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Home arrow newsitems arrow Turkey OKs EUEnergy Talks IF fit Reality, DisArm, VisaFree+Migrants, Recognize Occupation. Or Fight!

Turkey OKs EUEnergy Talks IF fit Reality, DisArm, VisaFree+Migrants, Recognize Occupation. Or Fight!

Written by ACM
Tuesday, 22 September 2020

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*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Turkey appeared to Partially Suspend its Bullying and Accept a Repeated EU Call for Talks and/or International Law, or, Otherwise, Sanctions and Other Measures, over Ankara's Claims on Energy Resources in South-Eastern Mediterranean, mainly at EU Members Cyprus' and probably also Greece's EEZs, (i.e. Including at Aegean Sea's Greek Islands), which, Currently, are the Only Important EU Energy Potential, After the Decline of Northern Sea's deposits.

But, the Turkish Government seems to have Attached, right from the Outset, so Many - and Heavy -  Strings Before an Eventual Deal, Including Threats, etc. (See Infra), that this caN't but Barely Look as a Credible Step towards Peaceful Negotiatios according to International Law, appearing, on the Contrary, Rather as a Dilatory Manouver to Avoid imminent EU Sanctions at a ForthComing Special EU Summit in Brussels, while preparing New Blackmails against Strategic EU Interests asap...  

Recently, EU Members' Greece and Cyprus have progressively Build a Regionl Web of Agreements, Cooperations and Relations on EEZs' Delimitations, Energy Transport Plans, Gas Forum, etc., Spreading from EU Member Italy up to Egypt, israel, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan, with a Strong Help also by France, even the USA, etc., GeoPoliticaly and Technicaly Able to Directly Feed the European Union with New Energy Findings (abundant also at Neighbouring Egyptian, Israeli, and other Sea Areas), f.ex., through Bulgaria, Italy, France, or Spain, Croatia, etc., Networked up to Germany's Industrial core, via NLG High-Tech Ships, the "East-Med" Pipeline Project sponsored by the EU, and/or Transforming Gas to Electricity tranferable via Under-Sea Cable, etc), Totalling an overall Potential estimated to be, at least as Big as that of USA's "Gulf of Mexico", (which has a Similar Geology to South-East Med).

But, Ankara has Notoriously Send its WarShips to Brutally Chasse Away even Italian "ENI"'s Peacefully Drilling Ships, in Agreement with Cyprus, at the Island's EEZ, (something that it didN't Dare Repeat Against USA's and/or France's Drilling Ships...), Bullied Many Times Both EU Members' Greece and Cyprus' EEZ by "Military Exercices" of Turkish Navy there, Send its Own Turkish "Drilling" Ships (under heavy Escort of WarShips) illegaly inside those EU Member's EEZ, Attempted to Push Many Thousands of Irregular Migrants callin themselves "Asylum Seekers" to TressPass EU's External Borders at Evros River, (as Turkish Smugglers had Already done, Back on 2015/2016, through the Aegean Sea, by Suddenly inundating the EU with a "Tsunami" of More than 1,5 Millions of such Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants, including even ISIS' Deadly Terrorists, f.ex. at Paris "Bataklan" Massacre, at Berlin's "Christmas Maket", etc, Rapists and Killers of Young Girls, as, f.ex., at Nearby Freiburg, etc), Multiplied various verbal Provocations and Insults, even Against French President Macron, etc, added to Aggressive Rhetoric, up to War-Threats.

+ And Now, Turkish President Erdogan, reportedly Added, inter alia, also the Following concrete Desiderata :  

    -(1)- That a "CONDITION" for "Dialogue" are "Proposals that FIT ... REALITY"  (sic !).

Translated from Ankara Government's usual Vocabulary, this often Means, Basically, 2 things :

    a) The First is related with the Fact that, Unfortunately, Because of an Exceptional "Democratic Leaders' Vacuum" in European History, with Mussolini's Fascism's arrival in Italy Back on 1922 ; added to a Cynical "Real-Politic" Move by Trotski, then, to Stop from Falling to Ruins on 1921 a Trouble-Maker like Turkey in order to unleash it against Western Europeans ; where France had Lost the Popular and Strong Alexander Millerand, succeeded by a ...Somnabule, who once Droped Out of a Train from Brussels OverNight, Saved by a Peasant who brought him back (sic !) ; as in the UK the Energetic Young Defense + Foreign Minister Winston Churchill suddenly was Pushed to Quit Politics and even Fell Ill, Hospitalized ; at the Same Time that the USA Lost the Great Woodrow Wilson for "the Worst President in USA's History", accused of Corruption, and whose Name Noone Remembers, (etc),

=> they Scandalously Abandoned the Already Signed, landmark, International "Treaty of Sevres" (1920, near Paris), which Notoriously had Liberated from the Collapsing Medieval Former Ottoman-Turk Empire, the Historic Nationalities of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Kurds, Caucasians and other Traditional Populations of Anatolia Plateau etc., (in Addition to the Recently Emerging Arab Nations), Leaving to Turks just a little bit more than that Small Part, Near Ankara, that their Ancestors the "Osmanli" had Seized, to routinely Aggress and Robb Innocent Merchants' numerous Convoys between China and Constantinople (then Capital of the OverMillenary Byzantine-Greek Empire; 330 - 1.453), After they came From Mongolia's Outskirts, at the Shoes of Tcheghis Khan's Military Invasion into Europe, Back on 1.200+. In Consequence, from 1.922, i.e. for almost 1 Century now, All the Historic Lands, of all those OverMillenary Nationalities, (Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Kurds, Caucasians, etc) were Abandoned Under the notoriously Brutal Jug of Turkey for Decades... Thus, Turkey is Citting, with its UnStable, Big Fat Back, on so Many Other Historic Nations, (Comp. Supra), that it Can Boast that, precisely, Because it's "so Big", Ankara should, practicaly, have almost what it wants, and Nobody should Dare Contradict it...  

