Latest news with #Erdoğan
Memri
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Memri
Rising Again To The Historical Moment
Although he deservedly prides himself on being a dealmaker, President Trump is an ideological leader defending Western civilization and its values. Realizing that he was facing an historical moment, he understood that he needed to make an ideological decision against Iran, and bombed the Iranian nuclear project – despite the opinion of Europeans who are collaborating with evil, and despite some opposition from his isolationist supporters. Thus, he set the ideological principle that a country ruled by jihadi ayatollahs cannot have nuclear weapons. This was a leadership decision. Like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in World War II who decided to fight the ideological ambitions of Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy, President Trump decided to fight the jihadi ayatollahs in Iran who openly strive to become a world power confronting the West. Now, President Trump needs to rise again to the historical moment, and make an ideological decision against Islamist powers – despite the Westerners who are collaborating with Islamism and despite the supporters of isolationism at home. It was relatively easy to rise up against Iran, which has incessantly proclaimed its hatred of America (even planning to assassinate him) and which built itself up with nuclear capabilities, missiles that reach America, and proxies that will attack American bases. It is far more difficult to do this when your Islamist enemies – Erdoğan, Qatar, and now Al-Sharaa, aka Al-Jolani – pretend to be your allies. There is no propaganda trick that they would not play to pretend to be America's friends. By now, Qatar's trick is well known: Create a problem, like supporting the Taliban for years up to their takeover of Afghanistan with American casualties, then help move American troops to safety, in what Trump called the "the greatest foreign policy humiliation" in U.S. history. Qatar does this everywhere on the planet. It supports Hamas, which committed the atrocities of October 7, and then presents itself as a mediator. Qatar supports every Islamist terrorist organization against its Westernized opponents. Erdoğan is an Islamist who seeks to revive the Ottoman Empire – note his occasional clashes with Greece and Cyprus, his enabling of foreign fighters to cross Turkish territory to reach the Islamic State, his hosting of the Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Turkey, his dispatch of troops to Libya to support the Islamist ruler in Tripoli, and more. Erdoğan acted like an ally of Trump by helping him eliminate the ISIS commander Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, and thereby won Trump's trust. However, Erdoğan did it for his own sake, because Al-Baghdadi had claimed the role of leader of the believers (amir al-mu'minim ) – which Erdoğan saw as unnecessary rivalry. He was not doing Trump any favors. In the same way, Qatar's hosting of the CENTCOM base is no favor to Trump – on the contrary, it guarantees the very survival of the Qatari ruling family. Without the CENTCOM base, they would be wiped out by their neighbors in no time. As soon as they took over Syria, Al-Jolani's extremist jihadis in the guise of a legitimate army showed their fundamental ideology, putting into motion a process of massacring the country's minorities. First, the Alawites, then the Christians, and now the Druze. Next, it will be the Kurds – and, finally, the Jews in Israel. This is deeply entrenched in the Islamist DNA of jihadi terrorists like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and, most recently, Pakistani jihadis in Kashmir. To the Islamists' bad luck, it blew up in their faces. The news of the horrible massacre of the Druze in Syria went viral all over the West, showing President Trump that he had perhaps been duped by Erdoğan, Qatar, and Al-Jolani. The massacre in Syria was no tribal accident, as the Islamists will probably tell Trump. Al-Jolani praised the jihadi perpetrators in his speech. They had carried out a deliberate Islamist attack on minorities. Earlier, in March, Al-Jolani had already penned a "constitutional" declaration setting out the ideological-religious grounds for such massacres. The isolationists in Trump's camp hastened to criticize Israel for its stopping of the massacre, calling Netanyahu a madman. How can Netanyahu be criticized for stopping a massacre? It is only isolationists who would criticize such a thing. But Trump is not fooled; he understands that something here stinks – that he has been duped by Erdoğan, Qatar, and Al-Jolani who posed as his allies and as guardians of human rights. President Trump will probably give Al-Jolani another chance. But the next massacre is already on its way. The Christians in Syria are seeking Trump's support, after they were bombed in their church in Damascus. They have already paid with their blood – and they know more is coming. Sometimes historical events are symbolized by individual cases. The real Al-Jolani, Erdoğan, and Qatar are represented by the execution of Hosam Saraya, a Syria-born Druze from Oklahoma, by Syrian government forces. American Druze Hosam Saraya executed by Syria government forces. President Trump now realizes that he must make a tough historical decision against Islamists who, unlike Iran, masquerade as allies of America. He already knows the bitter price he has to pay with his own supporters for rising up yet again to make an ideological historical decision for Western civilization. * Yigal Carmon is President and Founder of MEMRI.
