Afrasianet - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Western countries of responsibility for the genocide committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip, stressing that Ankara is preparing to declare Israel a war criminal in front of the world. Israel immediately announced the recall of its diplomatic representatives in Turkey.
In a speech to a mass demonstration in support of Gaza in Istanbul, he said those who were spilling crocodile tears on Ukraine were now silent about what was happening in Gaza.
"We are not only condemning the massacre in Gaza, but also defending our independence and our future," Erdogan said.
The Turkish president stressed that Israel has no interest about the killing of civilians in Gaza, and they say very openly and clearly, "We know killing very well," but they will pay a heavy price.
He stressed that Israel is an occupying power, and what it is doing is not in self-defense, but a clear and despicable massacre aimed at eliminating the people of Gaza en masse, through starvation, thirst and the destruction of their health services.
Erdogan reiterated that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is not a terrorist organization.
"Israel was disturbed by my statement that Hamas is not a terrorist movement, and I was deeply offended by this. I speak clearly because Turkey does not owe you anything, unlike Western countries."
Perhaps this is the first time in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, that Turkey finds itself in the heart of the conflict, but very close to the repercussions of the current round, which began from Gaza with the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation, and is likely to expand at the expense of other countries, foremost of which is Lebanon.
Many criticized President Recep Erdogan's response to the crisis by analogy with previous positions, the latest of which, for example, happened in 2018, when the Israeli ambassador was expelled from Ankara and the consul general from Istanbul.
This criticism reflects in one sense, compared to the past, but it overlooks – perhaps because of the massacres that Gaza is witnessing throughout the day – the different nature of this round, and that it is difficult to end like previous rounds, as the expected geostrategic results of this round are enormous, and will determine the shape of the new world order that has been forming for some time.
Therefore, it was clear from the beginning that Ankara's handling of the crisis would be calmer and more effective, simply because it is at the heart of the crisis.
In an important interview with TRT on October 20, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed that what Israel is doing in the Gaza Strip is "a crime against humanity without making excuses." The next day, during his speech at the Cairo Peace Conference, he reiterated Turkey's condemnation of the massacres of the Palestinian people in Gaza, calling on Israel to stop doing so immediately.
In contrast to the brazen attack launched by the European delegations participating in the conference against Hamas and the general resistance, Fidan focused in his speech on exposing Israeli practices, warning of the expansion of the war to include the entire region, which would have catastrophic repercussions on the overall international peace and security.
Here it should be recalled that the Turkish strategy sees this round of conflict as a favorable opportunity to establish a lasting peace, because the alternative is repeated war, or as Fidan asserts:
"If the path of lasting peace is not chosen, a permanent war awaits us in the region," as Turkey asserts – and Fidan still speaks – that Israel is holding some 2.5 million people in open prisons in Gaza, and that this situation will not be allowed by Ankara.
There is a prevailing impression in Turkey at several partisan, research and popular levels, that Turkey is one of the potential targets of the US military build-up in the eastern Mediterranean and the whole region, especially after Washington sent two aircraft carriers, supported by multiple naval vessels, and Britain sent one of the aircraft carriers, while Greece supported the naval demonstration with a warship.
This military influx into the region prompted Turkey to conduct a five-day naval exercise in the same area that began on October 16.
The threat of a separatist statelet in favor of the PKK, which is strongly supported by the United States, remains, and Washington may take advantage of the chaos anticipated following the expansion of the war in Gaza to pass the bill.
Ankara is also aware that the US military build-up and its expected explicit intervention in the conflict if it intensifies, will not depend on Gaza, but will work to reset the situation in the region according to the American preparations to achieve its interests, and then Turkey will not be far from these plans.
Therefore, it was noticeable this time, that while Erdogan remained calm, the escalation was for his close ally, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahceli, who demanded in a surprise post on the "X" website on October 21 to "speed up intervention and do everything necessary in terms of its historical, humanitarian and religious responsibilities," stressing that the legacy of the Turkish state is "to carry out the task of protecting and protecting Gaza."
