I was born and raised in Turkey. When I was fourteen, I left my homeland. My high school and university schooling were in the UK between 1965 and 1975. In 1976, I came to the US and found my fist job in Atlanta. I have spent my 35 years of working life in the aerospace industry and nuclear power plants.
My purpose in writing this discourse is to try and define myself. Am I an American or am I a Turk? Can I successfully be both?
Nowadays I am emotionally 90% Turk and 10% American. That is honestly how I feel. Yet, when I really look at myself and do an empirical study on myself, I am actually 70% American and maybe 30% Turk. From an empirical study point of view, I think like an American, eat like an American, and act like an American, believe like an American. In fact, I am more American than my American-Bostonian wife.
Then why do I feel so much anger towards Americans? The answer is simple. I am not angry at the American people, but I am angry at American policy makers. Here is why.
We are all aware of the failed CIA-backed coup in Turkey, which claimed the lives of more that 300 Turkish citizens. In fact, this is the biggest failure of American foreign policy since the fall of Saigon.
To those Langley smart policy makers such as Graham Fuller and Henry Barkey, I want to say, “Hey, Fuller! Oooops! Your book about mild Islam in Turkey hit the wall.”
And, had the coup been successful, Gulen would have been brought back to Turkey, just the same way the CIA planned and succeeded in Iran.
In 1979, the CIA brought exiled Ayatollah Humani back from Paris, which resulted in the Islamic state of Iran. And now, the same is happening in Turkey; making Turkey a model mild Islamic State, so that America can easily manage Turkey just like it does other Arabic countries.
What American policy makers do not understand and will never understand is that Turks and Arabs (with all due respect to Arabs) are not the same. Turks have more than 1000 years of history, culture and strategic understanding.
Turks are much more aware of what is going on with our enemies and we keep our enemies much, much closer than we keep our friends. American history is only about 250 years old and may have all the technological advantages, but Turks are better in discipline and fighting.
When there is a red line threatening Turkey or our way of life, no hegemonic country is going to stop Turks from defending their way of life and beliefs. America needs to understand that.
As an example, Vice President Joe Biden is currently in Turkey. Why? American policy makers are very disturbed because 99% of Turks believe that CIA was the mastermind behind the failed coup, and the UK, Germany, and Israel all guilty of knowing about it and expecting the Turkish coup would be successful.
On the day of the coup, the US announced that Turkish President Erdogan had escaped to Germany. We heard the news that the UK had deployed ten thousand special forces to Cyprus. The expectation was that the Turkish coup would be successful, civil war would break out, and British troops were ready to secure 150,000 Brits who live in Turkey.
But, back to what I was saying. America was rather disturbed that public opinion in Turkey was anti-American, and that Turkey has successfully slid off from the western orbit to a Russian, Chinese, and Iranian orbit. America is now desperate that Turkey will totally leave the west. You know what that means to all other NATO countries.
The same day Biden arrived, Turkey deployed troops to Syria, This was not coincidental, but carefully planned by Turks with America’s support of YPD to supposedly make a Kurdish country in Northern Syria. Well that plan hit the wall too, because Turkey hitting ISIS was an excuse to send a message to Kurds - there will never be Kurdish corridor all the way to Mediterranean sea. Turkey, Russia and Iran want Syrian territorial integrity secured.
Mr. Biden arrived in Turkey on the 24th of August and said, “We are on your side,” meaning we don’t want to lose you to Russia. But, sir, it is far too late for that. To add insult to injury, Vilademir Putin plans to come to Turkey’s resort city of Antalya to observe the soccer game with president Erdogan.
Of course, American policy makers don’t care about our Kurdish brothers, they are expendable. Losing Turkey is big fucking thing isn’t it? Besides Americans and Brits are outraged by Turkey getting too cosy with Russia.
Well, it is a little too late mate, isn’t it? Or, do you have a plan B or C or D? America has been abusing Turkey since the 1970s. Remember the opium wars? Remember that the US didn’t want Turkey to grow opium? Remember the Cyprus crises, the 1980s coup crises, the 1992 sinking of a Turkish Frigate and then apologizing? Remember while exercising NATO drills in Aegean sea. The US showed up at a Turkish port wanting to pass through with 80,000 troops to invade Iraq in 2003?
Turkey is not an Arabic country where the US can pull the strings of a dictator and do whatever it wishes. Turkey is a sovereign, democratic country with a parliament who decides the passage of foreign troops through its lands. And as a democratic country, our parliament voted against allowing American troops to pass.
Then came the revenge of the Jedi pulling our eleven troops from their domiciles in Iraq in Rambo style, putting hoods on their heads and taking them prisoners on the fourth of July. You understand the implications.
What about the CIA fabricating false evidence that the Turkish Army's Kemalist officers were planning a coup against the democratically elected government. The list is endless.
And, one more thing. The so called “Armenian Genocide” is an American ace card to be used against Turkey. Whenever this bill comes to the floor of congress, it always ends with Turks begging Americans not to pass the bill.
To American policy makers - you have already passed the red line. The last drip of fluid overflowed the bucket. Turkish-American friendship has came to an end and you had better get used to it. Obama and Hillary’s foreign policy put the last blow to the Turkish/US relations.
Now there is a Russian saying that I must repeat - Turks have been sleeping with a black bear and now we have changed partners to a grizzly bear. When you dance with a bear you don’t decide when to end the dance. The bear decides. Russian saying.
Americans laugh at Turks. They laugh that Turkey and Russia intend to have a hundred billion dollar trade. According to Americans, the trade balance will be 90/10% favoring Russians.
Americans laugh at Turks. They laugh that Turkey and Russia intend to have a hundred billion dollar trade. According to Americans, the trade balance will be 90/10% favoring Russians.
You may think that way, but it is not. For the first time in the history of Russian-Turkish relationships, we are pretty much on an equal footing. Besides, the two nations understand each other very well because we have had seventeen wars in our history.
We respect one another. Here is another advantage - Vilamir Putin put forward that Turkish/Russian trade will use the Rubble and Lira and there will be no need for US dollars. Cool, isn’t it? I thought you would agree with me.
Yes, we have changed partners with one difference, the Russian-Turkish coalition is beneficial to both countries. We Turks need to be careful, we won’t be betrayed again. One last thing. Russia is anxious to have good relations with Turks to avoid the possibility of Turkey forming a Turkic union.
I am still proud to be an American and I am still proud to be a Turk. But, my disappointment with American foreign policy is a conflict I must resolve within my self.