MISTAKES ARE NOT AN OPTION

The situation in Turkey has worsened on the eve of and during the first days of 2017 with the new tragic incidents, which indicate a further aggravation of country’s internal political life and regional geostrategic position. These extraordinary events call for taking crucial decisions aimed at accelerating the mobilization of all resources of the Turkish people and the state.

The assassination of Andrei Karlov

The assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara had a cold-shower effect not only on Russia but also Turkey. The 62-year-old ambassador was shot on December 19 during the opening of the photo exhibition dedicated to Russian contemporary art in Ankara. The perpetrator was killed during the exchange of fire with the police and the special forces. It was identified that the 22-year-old Mevlüt Mert Altintas has previously worked for two and a half years in the security services.

It is obvious that the forces behind the murder of Andrei Karlov have pursued far-reaching political goals. But who was backing up this outrageous crime? Ankara claims that the culprit is the movement led by the Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen residing in the US. According to Turkish law enforcement authorities, twelve people were detained in connection with the murder of the Russian diplomat including killer's relatives and activists of the Gulen movement. The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that there was irrefutable evidence linking the killer to the FETÖ ("Fethullah Terrorist Organization").

Meanwhile, the Turkish government and the vast majority of experts believe that the murder of Andrei Karlov was backed by forces not interested in the further rapprochement between Ankara and Moscow. This is clearly indicated in the statements of the leaders of Russia and Turkey. Thus, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, describing the attack in Ankara art gallery as "extremely tragic event", has assured that his country "would not tolerate anyone spoiling Turkey’s relations with Russia." During a telephone conversation with President Erdogan, the Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the assassination a "cowardly murder" and "provocation" aimed at disrupting the good relations with Turkey.

It is noteworthy that both Putin and Erdogan have mentioned the mutual understanding on the Syrian issue as one of the important components of the recent Russian-Turkish rapprochement. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that the assassination of Karlov happened just before the trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran in Moscow, designed to be an attempt to establish the lasting peace in Syria. At a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu also said that the main objective of the organizers of the attack on the ambassador was "to harm the Russian-Turkish relations and compromise the outcomes that we have achieved recently." Lavrov and Cavusoglu expressed their countries' readiness "to exclude the possibility of further provocations undermining the progressive development of Russian-Turkish relations and the cooperation between the countries in the fight against terrorism in Syria and Iraq no matter where they come from."

Thus, the events associated with the murder of Andrei Karlov have made the problem of combating terrorism even more relevant. Moreover, this problem goes beyond internal political interests, in particular the suppression of "parallel state" Gulen, and is directly related to the ISIS threat emanating in Syria and Iraq.

A Nightmare in Reina

Yet another horrific terrorist attack committed by ISIS shook Turkey in the New Year's Eve. A criminal broke into the nightclub Reina in Istanbul's Ortaköy district and opened fire on visitors resulting in the death of 39 people (16 of them are foreigners) and nearly 70 people injured. During the investigation, the Turkish police established the identity of the terrorist. According to Turkish media, he is a native of Uzbekistan named Abdulgadir Masharipov, also known as Abu Mohammed Khorasan. The leaders of ISIS praised the attack on the "triumph of the apostates" and called it a revenge for Ankara’s military operations in Syria.

This terrorist attack outlined the vital importance of the fight against terrorists who declared war on Ankara. "They are trying to bring Turkey to their knees. The terrorists are attacking our country from all sides. They are trying to put a knife in the back of the Turkish nation. But the best response to this is the heroic chronicle of the Turkish people. These games will not work!" said President Erdogan.

Without a doubt, ISIS will not achieve their goals taking revenge for the Turkish offensive in Syria. Recent developments in Syria show that Turkey is significantly tightens the heat of war against the ISIS. The operation Euphrates Shield carried out by the Turkish troops is quite successful in eliminating the terrorists in the northern Syria. Ankara cooperates in this process with Russia, which in fact, demonstrates a thorough understanding of Turkey's intentions in its ongoing anti-terrorist operation. Thus, the differences between Moscow and Ankara on political participation of the Syrian President Bashar Assad to have a tactical value. This issue is relegated to second place amidst large-scale strategic objectives pursued by both Turkey and Russia in the Syrian settlement. After all, it is about the speedy achievement of peace between the battling Syrian forces. Significant progress (with the mediation of Russia, Turkey and Iran) has been achieved in the direction over the recent years.