While, on the Contrary, with the Treaty of Sevres, (whose Centenary is celebrated This Year : 1920 - 2020), All these Nationalities would be Free at Anatolia plateau. Added to a permanent Protection of Also Any Other National Minority's Human Rights, by the European Signatories of that International Treaty, since, in case of Violations by the Turkish Authorities, they Could, at Any Time, entirely Liberate Also the De-Militarized Constantinople/Istanbul Area, according to that landmark text. And it's enough to just have a Look at its MAP on Turkey, in Order to immediately Realize that, With the Treaty of Sevres, Ankara would Not even have Thought to Bully EU Countries on East Mediterranean's Energy Resources !


    b) Here is Added, also, the Fact that Turkey's notoriously AntiDemocratic Establishment apparently DidN't give a Dam for the Education, Culture, Civilisation and/or Social Rights of its People, rather Prefering to Waste its Money mainly on Accumulating Military Gadgets, i.e. Weapons to Kill... So that, practicaly Any Opposition, Internal or External, should, Cowardly, just Shut Up its Mouth and Obey !

=> F.ex., -"Greece must Shut Up, or it will End like a <<Mezes>> (NDLR  : Piece of Meat to Eat) !, reportedly Threatened Recently the Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, precisely about EU Energy in Eastern Mediterranean...

(On the Fact that, Recently, and particularly After the 2016 "Coup" Pretext to Oppress even More People, the Turkish Army has apparently Become a Weakened "Paper Tiger", UnReliable for Ankara's Anti-Democratic Regime, See Infra).

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     - (2) - Erdogan Also, reportedly, asked that the EU makes "Steps", inter alia, even by providing Turkish Citizens with ..."VISA-FREE Travel" in Europe.

This is a "Classic" Desiderata of Ankara, that Turkey had Attempted to Snatch, Back on 2016, when it notoriously Blackmailed Europe by Suddenly Throwing More than 1,5 MIllions of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants to Tresspass EU's External Borders through EU Member Greece, (Including Even Deadly ISIS' Terrorists, as those who f.ex., Killed many People at "Bataklan" Massacre in Paris, on Berlin's "Christmas Market", etc., or Raped and Murdered Young Girls, as f.ex. at Nearby Freiburg, or Raped Young Boys,, also Refugees, as f.ex. a 10 y.o. Boy from Serbia in Wien, or even Smaller Kids, f.ex. at Collective Refugee facilities in Germany, in the Greek Island of Lesbos, etc). That Turkish Blackmail had been made During a Sunday in a semi-Deserted Brussels, under Curfew by still on-going Deadly Islamist Terrorst Attacks, also there...

=> It Practicaly Means that All 80 Millions of Turks could regularly Enter, Stay and Travel Anywhere inside Europe, During + 6 Months Each Year, whenever they liked and withOut Any Condition, Repeatedly ad infinitum, (i.e. during Half of their whole Life) !

Thanks God, EU Commission Spared Europe from such a Horrible thing, by Observing that Turkey did Not Even fullfill its Standard Conditions, particularly on Human Rights, Including, f.ex., by its Notorious so-called "Anti-Terrorism" Laws, which Still were Crafted and Applied so "Widely" that they were Routinely Abused in order to Prosecute and Jail Even Many Peaceful Political Dissidents... And EU Parliament was Glad to Also Vote relevant Resolutions Excluding such Controversial and UnPopular, Scandalous "Gifts" to a Blackmailing Turkey...

So, What, Suddenly made Turkey ..."Forget" all that, and, WithOut having Ameliorated Anything in its Legislation, Neither Practice, Again Insists on such an UnPopular among EU Citizens point, Attempting anew, Now, to Exploit Also anOther Blackmail on 2020, against EU Energy Resources in South-Eastern Mediterranean, by abusing of Turkish WarShips, and Threats, etc., (Comp. Supra) ?   

At any case, Whoever might, eventually, have Speculated into Facilitating Anything so UnPopular like that, he/she would certainly be Strongly Rejected by the Europan People, (as Various and Many Polls, in several Key EU Countries, Mostly with Opposed Super-Majorities of More than 60% or Even 80%, have Notoriously Found).-

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    -(3)- The Turkish President reportedly Added, to his Above-mentioned List of Desiderata to Get from the EU as, so-called "Positive Steps", (Comp. Supra), Also something about "MIGRATION", withOut Specifying.

    Apparently, he didN't Mean, at all, that Turkey Might, at last, Stop to Stubornly and illegaly Refuse to Accomplish its Duty and Fulfill its Written Commitment (in Exchange of Abundant EU Money, etc), to Rapatriate those Mass Irregular Migrants, who were Already Checked and Proved Not to be real "Refugees" at all, from EU Territory (where they had illegaly Tresspassed Previously, thanks Mainly to Turkish Smugglers, Arriving via Turkey Massively)... 

