BY: İbrahim Karagül*
They can no longer interfere in Turkey using terror organizations, terror attacks or murders. They can’t threaten Turkey using the PKK, FETÖ or the DHKP-C. Nor can they direct Turkey through the ‘people’ they stationed in the media.
They can’t scare us by using capital as a tool to pressure. They can no longer apply social projects and create a political wave via the NGOs they fund. The cards they hold aren’t worth anything; the veiled war tools they hold are out of use.
All of Europe is alarmed over stopping Turkey
Now they are trying to structure fronts and build thick walls in between Turkey and themselves. They now voice the ideas they once stated through newspapers and through their prime ministers. Their internal politics, election campaigns, media discussion and intellectual quarrels are all done via Turkey.
Turkey is in the center of all the military/security strategies. Their aim is to stop the political wave our country is pioneering. ‘Stopping Turkey’ is their biggest aim. Europe and the Atlantic axis countries have an aim to stop the growing, strengthening Turkey, restrict and restrain it, and ultimately have it under control.
A century ago they had the same problem. They wanted to untie the Ottoman Empire, divide its political map, conquer Istanbul and found tens of satellite countries in the ruined geography. They strived to do this for years. They used all kinds of cunning, implicit operations and instigations during this course. They succeeded in setting the Muslim world against each other. They managed to push the only Muslim power out of the global power map in history.
We returned to the stage of history before a century passed. We came back with our claims. We returned with our memory, our historical deepness and our political reckonings. We came back only for our self, our country, our geography, and countries and societies we have deep connections with. We didn’t plan to cause a threat. We came back to live in our cities and countries freely, honorably, in peace and prosperity. We broke the tutelage chains to live in real liberty. Both the statement and the decision were to belong to us, the people.
Besiege, attack “internal occupation”
As soon as our intention was realized we were encircled. First they started with silent interventions. Turkey was rising, so they wanted to benefit from this, thus they offered to work together in all fields. Their “partnership” was an indirect intervention, it was some kind of effort ‘keep under control.’ They saw that this wasn’t the way to go as Turkey remained standing despite all the destruction happening in the region. Turkey continued to take solid steps, and its destination became clear. It was then that they decided to put their cards on the table. They started their war. Tutelage wars were put on to the stage. The PKK was reformatted as a “foreign intervention tool” from within. An “internal occupation attempt” was set off. Their aim was armed occupation, instead of tutelage or political supervision. They were taking the first steps to divide Turkey. Counter terrorism after the June 7 elections was actually the fending off of this internal occupation.
However big the Project is, that’s how big our game is…
The most dangerous “intervention” in our political history was made from our southern border via the PKK/HDP. They tried to draw up a map that would close up our southern border all the way from the Iran border to the Mediterranean. We were being encircled, we were besieged… If this plan had been successful we would not have been able to breathe, we would have been imprisoned and our defense shield would have been destroyed.
However big the Project, that’s how big Turkey’s response was. Although some still don’t seem to acknowledge that this isn’t just on a PYD scale, this is the smartest response we have given to multinational interventions. Because, for the first time, the multinational interventions were done so explicitly.
There is some kind of deep political reckoning
The tendency of Germany, Holland, Austria, and the European Union to build a front against Turkey in general, isn’t just bounded by their internal politics. This is a deep political reckoning and project. Each day we come across a new phase of the project. And it will continue. Statements, answers and reactions will get harsher through other issues.
The neocon extreme-right hit the peak after the U.S. invasion of Iraq and started to grope the Eastern shores of the Atlantic. Now we can see a fascism wave being resurrected from Germany and Austria. A racist rise that is the enemy of Turkey and Islam is spreading all over Europe. And it is directly being supported and managed from the states and their systems.
