s territorial integrity and a political solution.
So, in the near future, we can observe mobility all along our southern borders within the framework of Syria’s territorial integrity.
Really, where did the bomb and bombers who martyred our police officers in Beşiktaş and our commandoes in Kayseri come from?
‘He stands behind you; he stabs you in the back’
My dear friend, Senai Demirci, posted the following tweet after the Russian ambassador was shot by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)-linked police officer: “He stands behind you; he stabs you in the back.”
I can see the essence of the matter in this way. Indeed, this is a simple truth that summarizes the characteristics of FETÖ members.
An example: In 1988, there was a clash with opposing students in a part of the struggle to open a mosque at Ege University.
In the middle of the rage, those who told the students attacking the religious young people on the excuse of the mosque “We are not from them” were FETÖ-linked dastards who we regarded as “our Muslim brothers.”
Here is another example: The Imam of Alvar was replaced by his son when he died. His grandson also taught at the medrese where Fetullah Gülen studied. But Gülen was jealous of him, slandered him and stooled on him. So, Sadi Efendi, the grandson of the Imam of Alvar, was taken into custody.
But Gülen hid behind the name of the Imam of Alvar for many years.
There are so many examples, but let us go with them.
Until today, they always stayed behind, put someone to the scene in the case of danger, and then stooled on them. They lastly shot the Russian ambassador in the back with sneak and slander.
It would be enough to describe the perfidy with the FETÖ.