    - Did he, then, Mean a Repetition of something like that 2015/2016 Sudden Huge "Tsunami" of More than 1,5 Millions of Mass "Asylum Seekers"/Irregular Migrants, Tresspassing inside Europe through its External Borders at EU Mamber Greece, via Turkey, thanks to Smugglers, mainly Turkish (Comp. Supra) ? Or those Many Tens, often Hundreds of Thousands of Various Desperate, but Often very Aggressive (f.ex. Throwing Stones, Gas Bombs, Attempting to Damage a long Protective Border Fence, Lighting Fires, etc), People that Turkish Public Authorities even Ostensibly Pushed and/or Helped, (Including, Even, by Abusing of Turkish Heavy Military Vehicles, OverNight, as an Explicit Video Revealed), to Attempt to Massively Tresspass Irregularly inside Europe at EU's External Borders throughout EU Member Greece's Long Border-Line vis a vis Turkey at the Evros River on 2019, (a Shameless Scandal that All EU Commission, Council, and Parliament Leaders personaly Saw with their own eyes on the spot, Together with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Flying in an Helicopter) ? Most Probably Not...

    - Or is it, Perhaps, anOther, New Attempt by Turkey, to Exploit Otherwise, Again on 2020, those alleged Millions of Irregular Migrants/Mass Asylum Seekers that Ankara has attracted from its Notorious Pals at ...Pakistan/Afghanistan (and currently more than 60% of those Still Remaining at Lesbos' main "HotSpot" for EU Borders' Tresspassers, according to Greek Authorities), or from Some Ordinary Law Thugs coming from Maghreb's Prisons or Other African Countries, (as USA a.o. Mainstream Newspapers had Reported from Turkey, since the Beginning, Already Back on 2015/2016), Not to Speak about All those Millions of  Syrian or Iraqi Mass Asylum Seekers, that Turkey 1st PROVOKED itself, (NB), by Notoriously Supporting Armed Opponents of the Syrian Government, All the Way from the First Violent Clashes of 2011, Until Recently, (Both via Logistics : i.e. Money, Transferts of Jihadists, Circulation of Merchandises, including Smuggling of Stolen Cultural Heritage, Oil/Gas, etc, and, Even, via Deadly Weapons, from Guns and/or Explosives up to Rockets, etc), from the now Dislocated and/or Replaced "FSA", until various Islamist Extremists and/or Deadly Terrorists as those of "Al Queda" and, Mainly, "ISIS" Killers Cowardly Targetting even Innocent Civilian People, etc., Followed, on 2018-2019+, Even by Open Turkish Military Invasions and Occupations of mainly Syrian Territories, together with Proxy Islamist Extremist Armed Gangs Monitored by Ankara, and, 2nd, Afterwards EXPLOITED, Both Economically, On the Spot, by Submitting them to various Dirty, Harsh, But Badly Paid "Jobs", Profiting to Turkish Businessmen, (as, f.ex., Revealed also the Shocking Interviews to the UK Press, by the Father of the Tragically Killed Child "Kurdi", Drown at the Aegean Sea on 9/2015, Together with his Mother and Sister, who didN't Know how to Swim, after a Turkish Smuggler, withOut Warning, Suddenly Opened a Hole in the makeshift Plastic Boat that brought them at the Middle of the Sea, OverNight, before Jumping himself to a Rapid Motor-Boat and Running Away), and Financially, by Notoriously Blackmailing the EU to Start Paying into Turkey 3 Billions € in full Grants, Each Year, Already Since 2016 up to 2020+, as well as Politicaly/Ideologically, by Falsely Presenting Ankara, Not as an Unscrupulous Mass Refugee-Maker (Comp. Supra), Neither as Mass Refugee Multi-Exploiter (Ibid), But, rather, as ... a Philanthropic Organisation (sic !), in order to Exert Moral and Political Pressure on Europe and Other Countries accross the World, for Various kinds of More Concessions, by Naive and/or Ignorant, if not Complicit Politicians, Medias, some Shady NGOs, etc, (Including, among others, also of Numerous Self-Imports, inside the EU, even of Fake "Asylum Seakers" or "Non-Accompagnied Children" -often, Notoriously, Disguised Real Adults !- Provoking Problems, Hardships, or even Conflicts amidst Affected European People, Often Poor, Obliged to live Nearby, [Sometimes Even Rapes of Children, as, f.ex. the Big Scandals who have Shaken Many UK Cities, added to more Recent Scandals in Finland, which made a Government Fall as well as a co-Governing Political Party almost "Disappear" at the Latest Elections, etc] and/or UnPrecedented Contradictions, Divisions or Conflicts among EU Countries, etc)...

    At any case, Given all the above-mentioned Previous and Current Bad Experiences with Turkey's Manifold Exploitations of various Provoked and/or Manipulated Mass Irregular Migrations (Comp. Supra), that New Turkish (still Vague) Demand, doesN't look good...

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     - (4)- Erdogan's Nowadays Wish-List of Demands to the EU Adds Also to "UPGRADE the EU-Turkey CUSTOMS UNION", ... eventually Ignoring the Fact that about 150 MEPs have, Just, on the Contrary, Voted For (the 3/4) or Abstained (the 1/4) an Amendment to the Latest EU Parliament's Resolution on Turkey, 10 Days Ago in Brussels, Calling to "Freeze" even the Already Existing EU - Turkey Customs Union, During 6 Months, Recontuctible, (See at: ..., etc)...    

