Almost always (Libya, Syria, Kosovo, and Iraq), regime change by "foreign agents" results in disaster for not only those involved directly, but also for the world. The "internal coup" in Turkey was poorly planned and it too will have repercussions globally. But are all internal coups against democratic but repressive regimes immoral as Angela Merkel, Obama, and NATO claim? Not so fast.
In 1938, Hitler was the leader of Germany. There was grave concern with many in the German military over the course he was taking them. Hitler was planning to invade Czechoslovakia against the wishes of the military. This would have forced Britain and France to come to the aid of Czechoslovakia, a war which the officers knew Germany was not ready for yet. So the generals planned a coup, called Operation Green, that was to seize and arrest Hitler and his "SS police" immediately upon his orders to invade. But then came the Munich "diktat", where Britain and the allies without representatives from Czech signed over the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany. This appeasement rendered the coup irrelevant and it was cancelled. Shortly after, Czechoslovakia was split and Hitler controlled both without a fight. The rest is history. No one knows for sure how this coup would have turned out, but very few would have questioned the merits of "bypassing the democratic process" in this case.
I'll yield to others to debate the specific details of last weeks coup in Turkey but my focus is on the response of Recep Erdogan and the aftermath of his "people revolution" in Turkey. For too long NATO and the western allies, particularly Angela Merkel, have tolerated the increasing bizarre and brazen behavior of Erdogan and withered to his every demand. One cannot feed a tyrant candy and expect roses in return. Today we are witnessing the blowback to this weakness and naivety.
The scenes are chilling and ISIS-like in Turkey. President Erdogan is a paranoid, unstable tyrant that has morphed Turkey into a full-fledged Islamic fascist state. His "people's army" consists of Muslim Brotherhood "SS thugs" and other radical Jihadists who have taken over the streets terrorizing, beheading, and torturing not only participants in the coup but any perceived opponent of the regime. There will be no trials as thousands of judges have been purged, arrested. There is no rule of law; just Erdogan justice and repression.
But why is the West surprised? All the signs were there before the attempted coup as many of us warned. Who fed the beast the candy of appeasement as Erdogan turned a blind eye to ISIS and jihadists crossing his border into Syria and Europe, supplied weapons and support to terrorists, provided sanctuary for human smugglers, and arrested journalists and critics? NATO, Angela Merkel, John McCain, and Obama need to look in the mirror. Merkel, especially, coddled him and withered at his every demand, praising him as some model for humanity. This never works. Things will get ugly for many people in Turkey and the West, which foolishly stationed US nukes in Turkey.
What is done is done, but the time is now to tackle the problem. We need to reassess this 1952 NATO alliance with Turkey. Things do change over 64 years and the chains that hold us hostage to the reckless and barbaric actions of Recep Erdogan need to be cut. Don't give me some lame excuse about his "strategic importance" to the West in their fight against ISIS. We know full well of his ties to the terrorist groups in Syria and the deceitful double games he plays. Erdogan seeks glory and immortality not as an "EU member" or some "US ally", but as the leader and champion of the rising Islamic Century revolution.
The West has the tools, power, and ability to stop him, including economic sanctions and isolation that could bury his fragile economy. 60% of Turkey's exports are to the EU. The question? Does the West have the courage, will, and confidence to play "Eisenhower Hardball" with a two-bit despot?
Our credibility is on the line.
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