In addition, Ankara and Moscow agreed on the need to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria and the complete suppression of terrorism in this long-suffering country. The latter aspect is extremely important for Turkey, not only in the context of the ISIS, but also the need for the final suppression of the Kurdish terrorism for several decades, threatening the territorial unity and security of the Turkish state.

The bloody trail of PKK

In the early days of 2017, the Kurdish terrorists reminded of themselves having committed the next terrorist attack. A car bomb exploded at the courthouse in Izmir killing two people: a police and court officer. Two suspected terrorists were shot down during a shootout.

The Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag believes that the terrorist organization PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) was behind the terrorist attack in Izmir. The Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said that the intelligence services failed to prevent the worst developments in Izmir, as evidenced by weapon found on the site of explosion.

The Izmir terrorist attack, along with the bloody event in Istanbul’s nightclub, confirmed the need to continue the Operation Euphrates Shield in the north of Syria. The Turkish army is tasked not only with the elimination of the ISIS terrorists and Kurdish groups from the so-called Party of Democratic Union and the self-defense forces of Syrian Kurds acting in close alliance with the PKK. It is also important to strengthen the fight against PKK troops stationed on Iraqi territory.

On January 7, the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim arrived in Baghdad for talks with the Iraqi President Fuad Maasum and Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi. The result of these talks was an agreement on the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the northern Iraqi city of Ba’shiqah. In addition, Yıldırım voiced the willingness of the Kurdish authorities of Iraq to facilitate the withdrawal of PKK units from Sinjar district. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi confirmed that the joint forces of the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga would ensure security in Sinjar.

These achievements are very important for Ankara, as it is afraid that Sinjar mainly populated by Turkomans may fall under the control of PKK. The Turkish President Erdogan has recently warned that his country would not allow the conversion of Sinjar in new Kandil, an area in northern Iraq, which has become a haven for PKK bases and camps. Binali Yildirim also met with Turkoman politicians and ensured that Turkey was doing its best to support the Turkomans, who in this difficult time for Iraq to suffer more than other ethnic groups.

Notably the joint statement of the high-level Council of Strategic Cooperation between Turkey and Iraq, where both sides have expressed their readiness to counter any threats to their national security. At a joint press conference in Erbil with the head of the Kurdish autonomy Massoud Barzani, Binali Yildirim stated categorically: "We will do everything that is necessary to put an end to PKK. We do not see the differences between organizations such as the ISIS, PKK and FETÖ. All of them create problems not only in Turkey but also in Iraq. Turkey, Iraq and the Kurdistan region of Iraq share a common goal to destroy the terrorist groups."

Meanwhile, amidst the fight against terrorism in Iraq and Syria, the conflict between Turkey and the United States is increasingly demonstrative. The main cause is Washington's unwillingness to stop using the Kurdish forces as one of the instruments of the US policy in the Middle East. During his recent speech at the Turkish parliament, Prime Minister Yıldırım blamed the existing US administration for the supply of weapons to Kurdish terrorists. "The United States should not allow this strategic partnership with Turkey to be overshadowed by a terrorist organization", said Yıldırım.

Also, Ankara and the pro-government media accused the West in the implementation of activities aimed at undermining stability in Turkey. One of the members of the Turkish parliament from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) even accused the CIA in the bombing of Reina nightclub in Istanbul. If such statements can be regarded as a manifestation of lack of seriousness of individual politicians, the signals coming from Ankara over the possible dismantlement of the US presence in the Turkish military base Incirlik can hardly be suspected of levity and lack of political vision.

All these latest events in Turkey and around the country make this great Eurasian power to adopt a very clear strategic vision that would serve the interests of the sovereignty and security of the Turkish people. Mistakes are not an option in this case.