Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Features
  • Comment
  • Store
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Podcast Info
    • Hanania Podcast intro
    • Live Arab Radio
  • Your Views
  • Submit Press Release
  • Toggle search form
  • Imad Hamad Director American Human Rights Council
    AHRC Calls for Moral Consistency on Human Rights, Urges President Biden to Pause His Trip to Israel: American Arabs
  • The U.S.S. Liberty photo courtesy of the USS Liberty Veterans.
    Survivors of Israel’s strike on USS Liberty commemorate 55th year June 6 – 8 American Arabs
  • AHRC Logo new Feb 2021
    AHRC hosts an open meeting with TSA & community Activism
  • Former City Hall reporter Ray Hanania, ShawnTe Raines-Welch and Nick Kantas, candidates for Judge in the 4th SubCircuit, and Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar.
    Nearly 100 candidates, officials address Arab Democratic Club forum Sunday American Arabs
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    Arabs and Muslim blast Mayor lightfoot for racist store closings American Arabs
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Chicago aldermen to host “forum” to explore Mayor Lightfoot’s racist crackdown on Arab stores Activism
  • Imam Jamal Saad leads the more than 1,000 muslim attendees in payer at SeatGeek Stadium's open grounds at the Eid al-Fitr celebration May 2, 2022 in Bridgeview
    Local Illinois officials join Chicagoland Muslims for Eid Celebration at SeatGeek stadium American Arabs
  • DCEO Panel discussion on business support opportunities for all businesses including Arab American businesses, April 26, 2022
    DCEO Access to Capital: Arab American Heritage Month business workshop American Arabs
  • DCEO Celebrates Arab American Heritage Month (AAHM) American Arabs
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez addresses the gathering at an Iftar hosted by Radi Abuhashish Thursday April 21, 2022 joined by Dr. Willie Wilson and other candidates for Chicago Mayor.
    Political candidates join local Arab leaders for Iftar Activism
  • U.S. Congressional Candidate Rob Cruz in the 6th District GOP Primary election June 28, 2022
    Republican Candidate for U.S. Congress, Rob Cruz, Opens a Dialogue with the Palestinian Community American Arabs
  • Peak Rock Capital affiliate completes acquisition of Ziyad Brothers, a leading provider of brander Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods American Arabs
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Chicago aldermen to host forum on Arab businesses closed by Mayor Lightfoot American Arabs
  • April 24, 2022 Illinois DCEO American ArabChamber event
    American Arab Chamber and DCEO host online panel to help Arab Businesses secure funding Activism
  • Oussama Jammal presents Congresswoman Marie Newman with the Courage Award during the USCMO Annual Ramadan Iftar Dinner. Photo courtesy of Marie Newman Facebook Page
    Newman endorsed by major Arab and Muslim leaders Activism

It Has All Become Clear, President Erdoğan “Gets” It

Posted on July 2, 2016July 2, 2016 By Abdennour Toumi No Comments on It Has All Become Clear, President Erdoğan “Gets” It
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

It Has All Become Clear, President Erdoğan “Gets” It. This attack came as a brutal shock and underscores the increasing tension in the region to which Turkey is no longer immune.

By Abdennour Toumi

nourtoumi
Abdennour Toumi

The Istanbul attacks on Tuesday night at Ataturk Airport rank as the fifth deadliest terrorist attack in the last six months. This international airport is the third busiest in Europe and 11th in the world. For the large majority of Turks, who see themselves as pro-Western and their country as stable as any in the Mid-West!

Indeed, the current geo-political imperatives are shaping the country’s foreign and defense policies’ determinants and priorities. Analysts evoke Ankara’s involvement in Syria as a causality of its bad strategical judgment. Consequently, Ankara today is harvesting catastrophic policy failures abroad, which has explicitly made the stability that Turks have been enjoying a domestic security policy challenge.

President Erdoğan and his government led by his AKP party have invested heavily in the on-going civil war in Syria dedicating considerable resources to removal  of the al-Assad regime, even though recently the international community has opted for a political rather than a military solution. 