    + While, in Addition, Nobody who Knows (or Learns) the History of relevant European Developments, could ever Forget the "Hot" InFight inside EU Parliament, when it UnExpectedly Voted, Back on December 1995 in Strasbourg, for the Controversial and UnPopular instauration of EU - Turkey's Customs Union for the 1st Time, while ECHR was Publishing the First-ever Condemnations of Turkey for Torture and Murder, as well as InHuman/Degrading Treatments, in the Landmark Cases of a Young Kurdish Dissident who had Lost the use of his Right Hand in the Turkish Jails, and Afterwards was Brutally Murdered, with a Shot at his Head, when he Refused to Withdraw his Complaint to Strasbourg's Court, ("Aksoy"), Followed by the Case of a Suddenly ImPoverished Family, after its Home and Livelihood were Destroyed by the Turkish Army, Brutaly Expulsed and Obliged to Walk all the Way until a Remote Poor Suburb of Mega-City Smyrne/Izmir, where All, including its Small Children, were Suddenly Thrown to Extreme Poverty, Praying for the Worst, Most Over-Exploited, Dangerous, Dirty and Precarious "Jobs", including Even Mendicity ("Akdivar"). After the Icy indifference of some MEPs (Mainly, but not only, "Socialist"), who, Despite All that, Nevertheless, Voted for the Beginning of a Controversial and UnPopular EU - Turkey Customs Union, When this Really Entered into Force, Next January 1996, the Event was UnForgetably Marked by the Violent Killing of a Young Dissident Journalist in Turkey, who was Covering for the Press the Tragic massive Hunger Strike of various Political Prisoners in Turkish Jails : His Head was ...Brutally "Crushed" at a Wall by Turkish Policemen, ("Goctepe" Case), and he will Never be Forgotten...

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    -(5)- But, the Turkish President's nowadays Demands, particularly but not only vis a vis Europe, did Not End there :

+ Moreover, he reportedly Added, (Both towards the Current EU Leadership, and in his Speech to UNO's General Assembly, remotely), that Ankara Wanted to Impose the Presence, and even Separately, of an ILLEGAL BREAK-AWAY REGIME, with Turkish Cypriots Puppets of Ankara, (Recognized by Nobody, after it was Set up and still Backed by Turkey's 1974 Foreign Military Invasion and Persisting OCCUPATION until 2020, at EU Member Cyprus' Northern Territories, from where almost All Greek Cypriot Inhabitants, Historicaly the Majority, were Obliged to Flee, struggling, Afterwards, to Desperately recuparate at least a part of their Family Homes and Properties, Despite a Crystal-clear ECHR Case-Law in Strasbourg, and UNO's Principles for Restoration of Refugees' belongings, at Nearby Geneva),

inside the ...Officially "Inter-Governemental" Brand New "Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum", a Initiated by Greece, Cyprus and Egypt since 2018, But Boosted on 2020 in a Fully Fledged Regional Trans-National Organisation, Just Established by Egypt, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan, Together with Italy and soon France, Supported by Both EU, USA and UN, and currently HeadQuartered in Cairo, with the Main Aim to Help Develop South-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Sources, according to International Law, and their Transfert particularly towards mainland Europe, (Comp. Sypra).

    This Disruptive and Provocative Turkey's Move, Obviously seeks to Divert Attention away from Main, Serious Positive Developments in that Strategic Area of South Eastern Mediterranean Energy Sources, and Hypocriticaly Cover, Under the irrelevant Wording of "Dialogue", in Fact a Brutal and Clumsy Attempt (See Infra) by Ankara to Impose its illegal Puppet, Created, Supported, and Controlled by its Foreign Invasion-Occupation Troops, Recognized by Noone, Except by Itshelf Alone, and Based on Bloody War, Killings, "Missing" People, several Hundreds of Thousands of Refugees/Displaced Persons, illegal Mass Imports of Turkish "Settlers" and Alteration of Occupied Territories' Original Demographic Structure, Usurpation of Refugees' Family Homes and/or Properties, Division and Separatist Attempts, Obviously Aiming to Hamper the Solution of Cyprus' Political Issue, and Cyprus' Peaceful ReUnification.

On the Contrary, Cyprus' President Nicos Anastassiades, Recently pointed out, during his Speech at UNO's GA, that, at the Latest Inter-Communal Talks between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, Back on 2018 at Schwitzerland's Crass Montana, they had All Agreed that the Future Joint Federal State of a ReUnified Cyprus would be the Collective Proprietor of All such Natural Resources of the Country, for the Benefit of All its Citizens, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, or Maronites, alike. In the Meanwhle, he Announced that Cyprus will Create a special Bank Account where the proportion of Energy Revenues corresponding to the Turkish Cypriots, will be Deposited, in order to be Distributed whenever the Political Issue of Cyprus will be Solved, Turkey's Foreign Military Invasion and Occupation Troops Withdrawn, and the whole Island Peacefully ReUnified. He Also proposed a Mechanism under which that Money Could, Eventualy, be Distributed to the Turkish Cypriots Even Before the Solution of Cyprus' Issue, IF Ankara Stops its Provocations, illegal "Drillings" inside Cyprus' EEZ, WarShips' Bullying and Threats, etc., Accepting Peaceful Talks and/or, if needed, to refer the issue at the International Court of Hague.

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     -(6)- Meanwhile, in Addition, also Other Official Top Turkish Authorities Announced, in Parallel, Even Ankara's Intention to Raise, during its possible "Exploratory Talks" with Greece on Energy Resources, Moreover, Issues related to so-called "DISARMAMENT" of Greek Islands at the Aegean Sea !

    According to some unverified yet Sources, Athens might Not have Refused, in principle, to Deal Even with such an Obviously Deviant and Complicated matter, Eventualy Considering a Withdrawal of Defense Forces from Greek Islands, But on Condition that Ankara would Also proceed to the Dissolution of an Offensive, so-called "Aegean Army", as well as at an Equivalent Withdrawal of Turkish Military Forces Away from Agean SeaCoasts, towards further Inside the Anatolia Plateau.

