Turkey: Beware of Islamists Bearing Gifts

'Russian Oligarchs Are Welcome in Turkey'

by Burak Bekdil
April 10, 2022 at 5:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18416/turkey-islamists-bearing-gifts

Then there was what turned out to be a myth about the success of Turkish drones used by the Ukrainian army inflicting "huge" damage on the invading Russian columns. Drones, regardless of their capabilities, cannot be game-changers in a conflict with such vastly asymmetrical military might. The West must send jets, tanks, anti-aircraft, anti-armor and anti-ship missiles, and other weapons to Ukraine to repel Russia's Chinese-backed aggression -- fast -- or the US and Europe will soon find themselves enmeshed in wars even messier to fight.
What else does Erdoğan -- who is and always has been ideologically anti-Western -- think he can win from the West by his hoax charm offensive?
Erdoğan seems to think that just because the madman of Russia did something mad, he, the president of Turkey, can once again fool the West by posing as a pro-Western ally. Let's do a reality check....
Believing that the TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles could be game-changers in Ukraine is similar to thinking that the Turkish drones could be used to stop a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, former CIA official Paul Kolbe suggested that "Turkey should send Ukraine the Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems." Turkey said, however, that it dismissed the idea of transferring those systems to Ukraine to help Kyiv resist Russian troops.
The West's primary weapon against the Russian aggression is sanctions. Who is in it? And who is not? As Western governments targeted Roman Abramovich and several other Russian oligarchs with sanctions to isolate Putin and his allies -- but not most Russian oligarchs or businesses -- a second super-yacht linked to the Russian billionaire docked in a Turkish resort. In addition, no one seems to be touching the $700 million yacht docked in Italy and reportedly owned by Putin.
A source in Ankara told Reuters that given the sanctions imposed elsewhere, Abramovich and other wealthy Russians were looking to invest in Turkey.... Another source in Ankara said Turkey was not currently considering joining the sanctions action against Russia and was expecting wealthy Russians to purchase assets and make investments.
Turkey apparently hopes to get all it can from this "Christian-to-Christian" conflict: Let the infidels destroy each other as Turkey cashes in with geostrategic gains and spill-over Russian business from the West.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is and always has been ideologically anti-Western, seems to think that just because the madman of Russia did something mad, he, the president of Turkey, can once again fool the West by posing as a pro-Western ally. Pictured: Erdoğan meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, on March 10, 2017. (Image source: kremlin.ru)

Few people could imagine that on a cold March day in Turkey's capital, Ankara, the presidential corps, after more than a decade of hostility to its neighbor Israel, would welcome Israeli President Isaac Herzog by playing Israel's national anthem, Hatikva, with two presidential guards holding Turkish and Israeli flags on horseback. Pundits were quick to talk about a "reset in relations," or a "historic visit." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he now intends to host Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Ankara.

Shortly after Herzog's visit to Ankara, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez met with his Israeli counterpart, Karin Elharrar on the sidelines of the International Energy Agency conference in Paris. Dönmez said he hopes to travel to Israel in April to discuss possible Israeli-Turkish cooperation on a gas pipeline.

Next move. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Turkey has said that it supports Ukraine's territorial integrity, that the invasion was "unacceptable," and that it was "siding with Ukraine." Then there was what turned out to be a myth about the success of Turkish drones used by the Ukrainian army inflicting "huge" damage on the invading Russian columns. Drones, regardless of their capabilities, cannot be game-changers in a conflict with such vastly asymmetrical military might. The West must send jets, tanks, anti-aircraft, anti-armor and anti-ship missiles, and other weapons to Ukraine to repel Russia's Chinese-backed aggression -- fast -- or the US and Europe will soon find themselves enmeshed in wars even messier to fight.

Nice words, "drones." Nice propaganda. And, finally -- while Turkey was playing as if Erdoğan were the pro-Western pivotal player in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict -- Erdoğan wanted to abuse the European Union's suspension of accession talks with Turkey. Europe's blockade of accession talks with Turkey is realistic, is due to Turkey's increasing authoritarianism in recent years, the death of the rule of law in the country, its swelling democratic deficit and, most recently, Erdoğan's refusal to comply with rulings from the European Court of Human Rights. Nevertheless, Erdoğan said, "We expect the EU to open quickly the chapters of the membership negotiations and to start negotiations on a customs union without yielding to cynical calculations."

What else does Erdoğan -- who is and always has been ideologically anti-Western -- think he can win from the West by his hoax charm offensive? Well, he immediately called on NATO allies to lift sanctions on Ankara's defense industry, saying it is in the alliance's "joint interests... to remove restrictions that have been put on our defense industry by some of the allies... I shared my expectations with the leaders. Veiled or open embargoes shouldn't even be a topic among the allies."

He seems to be hoping that no one will notice that his entire performance is a hoax. Are the US and Europe looking the other way just because Turkey is being helpful with Afghanistan and Ukraine?