President Erdoğan and his Premier and the architect of the “zero-neighbors’ problems” strategy, Dr. Davutuğlu, have favored arming and hosting Syrian Islamists to fight against the al-Assad regime; these moderate Islamist groups and factions once became central to Turkey’s foreign policy objectives in the light of the Arab uprisings.

EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / People stand outside the entrance as they leave the airport after two explosions followed by gunfire hit the Turkey's biggest airport of Ataturk in Istanbul, on June 28, 2016.  At least 10 people were killed on June 28, 2016 evening in a suicide attack at the international terminal of Istanbul's Ataturk airport, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said. Turkey has been hit by a string of deadly attacks in the past year, blamed on both Kurdish rebels and the Islamic State jihadist group. / AFP / OZAN KOSE        (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)
EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / People stand outside the entrance as they leave the airport after two explosions followed by gunfire hit the Turkey’s biggest airport of Ataturk in Istanbul, on June 28, 2016. At least 10 people were killed on June 28, 2016 evening in a suicide attack at the international terminal of Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said. Turkey has been hit by a string of deadly attacks in the past year, blamed on both Kurdish rebels and the Islamic State jihadist group. / AFP / OZAN KOSE (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images. Courtesy Zemanta)

Yet, the secular politicians and media in Turkey have placed all the blame for the airport attacks on President Erdoğan, whose U-turn on ISO policy in July, 2015, a hawkish domestic security policy that came in the wake of the Suruç attack on the Kurdish youth movement, initiated a change in policy to fight ISO on the one hand and on the other to focus on the PKK and its small “sleeper” cells in the large cities, Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir…

Such a move has caused President Erdoğan’s ideological opponents to argue that “he is ignoring the direct threat of ISO; the supra-national jihadist organization has been enjoying the cruise mode of the AKP government, walking freely in the country.” ISO has been using the southern cities of Antep, Urfa, and Osmaniya as a logistical rear base for jihadists. Oddly, the city of Konya, the capital city of Sufism, has become the bastion of ISO and local salafism, and according to local eyewitness accounts, their number passes thousands.

This security faux pas from Ankara, turning a blind eye on ISO members, instead has been to focus fully on the PKK, a Marxist movement that aims for autonomy in the southeastern provinces, marketing their movement as a model for the entire Middle East. In fact, the PKK has been fighting the state for the past 40 years for a combination of political and human rights for the country’s beleaguered Kurds.

Now the Democratic Union Party (PYD) (PKK’s sister group) and major Western allies including the U.S. whose position on the PYD is hypocritically bizarre (Washington considers PKK a terrorist organization) are meanwhile giving air support to PYD in its fight in the northern Kurdish region of Syria.

This development has risen to international acclaim in the course of the Syrian civil war and the PYD has established cantons in the Kurdish region in northern Syria (ROJAVA).

In contrast, Turkey’s problems are related to the Syrian civil war to a significant extent. Ankara has also become increasingly disconnected from friends and allies in the international community, which has undermined coordination with the West on the question of intelligence and security. 

ANKARA, TURKEY - JUNE 27 :  President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at Ramadan fast-breaking dinner at presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey on June 27, 2016. (Photo by Turkish Presidency / Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
ANKARA, TURKEY – JUNE 27 : President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at Ramadan fast-breaking dinner at presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey on June 27, 2016. (Photo by Turkish Presidency / Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images. Courtesy Zemanta)

A question that many analysts are raising regarding the Ataturk Airport attacks, how much coordination and information exchange on ISO threats has been shared between Western intelligence and Ankara on one hand and with Moscow and Tehran on the other?

But Ankara has bounced back quickly, feeling it is paying a price for its bold attitude on the Syrian dossier and the Arab uprisings in general, feeling betrayed by its “friends” in the region and “allies” in the West. Thus Ankara knows well it needs those friends and allies. In recent weeks it has sought détente with Tel-Aviv and Moscow following the severing of ties in 2010 after the Gaza flotilla raid and with Russia after Turkey downed one of its jets last November.

