The sanctions against Turkey have been coming for a long time now. They are the next step in the war that has long been waged against Turkey.Notice I said the next step? Not the first step? That's because there have been many attacks already made against Turkey... I've covered many of them since 2013. Just a few in no particular order:
- Attacks against the Turkish dollar.
- Downgrading Turkey through ratings agencies.
- The coup.
- The launch of a divisive identity politics party..
- The Reyhanli bombing.
- The arming/training of the PKK kurds in Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran.
- The whole banking court case in the US that was purely a kangaroo court proceeding.
And more still. Sadly, most people seem oblivious to the fact that the US has been waging war against Turkey.Though it's been occurring right out in the open. And is reported by the media. In much the same way war is waged, and covered, against Syria or Russia. Yet, at the same time it's been even more heavily obfuscated by the five eyes, main stream and alt media. Especially the alternative media. Which isn't as anti globalist as often portrayed. Still the proof of US/NATO actions against Turkey are there for all, with open eyes, to see. Do keep in mind a destabilized and/or balkanized Turkey is bad for the region. And very bad for Russia.These most recent sanctions are ostensibly being put in place because an alleged innocent Pastor was arrested and is being persecuted. That's the heart tugging story. The one that makes you feel as if an injustice has occurred, requiring the application of true justice. I have some serious, serious doubts that Brunson is anything close to an innocent individual. I question the whole Pastor role too. "Pastor Brunson" looks to me to be a CIA agent disguised or hidden behind a christian evangelical veneer. And there is nothing new in what I'm suggesting. Nothing! Christians connected to the CIA has been done time and time again.Hence my identifying the CIA Pastor for what he actually seems to be. A covert agent for CIA gun running masquerading as a christian missionary. Ministering to Turkey's christian population. Or so the spin goes..Pastor Brunson, as luck would have it, runs a small Christian church on the shores of the Aegean sea- In Izmir, Turkey. If you blinked, you’d miss the church. Which looks a whole lot like a store front- with darkened windows and a gated front door.From this article A woman walks in front of 'Dirilis [Resurrection] Church' in which US pastor Andrew Brunson had his congregation, in Izmir, Turkey.Pastor Brunson’s ‘church’ is conveniently located just blocks away from a very large port facility on the coast of the Aegean sea.While working on this post, I wondered why it was Izmir was so familiar.Was talking to hubby and saying " I've got something at the blog on Izmir" And today what was forgotten is at the forefront:There was a totally bogus story about some Canadian woman who was arrested in Turkey for 'facebook comments' - Not credible.
What seemed vastly more plausible was this woman who had been arrested was linked to a very large PKK terror attack in.. you guessed it IZMIR, Turkey.
Large Explosion- 18 dead On the coast of the Aegean. Where the CIA pastor ministers to Turkey's Christians not far from a very large port. Such great accessibility for smuggling... But not very accessible for ministering to Christians. Since most of Turkey's Christians reside in Istanbul.
"The largest Christian population in Turkey is in Istanbul, which has a large community of Armenians and Greeks. Istanbul is also where the Patriarchate of Greek Orthodox Christianity is located."
And they are largely Orthodox Christians. There is a small orthodox christian community in Izmir as well, but, not evangelical christians.So, American media claims of the Pastor ministering to Turkey's Christians really doesn't make a whole lot of senseTurkey, on the other hand, claims the ‘good Pastor’ is involved in very bad things. Including weapons/arm trafficking. Quite frankly, I believe their claim! It’s just not a stretch for me to believe Brunson is involved in supporting terrorists. Likely providing weapons to them. Possibly ones delivered to that handily located nearby port— brought to the "church" and distributed to the PKK and other terror groups- so they can blow buildings up and kill civilians. Courtesy of the USA and company.Pastor Brunson?
Mike Pompeo- former CIA director now secretary of state says Brunson is a good man and they are members of the same “church”
"Pompeo would certainly deny he is bigoted against Muslims, but bear in mind that he is a devout Evangelical Christian who at one time taught Sunday school to young members of his local church, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.In an ironic twist, Pastor Andrew Brunson , jailed in Turkey since 2016 and facing possible charges of involvement in that year’s failed coup, is also a member of the same church" (as Mr CIA/Secretary of State Mike Pompeo)
The same "church" eh Mike? Thinking of a church as an organization. Thinking of the CIA as an organization. Thinking of Mr Pompeo and the good Pastor Andrew being in the same organization takes on a different meaning, entirely.Now let's get to the latest news on the the sanctions the US, led by Trump, has foisted on Turkey- Bloomberg
"Erdogan’s slide into despotism and cozying up to Putin must be stopped" (cause the US cares so much about despots?)