    Critics have, However, pointed out a Risk for the Turkish Army to Rapidly Return Back at Aegean SeaCoasts, while, on the Contrary, it would be Naturally much More Cumbersome for the Greek Army to Redeploy Back from the Mainland towards the Islands, as Fast as that... Going Further, Other informed Observers have, at any case, Noted that, After an Initial, Old relevant Reference to some Greek Islands, Afterwards, the Situation would have substantialy Changed, Both by various Bilateral Official Statements, as well as the "Montreux" Treaty, extending to the Straights, But Also the Creation of that Turkish "Aegean Army", added to the Constantinople/Istanbul 1955 "Pogrom", and, particularly, to the 1974 Turkish Military Invasion and still Persisting (2020) Occupation of the Northern Part of Cyprus, But Even Recently Multiplied Turkish WarPlanes' porovocative OverFlights around Greek Islands at the Aegean Sea.

    Despite Various Rumours, the Precise Situation, Currently, on such a Thorny, and quite Different, Issue does Not Yet seem Openly Crystal-clear, Even if the Athens' Government, apparently, Feels the Need to Protect, at least, several Inhabited Islands from Growing Aggressive Turkish WarPlanes' OverFlights and/or Other Recent Provocations...

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    -(7)- Here comes, However, Erdogan's Most Thorny and Obviously Dangerous Remark :

- Indeed, the Turkish President would have Bluntly Warned the EU from the outset, that, IF his Above-metioned "Conditions" were Not Met, (Particularly that Wide Thorny Demand for "Proposals that FIT...REALITY" : Comp. Supra), then, "Otherwise, we could not evade any FIGHT" (sic !), as he Threatened, in Conclusion...

 - It's Not immediately Clear if the Word "Fight" was the Best possible Translation of Erdogan's Observation, at that Thorny Juncture, Or if it Should have, More Accurately, been : - "Clash", "Conflict", or Even "War"...

- At any case, all these Possible Various Ways to Translate the Turkish President's above-mentioned Concluding Remark, Obviously Point Towards a Similar Direction : He Threatens that, If the Conditions that he Put (Comp. Supra) are Not Fulfilled, then, it's Gonna be ...Trouble !

>>> But, the Problem is that, as EU Member Greece has Already, Clearly Warned, by its Experienced Minister for European Affairs, former Long-Time Top MP at CoE's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Recently Elected vice-President of its Biggest Group : that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Replying as Current PanEuropean CoE's President-in-office, to Questions Raised by Turkish MPs, during the Latest PACE's Standing Committee in Strasbourg, (of Equal Rank as its Plenaries : See http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeheadgreekmfanodialoguewithgunandwarthreats.html) :  

- Turkey "CanNot come Back to the Table of Discussion by having ...a fully Loaded Gun on the Table, and a Premisse, from the Other Side, that Either You Agree with Me, Or we Go into War !", he Stressed from the outset.   

- "This is Not the Kind of Dialogue that We Expect. We Expect a Dialogue that comes With a Refrain from using a Beligerant Tone, and, Definitively, From using Military Means, as a way To Push for the Outcome that the Other Partner Wants", Clarified Varvitsiotis.

=> It, Obviously, does Not Appear at all that Turkey's above-mentioned Behavior might, eventually, Meet this Elementary Requirement, (which seems to Stick at EU's already Announced Basic Standards)...

+ Even Less when it's Added also to Ankara's Latest Provocative "NAVTEX" for More illegal "Drillings" inside Cyprus' EEZ (Usually Escorted by urkish WarShips), reportedly Published from September 15, for a Period Extending Up to October 12, that EU Parliament immediately "Condemned" avec a Unique quasi-Unanimous Vote, (See at: ..., etc).

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>>> But, at Any Case, is, Really, Turkey's alleged, and Too Often Exagerated, Military Might, so Dreadful, as some Claim, and Ankara itself, Obviously Boasts, to the point that Europeans would have No Other Choice than ...Curb Down to its Often Scandalous Blackmails ?

- At least, Various Converging Recent Facts, really seem to Point towards a Crystal-clear "NO !"...

- First of all, Even a Simple Addition of some Key Front-Line EU Members, as, f.ex., Greece/Cyprus and France, Recently Twice, from Cyprus' Island up to Creta's surrounding waters, etc, appeared, in priciple, quite Sufficient in order to "Calm" Down some, Otherwise Bullying, Turkish WarShips+ Threats around an Ankara's illegaly Drilling Ship...

+ Naturally, things would Even be Much Better and UnQuestionable, from a European point of view, If the EU Decided to Really Send a Collective Defense Force, there, to Protect its Currently Unique European Energy Potential at the Eastern Mediterranean Area, (Comp. Supra)...

++ But, probably the Most Interesting relevant Fact, appears to be a Recent, UnPrecedented Trend, which has UnExpectedly Become almost Permanent, at Turkey's Various Military-related Moves Nowadays, almost Everywhere :

>>> Indeed, Since that Strange, "6-Hours Long" so-called "Coup Attempt" of 2016, which Notoriously Gave to Erdogan a Pretext to Impose an UnPrecedented "Purge" throughout All the Army, But Also on Judges, Policemen, Education up to Universities, Medias, and Other Wide Sectors of the Country's State and/or Social Organisations, towards Various Political/Ideological Directions, with Too Many People Killed, Wounded, Tortured, Jailed, Condemned, Fired from their Jobs, and/or Obliged to Flee Abroad, Desperately Asking for "Political Asylum", (including, Even to Greece, and/or Other European Countries), etc.,

=> Suddenly, from those UnQuestioably Exceptional Events, Until Now (2017-2020), Ankara's Government, apparently, NEVER Dared Make any FULL USE of the Turkish Army, at Any One among the Many and Important Occasions that it had to do so, (Contrary to what it was Accustomed to do in the Past) !