Al Bawaba
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Russia and Ukraine conclude third round of peace talks in Istanbul
ALBAWABA- The third round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded in Istanbul on Wednesday, with cautious optimism emerging from both sides and renewed calls for a ceasefire. Hosted by Türkiye, the negotiations focused on prisoner exchanges, humanitarian concerns, and the prospects of ending the ongoing war. LIVE: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan delivers opening speech at the third round of renewed direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul⁰ — TRT World (@trtworld) July 23, 2025 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed hope for a positive outcome and reiterated Türkiye's commitment to facilitating peace. 'We must end this bloody war as soon as possible,' he said, emphasizing that Türkiye has exerted intense diplomatic efforts under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's leadership since the outbreak of the conflict. Fidan noted that the ultimate goal remains a sustainable ceasefire and the beginning of result-oriented dialogue between the two countries. Ukrainian delegation head Rustem Umerov stated that Kyiv is prepared for an immediate ceasefire and urged Russia to demonstrate a constructive approach. Also Read Turkey unveils hypersonic ballistic missile TAYFUN Block-4 He announced that the Russian delegation had agreed to Ukraine's demand to release all detainees held for more than three years and proposed a leadership-level summit by the end of August. Umerov also noted expectations for 'further progress' on prisoner of war (POW) exchanges. Meanwhile, the head of the Russian delegation confirmed that both sides had finalized an agreement on the exchange of the bodies of deceased soldiers, signaling a small but significant step in confidence-building. The talks in Istanbul mark a continuation of Türkiye's efforts to mediate between the two warring parties and revive diplomacy in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and destabilized the broader region.
Cedar News
a day ago
- Climate
- Cedar News
Eskişehir Wildfire Claims Lives of 11 Forest Workers
In a devastating development, the Eskişehir wildfire has claimed the lives of 11 brave forest workers battling intense flames in central Turkey. The tragedy unfolded as crews were working around the clock to contain the fast-spreading fire. Authorities confirmed that the Eskişehir wildfire intensified due to strong winds and dry conditions, making firefighting efforts extremely dangerous. Rescue teams are still on the ground assessing the situation and searching for any missing personnel. The Turkish government has launched an investigation into the incident, and President Erdoğan offered condolences to the families of the fallen. This latest loss highlights the growing threat of wildfires across the region, particularly during the peak of the summer season. Experts have urged for stricter fire prevention measures and better protection protocols for workers operating in hazardous zones like those affected by the Eskişehir wildfire.