This reversal is rather a reframing in Ankara’s foreign policy toward Russia, Israel, and undoubtedly Egypt will follow. Indeed Russia’s bad terms with Ankara began to hurt the economies of both countries. According to Professor Bayram Balçi of Sciences Po, Paris, …”I think the reconciliation is a must.” From his perspective one realizes Ankara has been marginalized more than ever in the Syrian crisis. 

As with Israel, Turkey has no more allies, though at least with Israel the reconciliation is going to allow economic profits thanks to the gas and commerce exchange. As a result, it pushes Ankara to look for a more pragmatic and balanced foreign policy.

Turkey’s problems stem to some extent from the Syrian civil war; in other words, Ankara requires genuine cooperation from its allies, notably Washington, to work together for the political solution in Syria, and from the E.U on the refugees’ issue, a card that Ankara still holds as cause for more instability for the European community.

On the domestic level, it also has to return to the negotiation table with the PKK to avoid an apocalyptic scenario — an alliance of ISO-PKK factions.  Such a nightmare scenario would push for an ethnic and sectarian polarization that would really let the Turks see themselves just like any other country in the Middle East.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Abdennour Toumi
Follow me:
Abdennour Toumi
Abdennour Toumi:
- France correspondent for The Arab Daily News.
- www.bareed-areej.com Editor-in-Chief
رئيس تحرير مجلة بريد الأريج
- Political consultant at IMPR a Think-Tank based in Ankara, Turkey.
- Member at the European Observatory for Arabic Language Teaching based in Paris, France.
- Affiliated with Sociology of Islam Journal and contributor at Middle East Studies / International Studies, Sociology of Islam and Muslim Societies Center, Portland State University in Portland, OR.

EDUCATION: Diplôme des Études Approfondies (DEA) in Political Science from Toulouse University I, France. Master’s degree in Law from Algiers University, Algeria.

Email im at: nourhty@gmail.com
Abdennour Toumi
Follow me:
Latest posts by Abdennour Toumi (see all)
  • The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Is the Neither-Peace-nor-Security As-sumption Dominating Again? - June 7, 2021
  • Algeria: “I Can See Clearly Now” - August 5, 2019
  • Majesty Mohammed VI and General Gaïd Salah Tear Down This Wall! - July 29, 2019

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
Abdennour Toumi, Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Europe, Terrorism Tags:Erdogan, terrorism, Turkey

Post navigation

Previous Post: We The People of USA Palestine Israel
Next Post: Mordechai Vanunu’s July 4 Indictment

Related Posts

  • USS Liberty Ship's Patch
    USNavy Historian Uses IDF History Dept. Report As Basis For USNavy History of USS Liberty Attack Bloggers
  • Dubai Fireworks display. Courtesy Emaar Properties
    Dubai New Years fireworks display dazzles Arab World
  • Trump’s Wall and Israel’s Wall in Palestine American Arabs
  • Hezbollah billboards in Lebanon celebrate Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah and the righteous war against Israeli extremism and fanaticism. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    No easy solution for Lebanon Arab World
  • Khorasan exists, Al Qaida leaders say Ali Younes
  • White House Six Day War Logs, Sex, Lies, and the USS Liberty Arab World

More Related Articles

The Seal of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. For more information, see here. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Two Palestinians charged in 2010 killing of American in Israel Israel
Allison Folmar, AHRC American Human Rights Council Empowers Women American Arabs
Daesh: Social Media War on ISIS and BS American Arabs
Palestinian, Israeli, and International Activists March for Justice for Harun Abu Aram Arab World
American Hypocrisy at its worst at the UN Security Council. Evan Schneider. Photo courtesy of the United Nations Significant shifts in Israel-Palestine realities make peace harder to reach Arab World
Murder in Chicago and Israel, two immoral standards Arab World