- Instead, it Either used some Tactical/Technical Subterfuges, in Order to Strikingly Limit or Avoid such Fully Fledged and Massive Army Engagements at the FrontLine, (See Infra), Or, More Often, soon Systematically on 2018, 2019 and 2020, Ankara's Government, Curiously, Prefered, almost Everywhere and Always, to Practicaly ..."Hide" the Bulk of the Turkish Army, Behind a Lot of Various "Proxy" Extremist Islamist Armed Gangs, (Many Times Committing Atrocious Abuses, Grave Human Rights Violations, even Thefts, Rapes, Murders, etc), Nonobstant if they might, Also have, more or less, Delayed some Armed Operations, (f.ex. at least Initialy at Afrin's Invasion/Occupation, etc).

=>  F.ex., inter alia, During the Recent Turkish Military Invasions/Occupations throughut Northern Syria, initialy the Turkish Army was practicaly Hidden inside some Hollow Areas, Before the Borders, Focusing Mainly on Firing Rockets at a Distance, towards Targets located at the Syrian side, (and something Similar appears to have been Used Also in Libya, later-on, at least at the Beginning), Avoiding Massive Direct Physical Engagements with its Adversaries.

+=> But, the Most Important Change, Obviously is, Nowadays, the Repeated Use, by Turkey, mainly of Various Foreign Extremist Islamist Armed Gangs, in order to Physicaly Attack and Occupy any Part of AnOther Country's Territories, as Ankara effectively did, f.ex. during its Invasions at Afrin on 2018, and at North-Eastern Syria's Kurdish Region on 2019, as well as at its Military Intervention in Libya's Civil War on 2020, (etc), some even speaking about alleged preparations and/or a progressive start of similar "Proxy" Islamist Mercenaries to eventualy Attack Armenia, already since this Summer 2020, But possibly also Later-on...

>>> A Main Reason for such a Big Change, (which Often Delays, Discredits, and/or makes somewhat more Clumsy those Turkey's Military Interventions : Comp. Supra), could Simply be that Ankara's Government, in Fact, has No More Trust into its own Army, as a whole !

- Since 2016, Indeed, Many Top Military Officers have been Notoriously Arrested, Both from the Central Leadership of the Turkish Army, and Key Officers at International Cooperation-driven, Strategic "Incirlic" Air-Base, Even at the Direction of the Turkish Invasion/Occupation Army at the Northern Territories of Cyprus, But Also among Turkish Officers around NATO's Headquarters in Western Europe, (among whom several Reportedly asked Political Asylum), etc. Many Intermediary Army Officers, Suspected by the Government for Eventual Sympathy to the "Putchists", and/or for Any Other Political Affiliation among Various Dissidents, were practicaly Obliged to Seek to Escape from Massive "Purges" f.ex. by Seeking Asylum at Neigbouring Greece, that they Reached by Helicopter, Sea Boats, etc., Often Persecuted by Ankara's Authorities.

+ In Addition, a very Great Number of Young Conscrits, (most of whom Simply Obeyed to alleged "Putchists"' Orders f.ex. to Guard Istanbul's Bridges OverNight, etc), were, Massively DisArmed and Captured, Often by Shelf-styled Private Gangs, Some Bearig or Seizing Weapons, and Exposed to Public Humiiiations, Brutal and/or Sadic Ill-Treatments, Cowardly Beaten until they had Bloody Wounds, Even Lynched to Death, while Others were Notoriously Closed to Massive makeshift Detention Centers, in Awful Conditions, Worse than for Animals, Systematicaly semi-Naked, where, reportedly, several among them were Even Raped, as a kind of "Punishment"... Afterwards, Instead of, at least, putting some Sanctions for the Worse Abuses, on the Contrary, the current Turkish Political Authorities Massively ..."Praised" and Excluded from Any Sanction, Whatever Abuses they Might have Committed, ...All those who Claimed to have Reacted in order to "Fight the Putschists" and "Save the (current) Government", Inevitably Resulting into a Wide-Spread and Scadalous Impunity for Any Violent Crimes, against those Helpless Traped Young Conscrits, (for whom Even their Families could Not do almost Nothing)...

=> The Inevitable Result was an unavoidable Huge MisTrust Between the Turkish Government, and Often High-Standing Army Officers, as well as Numerous Simple Conscrits and their Families and Friends, But Also Middle-Rank Staff, (etc), as the overall Image, Reputation, and/or elementary Dignity of the Turkish Army had been Downgraded and Thrown Down to Mud, as Never Before in that Country's Past, (where Even its Historic Leader Attaturk was a Former Army Officer)...