These statements were understood to indicate that the man was referring to military intervention, and some said that he would not have said so before coordinating with Erdogan himself.
Bahceli's statements caused wide controversy in popular and party circles, as the heads of the Future, Happiness, and New Welfare parties rushed to support his call, and Ahmet Davutoglu discussed with him over the phone - in a rare conversation - how to activate his statements and turn them into an approved strategy for the Turkish state.
Years ago, the dispute between Turkey and Egypt in Libya almost turned into a military confrontation, but international and regional developments pushed them to normalize relations again, and open a new page of relations leading to the current crisis.
The two countries have a similar vision regarding the crisis, although the mechanisms of dealing and areas of movement differ, but an expected Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip will impose on the two countries joint political and possibly military coordination to confront the effects and repercussions of the expected explosion.
This coordination, which Ankara is working on with Cairo now, will naturally include other parties, the most important of which is Qatar and perhaps Saudi Arabia. The unity and continued cohesion of the countries of the region is at stake, and the beginning will be from Gaza, but it will not be the end.
US President Joe Biden says that "humanity" needs a new world order and that his country will take over that foundation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for pressure on the United States to stop the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, stressing at the same time that there will be no agreement unless Washington accepts that the territory is Palestinian territory.
Erdogan returned from Saturday's summit of Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) hosted by Riyadh, during which leaders condemned Israel's "aggression" without agreeing on concrete measures against it.
Erdogan told Turkish reporters on his flight back from Riyadh: "We have to hold talks with Egypt and the Gulf states and put pressure on the United States."
"The United States should intensify its pressure on Israel. The West should intensify the pressure on Israel. It is essential for us to ensure a ceasefire."
The Turkish president, who did not meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to Ankara on the fifth of November, did not rule out a meeting with US President Joe Biden.
Erdogan stressed that the United States must accept that Gaza is Palestinian territory.
"We cannot agree with Biden if he deals (with the conflict) as Gaza as the land of the occupying settlers or of Israel, rather than the land of the Palestinian people," he said.
Turkey has strongly criticized Israel's destructive bombing campaign and ground operation on the Gaza Strip.
Turkey is practically a candidate for EU membership, although that seems unlikely. Erdogan's description of Hamas as a "liberation" movement has strained relations with the bloc's countries, which it classifies as a "terrorist" organization.
His stance is in stark contrast to that of Berlin, the EU's most populous country.
In its latest annual report on the progress of candidate countries released this week, the EU noted that "Turkey's rhetoric in support of the Hamas terrorist group after its attacks against Israel. It is completely incompatible with the EU's approach."
Erdogan said: "The EU thinks just like Israel about Hamas. But we don't think like them."
"I see Hamas as a political party that won elections in Palestine. I don't see it the way they see it."
Since the first hours of the battle of the "Al-Aqsa Flood" launched by the Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas against the occupation forces in Gaza, most Western countries, led by the United States, have stood united behind Israel. These States have reiterated a unified position on war, in the form of unlimited, unconditional and therefore unprecedented support for the occupying Power's forces for what they called "self-defense".
Days after the outbreak of the war, US President Joe Biden was hugging Netanyahu, with whom he did not agree, and went beyond the idea of support to ask the latter to "respond firmly to the terrorist attack," as he put it. Biden repeated in Tel Aviv and then in Washington all the pillars of Israeli propaganda that were later proven to be false, such as beheading children, raping women, cremation, etc., he repeated them more than once despite the subsequent denials of the White House, as he repeated them after him. His Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, told Congress without batting an eyelid.
US-Western support did not stop at political and media limits, as the United States allocated huge sums of direct financial support to Israel and brought its aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean basin. First, just three days after the battle began, it sent the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford and then a few days later to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Similarly, several Western countries did, led by Britain, which sent two naval units to the region, while the weapons of other countries were concentrated in the air force with the aim of Evacuation of its nationals as announced.