"The decision by the U.S. to level sanctions on Turkey’s interior and justice ministers is the latest blow in relations with an important but troublesome ally. There’s a risk in escalating the dispute, but the measure is justified.
The Trump administration says the action is a targeted punishment for Turkey’s continuing detention of a U.S. pastor, who has worked in the country for many years, on suspicion of supporting groups hostile to the government.
The U.S. says the charges are baseless"
I disagree with the US claims regarding the Pastor, as mentioned above.Turkey's interior and justice ministers- Two persons who may have come down hard on terror groups in Turkey... Groups who plant bombs outside of courthouses killing civilians.
RescueAugust 4, 2018 at 9:21 PMPenny! I hope you will soon write an article about the fact that US now officially introduced sanctions on Turkey. An arms embargo for buying Russian S-400, and diplomatic and economic sanctions. Both the Turkish interior minister and justice minister has been sanctioned. The interior minister Süleyman Soylu has been very tough on the PKK since he came to office in 2015. That’s why he was sanctioned. US uses the Brunson case as an excuse.
I've been meaning to get to this Rescue- and this post represents days of work in my free time... Indeed the US uses the Brunson case as the excuse, because, no one digs any deeper then a superficial surface swipe of the Pastor. So it allows that tear jerking angle to be played.Sad, really.
"In the background, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds the U.S. partly responsible for the foiled 2016 coup against his regime. He’s angry that Washington won’t deport the cleric Fethullah Gulen"
Can't say I blame Turkey for holding the US partly responsible for the coup. As for Fethullah Gulen- why doesn't the US deport him to Turkey... After all Turkey is supposed to be a long time ally of the US... Readers here know that has not been true for a very long time. If ever.
" Turkey might be driven further into the arms of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who has struck up an unlikely friendship with the Turkish leader. Russia is selling Ankara advanced S-400 anti-missile systems — weapons not compatible with NATO hardware — and will help build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant and a gas pipeline through Turkish territory"
All of these issues have been discussed here at the blog. -The long threatened sanctions
-
US Sanctions Loom Over “Defiant Turkey”
I’ve alerted my readers for some time now that this was the direction the US was going to move in... And this move has NOTHING to do with the Baptist Pastor Brunson- Or the delusion that Mike Pompeo is a "good christian"
-The cooperation between Turkey and Russia.
Dov Zakheim: Erdogan's Win is Trouble! Can't Rely on Turkey to Attack Russia
- The pipeline.- The s-400 purchase.
"This weapon will be used against Turkey in case of possible hostilities. So if the US does not plan to attack Turkey or support those who intend to attack it, they don't need to be afraid of the S-400 deal. If the American goal is to deprive Turkey of the defense system and attack it, then this is a completely different matter," Bozkurt concluded.
-The nuclear power plant.Hell, I've even reported on the cooperation between Turkey and Venezuela, another nation the US has targeted with sanctions.
-
"Authoritarian Gold Bugs" Strike Again! Venezuela & Turkey Cooperate
-
Russia, Turkey and Other “Authoritarian Gold Bugs”
The sanctions are not just about some poor Pastor. That's just rubbish. The Pastor is the excuse. The sellable excuse and nothing more. Sadly, I've actually seen these weird posts about this 'poor' Pastor. ?? Brainless people pushing that nonsense. Cringe worthy stuff.
"In the quarrel over the pastor, the U.S. tried diplomacy first. Getting nowhere, it threatened sanctions — and, having done so, was left with little choice but to apply them. Backing down would have rewarded Erdogan’s obstinacy.Repairing the relationship won’t be easy, and it’s Erdogan who needs to change."
It's not Erdogan (convenient scapegoating to target a nation) that needs to change. It's the US that needs to stop playing games with Turkey. It's the US that needs to stop betraying an ally, as they claim Turkey is. It was the US that launched the coup. It was the US that put on the show trial in New York.It's the US that won't give up Gulen. Their CIA guy in the keystone state. It was the US that staged that show with the PKK protestors when Erdogan came to the US. It was the US that instigated this latest round of sanctions. It's been the US that has long used the PKK against Turkey. Change needs to come from the US. But it won't. Since the US and company are playing the longer game and bigger agenda- remaking the region. That's been written about for years here as well!Bloomberg ends- with the idea that Turkey needs to cave to US demands or things will get worse.
The faltering economy gives the U.S. and its allies some long-term leverage. And Turkey is unlikely to quit NATO. To be sure, that would be a huge blow to the alliance — but a far bigger one to Turkey’s national security.
The narrow sanctions just imposed are the right approach for now. The Senate should also further proceed with legislation to block a planned sale of advanced F-35 fighters if Turkey goes ahead with its purchase of the Russian air-defense system. Erdogan needs to be told there’s a price to pay for the course he’s on.
Of course the US will make the Turkish people/nation state pay. Same as always.