>>> In Consequence, this Government canNot Really Trust what still Remains from the Country's Traditional Military Establishment, Not Even its Young Soldiers and their Families... Notoriously Engaged in a Too Large Fight, Both Against Leftists and Rightists, Atheists and Religious "Gulenists", etc. So that, this Turkish Army of Nowadays does Not really seem Able to Eventualy Launch Any "Glorious" Operation, has Probably Lost Various Experienced Top Officers, as well as the Enthousiasm of the Past among its Young Conscripts, etc. A Reciprocal MisTrust has been Installed, (by the anove-mentioned Exceptional Events), Between this Army and its Government. This Government can No More Trust all these Officers and Conscrits to be Really Motivated to do All the Dirty Jobs that it wants, so, it feels Obliged (for the 1st Time in its History) to Pay Foreign Mercenaries... But Mercenaries, Notoriously, will Not Resist to Fight, When things Become too Hard : They will, rather, Run Away... So, Nowadays' Turkey's Army is Not Stronger than in the Past, But much Weaker !

 This considerably Weakened Turkish Army (Comp. Supra) Nowadays looks, more and more, like a Toothless, Fake "Paper Tiger", almost Unable of doing anything else than Bullying much Smaller entities, with a Boost from Expensive Gadgets (like Drones, etc), and Costly (But also Brutal against Civilians) Islamist Extremist Mercenaries...

So that, a United, Modern and Democratic Europe has absolutely Nothing to Fear at all.

Except from one thing : After having Repeatedly Warned Turkey to Behave, EU, naturaly canNot leave Ankara withOut Any Sanction at all, if it insists Not to do so at all or Merely Pretends to, while, in Fact, still Persisting to Pressure Europe and Even Multiply veiled or Open Threats (Comp. Supra)...

But, what we all saw Today is a Sudden, UnExpected and quite UnPrecedented Postponement, for almost a Week, of an already "Exceptional" EU Heads of State/Goverment Summit, initialy Supposed to Focus, at last, on Eventual EU "Sanctions" to Turkey, After Many Vain "Warnings" by several Previous EU Summits to Ankara, (during almost 2 Years : 2018-2020).

The Pretext Notoriously is an alleged "Security Guard" of EU Council's President Michel, Added also to anOther, similar "Security Guard" of German Foreign Minister Maas, (who is currently part of the Rotating Chairmanship of the EU by the Berlin Government), Both those 2 Security Guards having, reportedly, been Tested "Positive" for Virus' Infections, almost at the Same Time, and, therefore, Obliging Michel and Maas to enter in "Quarantine" for 1 Week, as a matter of Routine, for simple Precaution against the Spread of Virus...

But, as Both Michel and Maas, (Together with EU High Representative for External Action Borrell) were, reportedly, Dealing precisely with Efforts to convince Ankara to hold Peaceful Talks with EU Members Greece and Cyprus on the Turkish Demands about South-Eastern Mediterranean Energy Resources, withOut any More Military Bullying and/or Harsh Provocations or Threats from Turkey, (Comp. Supra), several Medias Guessed that, such a "Coincidence", might be, in Fact, Less a Sanitary Issue, and Rather a ...Diplomatic one :

- "Turkey Off the Hook, as EU Postpones Sanctions' Decision !", significantly Titles, thus, Today, one of those Critical Medias, "Monitor", Published at Washington D.C., (while, However, speaking Also about a "Coronavirus' Scare")...

 - Indeed, the EU Parliament had Just Strongly  "Condemned" a Recent Turkish "NAFTEX", Dated  15 September, about More illegal "Drillings" inside EU Member Cyprus' EEZ, up to October 12, as Usually due to be Escorted by Ankara's WarShips, in the Only Vote taken quasi-Unanimously by MEPs, at a Resolution on Turkey (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/euparliamentonturkishbullyingeuropeanenergy.html, etc).

+ And Erdogan had just Made to EU Leadership a Series of supplementary Claims, adding also a Threat of Conflict, (Comp. Supra).

=> As a Consequence, Cyprus' Foreign Minister, Nicos Christodoulides, Yesterday reacted in Brussels by Triggering an UnExpected Postponement of new EU Sanctions on Belarus, as long as Turkey still Escapes from Any Sanction, and he was Supported by Many Other Countries on this Principle, reportedly adopted earlier at a Berlin Meeting, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/greececyprusoneuturkeybelarus.html).

>>> Thus, Converging Key Facts clearly indicate that, If the forthcoming Exceptional EU Summit on Turkey had taken place As Scheduled, (i.e. on September 24-25), then, normaly, Ankara would Not have Escaped from Any well-Deserved EU Sanction...

- So that, by Suddenly Postponing that Crucial Summit for almost a Week Later, (be it, Perhaps, through a kind of ..."Virus' Diplomacy" : Comp. Supra), the EU Council Obviously Gives to Turkey a Chance to Rectify.

- However, at the Same Time, EU inevitably Reaches a Dangerous Area of High Risks :

Not that to Eventualy Face Ankara's "Paper Tiger" Weakened Army, Heavily Depending After 2016 on Islamist Extremist Mercenaries, (Comp. Supra).

But the Big Risk for the EU is to eventualy Lose its Credibility, If a recalcitrant Turkey Escapes again a just punishment, in Front of the Eyes of All the World, whose Numerous Medias have been closely Following relevant Events...

 

(../..)

 

("Draft-News")

 

---------------------------------

 


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Former "Green-Red" German government's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer's job at the controversial Turkish pipeline "Nabucco" was denounced as "not proper", "very bad", and "incompatible with Democracy", by the new President of EU Parliament's EuroLeft Group, German Lothar Bisky, replying to an "EuroFora" question.

For once, criticism of Joschka Fischer's doings with Turkey affecting Europe, didn't come only from the Center-Right of the political spectrum, but even from his Left side : The experienced Bisky, who has been chairing all over 1993-2009 the PDS - Die Linke party :  

- "Former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer got involved in dealings with oil-gaz business in a foreign country, Turkey, and its controversial Nabucco pipeline. This raises questions about Democracy, also because of the well known problems of Human Rights violations in that country. Do you thing that this might be abused in order to cover up and close EU's eyes on Human Rights violations ?", "EuroFora" asked Bisky.