The United States also provided Israel with huge quantities of various military equipment, especially air defenses such as interceptor missiles and ammunition, especially artillery shells, which it said was an affirmation of its "firm commitment to Israel's security and its determination to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate the war." US military equipment has been transported to several Israeli airports such as Ben-Gurion, Ramon and Nebatim base, as well as to other countries. Washington also sent two ships to the Red Sea to intercept Houthi missiles and drones launched from Yemen, he said.
While Washington announced that it does not seek to deploy its forces on the ground, but rather "will protect American interests in the region", which is doubtful in light of many reports that talked about the presence of the US Delta Force on the ground to help search for American prisoners, and in any case, the US military presence is almost unprecedented in the region.
Therefore, the idea of symbolic support and sending messages of solidarity with Israel is not enough to explain all these crowds that seem to continue and increase. Another clear and even declared dimension is an attempt to intimidate and deter Iran and its associated groups, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon, from entering the war on the side of Hamas, as the United States seeks to allow the occupation forces to single out Gaza and the Palestinian resistance and prevent any practical and military support or solidarity from being provided to them.
There is a third dimension, we believe, related to the effects of today, the achievements of the Palestinian resistance in it, and its long-term consequences, foremost of which is the loss of confidence in the military and security establishment during the occupation and the major differences between the government and Netanyahu on the one hand and the military and security establishment on the other. Therefore, the U.S. presence is an attempt to ensure that these repercussions are contained and not left to ravage Israel's future, as Washington apparently feels strategic risks to its "largest aircraft carrier in the Middle East." to Israel usually.
This is all with regard to the current battle and some of the parties most involved in it or likely to be militarily involved. But are these only U.S. messages of direct military presence and unlimited support and its potential repercussions?
It is not expected that the US military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean will be short-lived, and from this point of view it carries messages with clear connotations and possible repercussions on several issues, countries and parties. Here, it is short-sighted to say that Iran is the only one who is meant by these messages, even though it is the first and most important intended one. Russian and Chinese statements and reactions show how to read this military move in both Moscow and Beijing.
On the other hand, the US military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean has direct and profound effects on several issues in addition to the war in Gaza and the possibilities of its expansion in the region, starting with the Syrian file, passing through the Libyan file, and not ending with the conflict over the demarcation of maritime borders, geopolitical competition and energy sources, which also puts Turkey in a position of damage and/or targeting.
This amount of U.S. military build-up complicates Ankara's calculations for counterterrorism in Syria, the role it plays in Libya, and—more importantly—seeking to break the balance in the Eastern Mediterranean between Ankara and Athens. The US aircraft carrier did not find a place in the entire Mediterranean except next to the Turkish ship Abdul Hamid for gas exploration and on the Seville map line to demarcate the maritime borders and the European-backed areas of jurisdiction, as if Washington was telling Ankara that it adopts this line and supports the Greek narrative. Read retired Admiral Jihad Yayji.
Moreover, Greece has enjoyed a large share of the US forces' position in the region, which Washington considers them a "safe distance" from the battle in Gaza, and Athens has opened its military bases and airports to US forces for "humanitarian reasons" such as evacuating nationals. If we add this to some reports that talked about the intention of the United States to provide some weapons to Greece as a donation or donation, we will be facing a different and important reading of the messages of the American presence in the region from the Turkish angle, especially since Ankara looks with concern in the last few years to increase the US military position in Greece to the extent that former Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Greece "has turned into an American military base."