Euractiv
a day ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
The Brief – Eurofighters leave Europe's soft power in tatters
'Among ourselves, we keep the law, but when we are operating in the jungle, we must also use the laws of the jungle.' Such was Robert Cooper's advice for the West – the close adviser to Tony Blair was quoted in Robert Kagan's 2003 book Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order. But it's advice that Europeans have failed to heed. Instead, they left the Americans to deal with the jungle, while they continued on their European way – adhering to international law and promoting soft power. Donald Trump's return marked a resurgence of power politics, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is now exploiting this shift, exposing Europe's weakness. Since Turkey began EU accession negotiations in 2005, the masterminds of the Brussels bubble have been trying to convince us that taxpayers' money – just shy of €20 billion in the past two decades – could change the country. They hoped that by dangling the empty promise of EU membership, Turks would comply with international law and democratise internally. Instead, the sultan made himself indispensable by doubling down on power politics. Turkey has ploughed money into defence, putting an estimated $40–50 billion into the sector over the past two decades. He has imprisoned opponents, while the rule of law in Ankara has become little more than a midsummer night's dream. He blatantly disregards international norms, threatens Greece with war, and occupies Cypriot territory. He has entirely ignored EU calls to sanction Russia, while Brussels meekly swallowed Erdoğan's declaration that Hamas is a liberation group. Erdoğan has also enlisted his new Libyan ally, Khalifa Haftar, to apply migration pressure on the EU, advancing Turkish energy interests in the region by redrawing maritime boundaries – openly challenging EU sovereignty. The result? Europeans have accepted Turkey as part of their new defence architecture, and now Germany has approved the delivery of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Ankara. Naturally, Europe refuses to acknowledge its failure and continues to gaslight. Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner claims that Russia is weaponising migrants arriving in Europe from Libya, completely ignoring Turkey's role in the region. Brunner is either blinded by Brussels' Russiamania or is desperately searching for a convenient scapegoat to divert attention from Europe's failure with Turkey. When the Ottoman Empire blocked Europe from Asian markets, Europeans turned to new frontiers with Columbus. Today, they have nowhere to turn – except to bow to the Sultan. Roundup The EU's second-highest court ruled Wednesday that the Commission broke its own staff appointment rules when von der Leyen delegated cabinet interviews to her right-hand man, Björn Seibert. The decision comes amid scrutiny over von der Leyen's management style. Blue jeans and speed machines – Brussels announced Wednesday it will combine two retaliatory packages on US exports, a €21 billion docket on soybeans, motorbikes and jeans and a €72 billion list on aircraft, cars and electrical equipment. The lists would enter effect on 7 August, and seek to strengthen the bloc's position before Trump's 30% tariff threat on EU exports takes effect on the first of next month. Cutting (green) red tape – The EU called for 'feedback on the simplification of future environmental legislation' on Tuesday, in an effort to ease the administrative burden on EU companies. The Commission suggests scrapping the substances of concern in products database. Across Europe Several sources told Reuters Wednesday that the Trump administration preferred to pay for the destruction of over €10 million in still-usable contraceptives rather than sell to NGOs. The contraceptives, currently in Belgium, will be shipped to France and incinerated at an expected cost of $160,000. Premium pills – A survey from the Radboud University Medical Centre found that Dutch citizens are willing to accept higher public spending on a medicine if it provides significant health benefits – though they also noted that companies should reinvest at least 50% of their profits in research and keep prices socially acceptable. The Tusk Shuffle – Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced a cabinet reshuffle Tuesday following a presidential election defeat for his party, removing key ministers and consolidating key portfolios. But many Poles believe the move will do little to improve the government's image.
Khaberni
3 days ago
- Politics
- Khaberni
Erdoğan: I Will Not Leave Al-Shara Alone
Khaberni -Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged not to "leave Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara alone," refusing the partition of Syria, and describing its recovery as beneficial to Turkey. "Al-Shara took a positive step by understanding with the Druze" Erdoğan praised "Al-Shara for his firm stance and his intolerance in the confrontation between Syria and Israel," noting that he took a "very positive" step by reaching an understanding with the Druze. Erdoğan said, "President Al-Shara has taken a firm stance on recent events in his country and has made no concessions." In statements to Turkish media, he said that the Syrian government "somewhat extended its control to Sweida and the south of the country with about 2500 soldiers, as all but one Druze faction agreed to respect the ceasefire during talks in the Jordanian capital Amman" according to him. "Israel tries to hinder stability in Syria" The Turkish president indicated that "Israel continues its provocations, does not want stability in the region, and believes that a united Syria would not be in its interest." He affirmed that "it is necessary to explain well to the world that Israel is working to hinder the stability project in Syria." He explained that the United States has now realized that it needs to "control" the issue more substantially, warning that the main issue is the use of "Israel" for the clashes as a pretext for invading Syrian territory. The "Israeli army" attacked the headquarters of the General Staff in the Syrian capital Damascus in several raids last Wednesday, targeting military vehicles belonging to the Syrian government forces in the city of Sweida and its surroundings. Hours after this bombing, Israeli occupation aircraft renewed their aggression on Syria, targeting locations in the cities of rural Damascus, Daraa, and Sweida.
