Washington is waiting for the Turkish opposition bloc, which has promised to unconditionally support its policies in Russia and the region, to come to power
Türkiye is currently focused on healing the wounds of the major earthquakes that struck 11 cities and killed nearly 50,000 people. The quake zone is adjacent to northern Syria, which is dominated by various terrorist groups, including the PKK terrorist organization, its Syrian affiliate, the YPG, and Daesh terrorists, making it a strategically significant location. Moreover, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, which Türkiye has partnered with Russia to construct in Mersin, is situated nearby.
In such a tense atmosphere, the surprise visit of U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Rojava in northern Syria sparked a strong reaction from the Turkish public.
Regarding Milley’s visit, Col. David Butler, the spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, attempted to alleviate tensions by saying that "Milley has received up-to-date information about the mission to combat Daesh." However, the reality is that the top commander of the United States, a NATO ally of Türkiye, is visiting a region controlled by the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), whose backbone is formed by the terrorist organization PKK. The U.S. refers to this mission as the "mission against Daesh."
On top of all this, the recent visit by Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), to the same region where Milley visited earlier has added to the controversy. As you can imagine, the pretext for Kurilla's open contact with terrorists is the coordination of the fight against Daesh.
However, everyone, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, who once accused his predecessor Barack Obama of being the "founder of Daesh" and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of being the "vice-founder," is well aware that the story is unrealistic.
It is widely known that Daesh was a crisis device controlled by the U.S. in the Middle East and now it has been exposed. And it is currently controlled by the PYD-YPG, which is the guard of CENTCOM in the region.
As we witnessed in the terrorist attack on Istanbul’s famous pedestrian Istiklal Street in November, Daesh’s taking on "actions with PYD-YPG intelligence" is one of the clear signs of who is in charge.
So if a controlled Daesh is a cover for the U.S. presence in the region, what is the real target of the Pentagon's recent mobilization on the Turkish border? As the reporters following Milley asked, what is the risk involved in the visit of a No. 1 U.S. Army soldier to the world's most dangerous war zone?
New phase
Signs point to a new phase of the "encirclement operation on Russia," which for now focuses on the Ukrainian front.
Hence, Washington does not even care about Syria’s Bashar Assad and the Damascus administration, who immediately flew to Moscow on the developments. What it is waiting for by making preparations is for the opposition bloc to come to power in Türkiye, which will hold elections in two months, promising to unconditionally support Washington's policies in Russia and the region. The Nation Alliance, also known as the “table for six,” has even made a written commitment to stop the nuclear power plant project of which Russia is a partner. The opposition bloc promises to move away from Russia quickly and abandon the balance policy that angered the West.
The strong presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the "unpredictable" leader who pioneers the national interests of Türkiye, in the coming polls will undoubtedly change all the military balances in the field, from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Aegean and the Black Sea. The Syrian problem may lose its primary importance. Türkiye, which controls the Black Sea Straits, could become an effective front in the operation to encircle Russia. The pressure on Ukraine can be eased and of course, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can be saved.
Undoubtedly, such "a success" would be very useful against Trump, who is expected to be on the scene again in the next elections. Because considering bankrupt banks and other developments, it is clear that the situation of the globalists is not very good.
Something tells me they will draw a blank again, as they did in the elections eight years ago when they tried to set Türkiye and Russia against each other.
This article originally appeared in Daily Sabah
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