It is important to note that this implicit US position on Turkey does not stem exclusively from Turkish-American differences or Turkish-Greek rivalry, but is directly related to the war on Gaza. Therefore, it was remarkable that the US president avoided communicating by phone with President Erdogan about the war as he did with other presidents, apparently because of the Turkish position rejecting the war and calling for a ceasefire, which Washington does not want. Foreign Minister Belkin also avoided visiting Ankara on his tour The first is for the region, and therefore, the war on Gaza cannot be seen as a local confrontation, as the almost complete Western alignment behind Israel suggests an international position stemming from a condescending view of the region, which sheds light on Erdogan's warning to the West against turning it into a religious war or a civilized dimension between East and West.
The results of the current battle in Gaza will have a direct impact and will have indirect repercussions in the long term on the various parties, placing everyone at the center of evaluation from the point of view of balance between responsibilities and performance and making destinies dependent on each other, not only in the human and moral dimension, but also according to the military, political and strategic dimensions.
In a major show of military force, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Pentagon had ordered a second attack aircraft carrier group to be sent to the eastern Mediterranean as Israel prepares to expand its operations in Gaza.
In addition to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower attack aircraft carrier sailing toward Israel, Washington has already sent the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, coinciding with Israel's heavy aerial bombardment of civilian neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip more than a week ago.
Although the stated purpose of the deployment of the carriers and their ships is to act as a deterrent to ensure that the conflict does not spread, it brings a great deal of force to a region that already hosts a number of U.S. ships, aircraft, and military forces. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the United States on Tuesday, saying it would commit "serious massacres" in Gaza.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirms in a release statement: "I have directed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CSG) to begin moving into the Eastern Mediterranean, as part of our efforts to deter hostilities against Israel or any efforts aimed at expanding this war in the wake of Hamas's attack on Israel."
According to CNN, the US warships are not intended to join the fighting in Gaza or participate in Israeli operations, but the presence of two of the most powerful naval vessels is intended to send a message of deterrence to Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Speaking to ABC News, senior U.S. officials said publicly this week that the presence of the USS Ford attack group in the eastern Mediterranean and the addition of more U.S. Air Force fighter jets to the region were intended to demonstrate U.S. commitment to Israel and serve as a deterrent to Iran and Hezbollah not to get involved in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
If the situation deteriorates into a wider war, the aircraft carrier and its escorts form an evacuation force in preparation for the nearly 200,000 Americans in Israel (most of whom hold dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship). If airports close and the United States decides to withdraw its citizens, aircraft carriers and their escorts will assume the central role, according to Bloomberg.
For now, this buildup reflects U.S. concerns that the fighting in Gaza could escalate into a more serious regional conflict. So the primary mission of those warships and aircraft is to establish a force that deters Hezbollah, Iran or others from exploiting the situation, and a U.S. defense official told CNN that it is unclear how long Ford will remain in the area once the attack group of the aircraft carrier Eisenhower arrives.
Besides aircraft carriers, the United States is providing some much-needed personnel and munitions in Israel. Austin announced that a small special operations cell was now assisting Israel with intelligence and planning, and was providing consultations to the IDF on the ground invasion. However, those forces were not tasked with rescuing the hostages, which would put them on the ground to fight in the conflict. That's something the Biden administration hasn't agreed to, according to White House spokesman John Kirby, who said Israelis don't They want it.
The United States is working to persuade U.S. defense companies to speed up their arms requests to Israel. One of the most important of these weapons is the munitions of Israel's Iron Dome air defense system.
There is no doubt that the American action, which is completely biased towards the Zionist entity, will inevitably put the United States of America in the position of the main enemy of the Arabs and the Palestinians in particular, and although the American public opinion strongly rejected the declared position and participation in the aggression against the Palestinians, but it seems as if it were just demonstrations that were not accepted by the Biden presidency or his Secretary of State, who fully confirmed their blatant bias with the Zionist entity, blessing the crimes it commits and genocide, as the US administration has become stained with its hands. With the blood of children, women and the elderly of Palestine to prove that it is the first enemy of humanity and the constant enemy of peoples who aspire to their freedom, but it seems that this matter will not continue and there is no doubt that the United States will pay the price for all this.