The Isolation of Turkey

Last week I wrote that Turkey has more to lose than Israel does in this game Erdogan is playing. Offline someone wrote to me that Turkey is a country with 70 million people, an important supplier and middleman for certain resources, and only half voted for Erdogan and hate Israel, so why antagonize the other half who normally couldn't care less.

My feeling on that is that by not responding, the "other half" won't realize they have what to lose, because that other half won't do anything if this doesn't affect them, and with Turkey on the fast track down the third world road, we certainly have little to lose by responding and pointing all this out to them.

In fact, not responding to these attacks is just another form of appeasement, and in the Middle East, that sends a message of weakness.

As it happens, my analysis on who has more to lose is proving accurate.

The astounding Omri Ceren wrote a Commentary post called "Note to Erdogan: Nobody likes the Turks".

In it he mentions a little bit of unpleasant Turkish history, some of it recent.

But more importantly discussed the growing political isolation of... Turkey, not Israel.

Bulgaria and Greece just signed military agreements with Israel. The EU have expressed their displeasure with Turkey, EU countries helped Israel against Turkey's Flotilla II, and most significant of all, the Russians have sent their navy (including a nuclear sub) to Cyprus's waters to explicitly defend their offshore gas drilling investments being done by by (US) Noble Energy against Turkish threats.

And while Erdogan is cozying up to Syria and Iran, he's even now managed to tick off the Egyptians, of all people.

My point being, dear 50% of the Turkish people who are not among those who voted for Erdogan and who hopefully inherently don't hate Israel (and the rest of you Turks too). Please note that your Prime Minister is politically isolating your country from civilization, and even his attempts to cozy up to third world dictators and other evil people isn't going as smooth as he would like.

Some people like to say, "It's not the Jews I don't like, it's their government".

Let's get real. It's the Jews they don't like, and that provides them with a politically correct way of saying it.

Democratically elected governments don't exist in a vacuum.

Erdogan's government didn't win 3 elections in a row (in landslide elections of around 50%) because the Turks aren't behind him and his positions.

The Turks need to know and understand what they are losing because of their choice of Erdogan's leadership.

To paraphrase President Obama, if you friends aren't going to let in a little light into the relationship and tell you the truth, then who will?



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It's a two-way street you Turkey

Turkey has now officially cut all trade ties with Israel. Earlier this week they terrorized some Israeli/Jewish businessmen at their airport. They are kicking out most of Israel's diplomats tomorrow. And they've been hinting at using naval force against the IDF at sea.

To begin with, Turkey has a lot more to lose than Israel does, so if they want to shoot themselves in the face, that's their business. It's been clear that they've wanted to rejoin the Arab third world, and have been pushing to leave modern society for a while and become an Iranian sock-puppet.

Of course, there are consequences that perhaps they aren't considering. First of all, not only will they likely be kicked out of NATO (which they should be anyway) if they try any naval shenanigans against Israel, but NATO might even be obligated to come to Israel's defense if Turkey tries anything.

Secondly, this is a two way street. Turkey wants to support Hamas. Israel can start showing their support for Turkey Occupied Cyprus, for Turkey Occupied Western Armenia, and even for the oppressed Kurds.

In fact, Israel might go to the Hague to demand that Turkey get out of Cyprus and the other lands they are illegally occupying. Not to mention free all their Kurdish Prisoners of Conscience.

We might want to start exposing their war crimes against the Kurds (which we should do anyway). We will want to better publicize the Armenian Genocide that Turkey perpetrated.

You know what? Reading the above, you realize that Turkey is not such a nice country after all. Who wants 'em.


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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Cold Turkey!

Greetings JBlogosphere!

Due to an upcoming family simcha, I am hereby taking a blogging break for a week and a bit. I have way too many personal responsibilities to attend to, such as numerous Divrei Torah and speeches to write, comic material to produce, thought-provoking ideas to ponder and deliver, as well as plan a tiyul around the Shomron for our guests, and a million other things.

Don't dismay, I have contacted an eclectic group of Bloggers from around the Universe to keep you educated and entertained in my absence on this blog.

Currently, I have about 500 readers a day. The big question is, will I still have a readership when I return? Will the guest bloggers write amazing posts as they did a year and a half ago? Will we read about Mars and Venus in the Jewish home? Will they write aliya inspirational stories or Torah posts with wit and humor?

G-d only knows.

Good luck to them...and to us all!

Regards,

Jameel & Co.

PS: I will still be reading and might pop in from time to time...depends on my progress on my list of things to do. I never was that great at cold turkey, except in the YU dorm at 2:30 AM. Even better than a microwaved bagel-dog.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael, even if it gets taken over by a bunch of Waffle-crazed bloggers from around the planet