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- "Nabucco pipeline is (only) at the planning stage". And "there are some difficulties",  he observed from the start. But "'I don't want to get into the details of Nabucco pipeline, because I don't think that there is any point for it at the moment".
 
At any case,  "we  (EU Parliament's EuroLeft Group) strongly believe that Politicians should not get involved in the Energy Business, and all these commercial transactions", President Bisky declared on the Joschka Fiischer's affair.

- "We feel that it's something that shouldn't be done. It's not proper !"           

- "We don't think that it's compatible with Democracy either, and it gets politics into a very Bad track", Bisky went on to denounce.
                                                                                                                                                                        
- "EuroLeft  and "Die Linke" always spoke against that, saying that politicians should not get directly into the arms of private enterprises"

- "It is pretty bad if a former Minister takes a job f.ex. in a major Energy producer. So, it's an issue if a Minister who may have seen excellent opportunities, subsequently gets personally grasp of them, in very serious parts of the economy, once he has given up his (Government) job."

- "It doesn't really make politics in general look any better'", Bisky concluded.

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Earlier, this week in Strasbourg, other Journalists had also raised critical questions on former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer's involvement in the conroversial Turkish Nabucco pipeline to the President of his own EuroParty : Kohn-Bendit of the "Greens", who, contrary to Bisky, tried to find excuses for Fischer, while criticizing his long-time partner, Schroeder for having done a similar move :

- "Shroeder was chancellor", and he "negociated" with "Russians", who gave him a job only "3 Months" after he resigned from the Government. While "Joschka Fischer", on the contrary, got a job with the controversial Turkish Nabucco pipeline only "4 Years after" he left the Government. "He didn't negociate Nabucco", so I have "no objection", Kohn Bendit claimed.

But, many Facts indicate the contrary :

Joschka Fischer was Foreign Minister in Germany from 1999 up to 2005 : I.e. from the year that EU took the controversial decision to give Turkey a "Candidate" status, until he year it started controversial "accession negotiations, (later declared "open-ended" after Sarkozy-Merkel's arrival from 2005-2007).

During that period was prepared the controversial so-called "Annan" Plan (in fact, drafted by others and attributed afterwards to the former UN SG) on Cyprus, which failed after a Popular Referendum said "No" on 2004 with a large Majoriy of 3/4 : 75%. Mainly because it was criticized for making too much concessions to the Turkish side :  Particularly by restricting Greek Cypriot Refugees' Human Right to return to their ancestral Land and/or get restitution of their Familiy Homes and private properties, usurpated by Ankara's Army since the 1974 militay invasion and continuing occupation of the northern part of Cyprus. And by weakening the Central Government, leaving to 2 "constituent States" so much powers and separate interests that more conflicts appeared inevitable, provoking the danger of a break-down in the foreseable future, with more crisis, troubles, perhaps bloodshed, etc., instead of creating an harmoniously integrated, really one federal State.

The controversial Plan was finalized on March-April 2004 at Burgenstock (Switzerland), curiously in the presence of an Envoy by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, then governed by Joschka Fischer, but in the absence of a French and not even an European Union's Envoy, contrary to what was usually practiced on similar occasions in Switzerland (fex. in 1997 at Montreux, in 2000 at Geneva, etc).

Turkey notoriously exploited the failure of the "Annan" Plan in order to convince the EU to decide to start accession Negotiations on December 2004. This provoked an unprecedented series of Institutional Crisis inside the EU, shortly afterwards, when French and Dutch People rejected, 2 popular EuroReferenda by a majority "'No" vote to the EU Constitutional Treaty on 2005, aggraveted in 2004 a Majority Abstention to EU Elections, etc., followed by the recent Irish "No", etc.

"Nabucco" Gas pipeline was notoriously planned since ..2002. It follows an even earlier idea, for an Oil pipeline Baku-Ceyhun, which started to be prepared on 1999-2001 and was meanwhile recently completed.  

So, facts indicate that what is now at stake is based on decisions made during Joschka Fischer's term as former Foreign Minister, closely interested in Turkey's controversial EU-bid.

To the point that he now practically ...switched jobs with a poliician from Turkey, (the State which pays today openly Joschka Fischer), Mr. Ozdemir, who came earlier in Germany, got fast the nationality, and became EiuroMP in a few years, continuing now as head of the "Greens" in Germany, i.e. in Joschka's former job !...

Such astonishing facts risk, unfotunately, to give to German politician Lothar Bisky's criticism of  representative Democracy a topical meaning :

 - "We (EuroLeft Group) think that what is really at stake is Democracy. It's not only about Gas Pipelines or Energy sources", President Lothar Bisky went on to add in his reply to "EuroFora"'s question on Joscka Fischer's personal interests in the controversial Turkish "Nabuco" pipeline.

Such facts, "make People get more distance from Politics. ...People had had enough, and they are fed up !".

- "That's why we (EuroParliament's "EuroLeft" Group) want to strengthen Direct Democracy in Europe. Citizens should be involved in the (EU) Decision-making. In the end of the day, it's not going to help anyone if Politicians are always taking decisions, without involving Citizens. We want to give a voice to the People of Europe. They've got to have their say in the decisions that are taken. That's one of our absolutely fixed and steadfast views. We want more Direct Democracy in Europe. That's how it can become more effective and stronger", he concluded.

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