Opinion

Erdogan’s folly and brinkmanship!

September 11, 2020
Erdogan’s folly and brinkmanship!

Jameel Altheyabi



The European Union and the international community have no option other than to put a decisive end to the foolish policies of President Recep Erdogan, the “sick man of Turkey”, following his senseless actions that emanate from schizophrenia while posing a threat to international peace and security.

Every day, he is embarking on a new adventure, or rather a new gamble, by pushing the limits and testing everyone’s patience. Every foray of his just reinforces the policy of brinkmanship that will hasten his end, catching him unawares.

This inglorious end will be the result before the world allows him to realize his dream of “hegemony”, which he has detailed in accordance with his ideological measures with the mentality of a fish seller, who has yet to make his catch.

Erdogan pretends that he is spreading his hegemony over the Ottoman Empire territories that were ‘wiped out’, and he cherishes every day a “waking dream” in which he sees himself standing with his army on the threshold of Vienna, despite realizing that Europe will not open its arms to him no matter how much he pretends to comply with and accept the conditions set out by Brussels.

French President Emmanuel Macron was very frank in his assessment earlier during his last meeting with the sick Turkish man, who has been dreaming of becoming the new Ottoman Sultan, by calling out Erdogan and his policies.

“It was time to end the hypocrisy of pretending that there was any prospect of an advance in Turkey’s membership talks with the European Union. As far as the relationship with the European Union is concerned, it is clear that recent developments and choices (Erdogan’s) do not allow any progression of the process in which we are engaged,” he said.

The hegemonic tendencies of Erdogan is becoming more evident as he renews his blackmailing of Europe by entering into a confrontation with Greece and Cyprus — the two members of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), claiming Turkey’s stake in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean. He does so while facing the worst situation on the domestic front.

In fact, Erdogan’s situation at home has increasingly begun to worsen since 2014, as Turkey’s economy began its slide on the slippery slope heading toward an eventual collapse, with a surge in inflation reaching 20 percent, jump in unemployment to 15 percent, while the price of the Turkish lira has fallen to record low levels. In tandem with the failing of the economy, his popularity, day by day, is also eroding.

It is true that the ruling Justice and Development Party, which holds the presidency of the international outfit of the Muslim Brotherhood, had won the municipal elections that were held on March 31, but lost the three largest mayoralties in Turkey, which are Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul, the strongholds of support that propelled Erdogan to presidency.

The coup that was attempted in 2016 showed that Erdogan had succeeded in winning the enmity of all groups of the Turkish people, simply because they have become victims of his cruelty, oppression, and fury. The examples of his narcissistic behavior include a 16-year-old boy’s arrest on charges of insulting the president; and the former Miss Turkey, who was harassed by the regime just for sharing a poem criticizing the “dictator”. What is certain is that Erdogan is floundering inside Turkey with one failure following another.

Erdogan, while battling the rising tide of unpopularity at home, has simultaneously unleashed his foreign adventures, invading northern Syria, dispatching fighter planes and artillery to invade the northern Iraqi territories, and disastrously intervening in Libya. He is using the Qatari regime (the rejected Hamadain) to share with him the realization of his dream of expansion and hegemony over the Gulf and the Arab countries up to the borders of Somalia and the coasts of Sudan.

Currently he is practicing reckless “antics” in the eastern Mediterranean waters... just another addition to his litany of misadventures... What is becoming more and more obvious is that Erdogan’s foolish policies and his annihilated dreams are bouncing back to tarnish him... and the results of which are becoming evident to all.


September 11, 2020
695 views
HIGHLIGHTS
Opinion
day ago

Navigating healthcare's future: Solutions for a sustainable system

Opinion
10 days ago

Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York’s 1977 Blackout

Opinion
12 days ago

Riyadh: The hub of wisdom and the pillar of solidarity