Erdoğan seems to think that just because the madman of Russia did something mad, he, the president of Turkey, can once again fool the West by posing as a pro-Western ally. Let's do a reality check:

On February 25, Turkey "abstained... from voting on suspending Russia's membership in most bodies of the Cooperation Council in Europe in response to the military operation in Ukraine. 'During the vote in Strasbourg (the seat of the Council of Europe), Turkey decided to abstain,' Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with Turkish TV channel NTV. 'We don't want to break off the dialogue with Russia.'"
On February 24, senior Turkish and Pakistani officials announced that the NATO member and China's staunchest regional ally have joined forces in the development and production of a new fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
On March 13, Çavuşoğlu said that humanitarian aid on its own cannot adequately address Afghanistan's problems, and that countries should offer diplomatic recognition of the Islamic Emirate as well – the first time a foreign political leader publicly called for this step.
According to a report submitted to the UN Security Council, a Turkish maritime company owned by a businessman widely known to be an Erdoğan associate, helped the Turkish government violate the United Nations arms embargo on Libya. The move prompted UN investigators to flag the shipping line operating out of Turkey.
Turkish drones used by the Ukrainian forces, the TB-2 Bayraktar, are cost-efficient solutions in conflicts between symmetrical powers. However, according to a report submitted to the UN Security Council by the Panel of Experts on Libya, the TB-2s were an easy target for ground fire, "they were easily destroyed in the air by the (Russian-made) Pantsir S-1 air defence system." Anyone with some "Warfare 101" knowledge understands that drones, however successful, are not game-changers in conflicts between forces that are wildly asymmetrical. Believing that TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles could be game-changers in Ukraine is similar to thinking that the Turkish drones could be used to stop a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, former CIA official Paul Kolbe suggested that "Turkey should send Ukraine the Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems." Turkey said , however, that it dismissed the idea of transferring those systems to Ukraine to help Kyiv resist Russian troops.
The West's primary weapon against the Russian aggression is sanctions. Who is in it? And who is not? As Western governments targeted Roman Abramovich and several other Russian oligarchs with sanctions to isolate Putin and his allies – but not most Russian oligarchs or businesses -- a second super-yacht linked to the Russian billionaire docked in a Turkish resort. In addition, no one seems to be touching the $700 million yacht docked in Italy and reportedly owned by Putin.
A source in Ankara told Reuters that given the sanctions imposed elsewhere, Abramovich and other wealthy Russians were looking to invest in Turkey. "He wants to do some work and may buy some assets," the source said, adding that the oligarch already had some assets in Turkey. Another source in Ankara said Turkey was not currently considering joining the sanctions action and was expecting wealthy Russians to purchase assets and make investments. Indeed. "Russian oligarchs are welcome in Turkey," Çavuşoğlu said on March 26, "but must abide by international law in order to do any business."

Meanwhile, Russia keeps using Turkish airspace as freely as if no one had ever invaded Ukraine. Turkey apparently hopes to get all it can from this "Christian-to-Christian" conflict: Let the infidels destroy each other as Turkey cashes in with geostrategic gains and spill-over Russian business from the West.

Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from the country's most noted newspaper after 29 years, for writing in Gatestone what is taking place in Turkey. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Related Topics: Russia, Turkey

Recent Articles by Burak Bekdil

Why Erdoğan Wants a UN Seat for Muslims, 2023-11-14
Jihad on Israel: Where Does Turkey Stand? - Part II, 2023-10-13
Jihad on Israel: Where Does Turkey Stand?, 2023-10-10
Putin's Man in Ankara: Erdoğan, 2023-10-04
Turkey: An Air Force Without Wings, 2023-09-22

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Comment on this item

11 Reader Comments

Cedar • Jul 6, 2022 at 04:59

As the war against Ukraine settles into its 5th month, it's evident that Turkey is enabling the theft of Ukraine's grain by the Russian state looters. Wheat is shipped to Rostov and confiscated Ukrainian ports, transferred, re-labelled, and exported through Turkey. So Russia additionally profits from Ukraine's victimisation, while holding the world to ransom by controlling food supplies, and Turkey, a NATO member & applicant to the EU, willingly abets the slaughter and the theft. A way to politically disable Turkey has to be found.

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Bull Herman • Apr 11, 2022 at 13:38

Hanging with Erdogan is like eating pufferfish.
One time you catch a body buzz and feel a little high on your adventure.
The next time it kills you.
Best simply to avoid.

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Hamish MacDonald • Apr 11, 2022 at 02:59

For some reason the Armenian genocide always seems to appear to remind the world of what really moves the Turkish people.
Turkey never apologised and refuses to do so.
So how can you trust Turkey or Erdogan?

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Nicholas John Papadopoulos

Hamish MacDonald • Apr 11, 2022 at 04:32

Thank you Mr. MacDonald. As a grandson of a Genocide survivor [my family's original patronymic was Papazian before my grandfather changed it to the Greek equivalent], I totally agree with you. Many modern Turks know the truth and have bravely spoken out and have paid the price for doing so. Erdogan's real desires came out during Azerbaijan's recent war against Armenia and Artsakh. Erdogan plays the field to hypocritically get what he wants. The USA and Europe and Israel should not trust him...
Nicholas John Papadopoulos, Auckland, New Zealand

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Nicholas John Papadopoulos • Apr 10, 2022 at 21:41

Israel should not trust Turkey at all. Erdogan's bottom line desire is that Israel will be destroyed. He is merely outwardly making rapprochement with Israel in the hope that the USA and the EU will cease its economic embargo of Turkey. Once the embargo ceases he will start his hypocrisy all over again. Israel should not go in to any negotiations with Turkey about a joint pipeline in the Eastern Mediterranean/Aegean - do not trust Erdogan. Do not allow Turkey in to the EU. I would even go as far as to say that Turkey should be tossed out of NATO. Read Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 and judge for yourself what is going to happen soon. Thank you ... Nicholas John Papadopoulos, Auckland, New Zealand.

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Graham Richards • Apr 10, 2022 at 21:08

Turkey has wanted to become an EU member for a long time. Maybe the EU stalled admitting Turkey because there are serious doubts about trust. After all Turkey has always been seen to favour the dictators of this world & they seem to have a natural attraction for dictatorial ways.

I doubt that NATO secrets about weaponry & intelligence are safe in the hands of Erdogan.

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NECLA • Apr 10, 2022 at 18:32

Modern weapons, especially defense missile systems like Patriots or S-400s cannot operate without the software provided by the manufacturers. Those missile launchers equipped with Russian software (if any), which may allow remote intervention from Moscow, can be used only as barbeque chimneys without the permission of Russians.

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oldguyincolorado • Apr 10, 2022 at 14:54

This interesting article raises many questions for which no answer seems to be given, among which are:
1. Can Turkey actually transfer the S400?- Does Turkey hold those weapons under a restriction of use by Russia, for Russia would have been silly to sell those weapons if they could be transferred to a 3rd party to be ultimately used against Russia? Don't the U.S. and Israel, among others, impose such restrictions on the sale/resale of their weapons?
2. is the oil pipeline proposed the very same one which Israel rejected a few years ago, a pipeline intended for transfer of gas to Europe, or is it one which will replace Russian gas into Turkey?
3. Not discussed is the Russian hand on the throat of Turkey; Turkey needs to import a large percentage of it's foodstuffs, much had previously come from Ukraine (but not this or immediately future years) and Russia could opt not to replace it; then Turks could starve.
4. Turkey also has its hand on the throat of Europe: Erdogan has earlier threatened to, and in fact, from time to time, released Syrian and other refugees within it's borders and send them to Europe if Europe "did not play nice"; this is a part of his Islamization process of Europe. I have elsewhere indicated that about 125M hungry people of North Africa and the Middle East will soon be on the move because the grain from Ukraine will not be exported to feed them. The U.N. just announced that 47M will in fact be starving because of Putin's War. Turkey can't feed itself, so if squeezed by Russia by not selling grain to Turkey, Turkey will have no real choice but to expel all refugees because it might not be able to feed them, too. Europe could soon see a migrant wave the likes of which it never contemplated, can't handle and which might bury it. Factually, Poland will soon see that it can't feed the Ukrainians it is taking in, this without any of the other complicating factors, and where will NATO or the EU find that food?

Yes, Turkey plays games, but not all of it's "bad acts" are voluntary. Sometimes Turkey is a king, sometimes it is just a pawn like the rest of the world.

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Phillip Rosslee • Apr 10, 2022 at 05:54

Turkey will never be an ally of the West but our Western Leaders either choose to ignore this or want Islam to engulf the West with Islamists and their political cult. Even the Chinese know Islam is bad to be allowed a foothold in any society because they are even worse than the CCP or Putin for any democracy.

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Jeff Page • Apr 10, 2022 at 05:35

Any Western leader who believes a word from Erdogan's mouth is a fool and nothing more. He is one of the most repressive of leaders and his ruthless attacks on his opponents have apparently been ignored because of the membership of Nato and the UN. Turkey is becoming more Islamist in its outlook and that is all down to Erdogan and his ambition to create another Ottoman Empire. Western leaders cannot be fooled anymore by this tyrannical, lying, conman!

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victor cowen • Apr 10, 2022 at 05:25

My TV screen is bombarded by adverts for 'holidays' that G-d forsaken country Turkiye (yes they are deliberately using this mis-spelling)
Personally, I would not go there if it was the last place on earth, but watch your step, as the criminal junta there is pumping money into TV ads for their glorious 'holiday' deals.

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