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Palestinian refugees forced to flee their homes at gunpoint by Jewish terrorist groups operating in Palestine in the 1930s, 1940s and after Israel was created on May 14, 1948. Photo courtesy of the United Nations
    Unresolved status of Palestinian rights makes UNRWA essential
    May 7, 2022
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • Hollywood Sign
    Will Smith violence takes Oscar protests to dangerous level
    March 31, 2022
  • Chicago's racist Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered more than 150 Arab owned stores closed in 2021 in a racist effort o fight street gang crimes
    Arab Daily News launches Arab American Network to fight racism
    March 12, 2022
  • NEWS
  • Imad Hamad Director American Human Rights Council
    AHRC Calls for Moral Consistency on Human Rights, Urges President Biden to Pause His Trip to Israel:
    May 24, 2022
  • The U.S.S. Liberty photo courtesy of the USS Liberty Veterans.
    Survivors of Israel’s strike on USS Liberty commemorate 55th year June 6 – 8
    May 23, 2022
  • AHRC Logo new Feb 2021
    AHRC hosts an open meeting with TSA & community
    May 19, 2022
  • Former City Hall reporter Ray Hanania, ShawnTe Raines-Welch and Nick Kantas, candidates for Judge in the 4th SubCircuit, and Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar.
    Nearly 100 candidates, officials address Arab Democratic Club forum Sunday
    May 15, 2022
  • NEWSWIRE
  • Imad Hamad Director American Human Rights Council
    AHRC Calls for Moral Consistency on Human Rights, Urges President Biden to Pause His Trip to Israel:
    May 24, 2022
  • The U.S.S. Liberty photo courtesy of the USS Liberty Veterans.
    Survivors of Israel’s strike on USS Liberty commemorate 55th year June 6 – 8
    May 23, 2022
  • AHRC Logo new Feb 2021
    AHRC hosts an open meeting with TSA & community
    May 19, 2022
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Chicago aldermen to host forum on Arab businesses closed by Mayor Lightfoot
    April 15, 2022

The Tabboun Column

The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
  • Tabboun
  • The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
    The Political Grapevine/The Tabboun, Friday Dec. 16, 2021
    December 16, 2021
  • The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
    Tabboun: Chicago remains strongest Palestine voice
    September 7, 2016
  • The Tabboun: Israeli human rights violations hit
    June 30, 2016
  • The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
    Tabboun: Himes questions troop deployment to Syria
    November 3, 2015
  • The Political Grapevine Political Tabboun. Original photo by tim-mossholder-KX1BBNY69Ao-unsplash
    The Tabboun: Dearborn removes statue of racist former mayor
    September 29, 2015

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • ZiyadBrandLogo-2016BlackRedBackgrnd.jpg
  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Sices-Ad.jpg
  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Ad-Pantry-essentials.jpg
  • HANANIA Arab News Op-Eds
  • Ukraine conflict gives Palestinians chance to redefine their conflict
    March 9, 2022
  • Mishmeshan PHC medical center destroyed in Syrian Government assaults. Photo courtesy of UOSSM Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations
    President Biden’s dyslexic policy in Syria is a mess
    October 20, 2021
  • Annissa Essaibi George and family
    Annissa Essaibi George faces “race hypocrisy” in campaign to be Boston Mayor
    October 20, 2021
  • Jerusalem image of Jews and Arabs walking together. Shutterstock. Courtesy of Arab News Newspaper
    Jewish Michigan lawmaker leads push for Two State Solution
    October 7, 2021
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib, book cover. Photo courtesy of Cune Press
    Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib
    November 1, 2021
  • Girl Fighters, new book on Yemen Book Cune Press
    New Book: Girl Fighters: Break Tradition in Yemen 
    October 25, 2021
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • American Arab CHamber President HassanNijem accepts the Proclamation from Chicago Ald. Roderick Sawyer at the Chamber dinner March 30, 2022
    Chicagoland celebrates Arab American Heritage Month
    March 31, 2022
  • Hollywood Sign
    Will Smith violence takes Oscar protests to dangerous level
    March 31, 2022
  • 03-30-22 Arab Chamber Heritage Month Flyer
    Arab Chamber to host Arab Heritage Month dinner March 30
    March 14, 2022
  • “Rupture”, the psychological thriller produced by MBC STUDIOS, has won Best Saudi Film at the 2021 Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF).
    MBC GROUP’s Rupture wins Best Saudi Film at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival
    December 15, 2021
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at Gab.com, MeWe.com and IDobbinate.com, the alternatives to Facebook and Twitter Censorship.

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2022 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme