July’s failed coup attempt in Turkey has exposed more than the coup plotters. Turkish President Recept Tayip Erdogan has realized that Western rulers and Nato members are not his real friends. Russia and Iran are.
The coup attempt by a group of military officers in Turkey seems to have fizzled out. After several hours of tense standoff, the coup plotters were beaten back and the police and people were able to reclaim control. Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan who flew into Istanbul airport from his holiday said the military will be cleansed of these elements.
1The on again, off again talks on Syria seem to be going nowhere. The Saudis and Americans want to include some terrorist groups whose presence is rejected by Syria, Russia and Iran. They argue, quite rightly, how can terrorists be allowed at the table to talk about peace. For now, the UN Special envoy for Syria says he hopes the talks would begin on Friday January 29. It is yet to be seen whether they will occur.
Turkey's shooting down of a Russian plane over Syria has dangerously escalated tensions in an already volatile region. Fearing its consequences, Turkey has also requested a meeting of Nato ambassadors. This exposes Nato and its allies' support for the terrorists in Syria. No amount of rhetoric can camouflage this fact...
The bitter dispute between Italy and Turkey over Rome’s refusal to extradite Abdullah Öcalan, the founder and leader of the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), to Ankara to stand trial on charges of terrorism has dealt a serious blow to Turkey’s relations with the European Union (EU).