Disassociating by way of civilization and identity
This is being based on a civilization, identity disassociation. They have wiped out everything they marketed about multiculturalism since World War II. Moreover, they didn’t even care while doing this. Their relations with Turkey were always based on civilization and identity. While bargaining for integration on the one hand, these same countries were supporting terrorist organizations and administering the terrorist attacks in Turkey
Their intelligence services personally administered the Gezi incidents. They burned down Istanbul’s streets. They made Turkey live shameful moments that will never be forgotten. Their aim was clear. To pull down Erdoğan, deactivate those around him, sabotage the historical awakening and stop Turkey before it woke up.
If we can’t stop it, then we will destroy it!
They did the same thing during 17-25 December. The same plan to pull him down, the same aim. But each time they changed the organization, group or intelligence tool they were using. If one was exhausted the other would be pushed on to the stage. They were all ready for this day and were all trained for these roles.
July 15 was a step beyond the others as it was a direct attack. This was the first time since our War of Independence that we were exposed to such an attack from our allies. They shed blood, bombed the Parliament, and killed civilians. It wasn’t possible to stop Turkey, thus it needed to be destroyed. Therefore a civil war would be started.
Besides, remapping had started from the South. They used all terror organizations, all military and civilian components to attack. The attack was very big, it was multinational, therefore the victory was an independence triumph.
The rising nation
Turkey proceeded on its way despite everything that happened. Erdoğan was standing, so to was AK Party and all the staff that was walking that historical walk… The nation was supporting this historical walk stronger than before. The 21st century reckoning of a centuries old political history was happening, and we became a country that rose only a century after it fell apart.
Undoubtedly, European countries don’t perceive this issue as an EU issue, a referendum issue, a refugee or internal security issue. They are evaluating the centuries old reckoning and then positioning themselves accordingly. Therefore, we face the hardest reckoning of our history. The struggle is big, and the results will have deep effects on not only Turkey but the whole region.
They are losing their sleep!
If you take notice, you will see that the influence factors haven’t disappeared, but have weakened. The operation fields have narrowed down. They are now trying to position themselves as states from their own countries. Capitals are taking action and are warning Turkey one after another. In the meantime they are pushing the tight corners, which still exist, on to the stage.
The April 16 referendum is the most critical threshold Turkey will pass over. Turkey reformatting itself according to the new global map, strengthening its base, going up a league, and becoming a global player is the cause for their sleep loss. Because they know there is no going back. They know that history will change, the game will change and power relations will be formed again.
They know, but the unwary ones amongst us, those who know nothing about our history, find it hard to comprehend. They personalize the referendum and attack Turkey’s big fight. Moreover they make partnerships that are disloyal and take position in the same front as those who have waged war on us.
A new intervention has started before the April 16 referendum…
This is the reason for the foreign intervention front, which was used during Gezi, December 17 and July 15, to be formed once again. Everyone from the PKK to the DHKP-C, from Germany to Austria, from FETÖ to the Atlantic alliance are in this front.
The Austrian Prime Minister stating, “The EU should end its relations with Turkey” shows just where things have gone. This is also evidence for Germany’s restrictions, the foundation of the internal and external front and a multinational intervention against the April 16 referendum.
Once again, they will certainly not succeed, our nation will attain victory and walk taking solid steps. But the danger is evident, it should be evaluated properly and we should foresee what they plan to do before April 16.
Turkey haunts them all
There is a risk of the “No” front turning from a democratic preference to a new foreign intervention tool. Therefore, both the external front and its partners within need to be scrutinized.
The threat posed by those who have become a tool for foreign intervention in domestic affairs is apparent, as they have become an apparatus used to stop Turkey in this global game.
But there is a new situation: The interventions before this one aimed to take Turkey under control, minimize and restrict it so that it could be administered easily. The picture we see today during the referendum issue is different. They are all haunted by Turkey. Instead of trying to control Turkey, they are trying to reduce its influence, therefore, they are putting their back to the wall. Thus, this is a manifestation of Turkey’s strength.
Whereas, we aren’t planning to besiege Vienna again!
*Ibrahim Karagül is a Turkish writer and journalist. He is the editor-in-chief of Turkish Yeni Şafak newspaper.
(Published in Yeni Şafak Turkish newspaper on March 6, 2017)
