top
International
International
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

Flashback to 2011: Ensnaring Syria in the run-up to NATO’s genocidal war: “Turkey-Syria

by Cem Ertür (cem.ertur [at] gmail.com)
In the light of Turkey's crucial role in NATO’s five-year-long genocidal covert war on Syria, it truly beggars belief that only five weeks before the launch of this war in March 2011, Turkey’s then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (now President) was still fully engaged in ensnaring Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad with an utterly treacherous “friendship” discourse. In fact, 4 months after a foundation stone laying ceremony of a “friendship dam” held at the border between Turkey’s Hatay province and Syria’s Idlib province; the same border area was used by NATO’s mercenary-terrorists to perpetrate their first large-scale massacre in Syria.
 

Flashback to 2011: Ensnaring Syria in the run-up to NATO’s genocidal war: “Turkey-Syria friendship without borders”



Propaganda alert

compiled by Cem Ertür


16 March 2016






In the light of Turkey's crucial role in NATO’s five-year-long genocidal covert war on Syria, it truly beggars belief that only five weeks before the launch of this war in March 2011, Turkey’s then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (now President) was still fully engaged in ensnaring Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad with an utterly treacherous “friendship” discourse. In fact, 4 months after a foundation stone laying ceremony of a “friendship dam” held at the border between Turkey’s Hatay province and Syria’s Idlib province; the same border area was used by NATO’s mercenary-terrorists to perpetrate their first large-scale massacre in Syria.









Türkiye, 7 February 2011



headline:  Friendship without borders

Turkey and Syria laid the foundation stone of the ‘Friendship Dam’. Further steps which will transform the border [between Turkey and Syria] into a nominal one are due to follow...


caption
:  Messages of fraternity: Thousands of Turkish and Syrian people took part in the foundation stone laying ceremony in Hatay [province]. [Turkey’s] Prime Minister Erdogan and Syria’s Prime Minister Otri (whom Erdogan calls “my precious friend”) waved to the crowds by holding each other’s hands. Both prime ministers stated that the exemplary friendship and cooperation between their countries will continue by reinforcing further.


sidebar
:  
The agenda in Aleppo is the flame of rebellion

After the foundation stone laying ceremony, [Turkey’s] Prime Minister Erdogan went to Aleppo to meet Syria’s leader Bashar Assad. The two leaders discussed the developments in Egypt and Lebanon and pointed out that they will be undertaking joint efforts to meet the demands of the people of Egypt and to restore stability to Lebanon.




___________________________________





Today, we are conducting here in Hatay [province], and will be conducting in a short while across [the border] in Syria’s Idlib city [i.e. province],  a very important foundation stone laying ceremony which will literally change the course of the history. In fact, from today onwards, the Orontes River will be transformed from a river that separates us from each other, that draws a borderline between us, into one that joins us together, that enables us to embrace each other. [...]

Eight years ago we called for a ‘zero problem [policy] with the neighbours’ as we are sincerely believe that to the extent that Syria is peaceful, Turkey will also be equally peaceful; to the extent that Turkey achieves prosperity, Syria will achieve equal prosperity. Because the [course of] history rendered us [two] brotherly nations. [...]  In fact, 1000 [...] years ago, all the nations of this Region, we fought shoulder-to-shoulder [against the Crusades]. [...]  Not only during the Crusades, but during the following 1000 years we have always been together in these territories, we had fraternity with each other. [...]

We have always wholeheartedly said “Al-jaar qabla al-dar” [in Arabic], which means “Choose your neighbors before choosing your home”. In fact, today we are fulfilling what this proverb of our ancestors, this heritage of our civilization requires.

Together with my brother Assad, with my brother Naji Otri, we elaborated one by one all those artificial problems between Turkey and Syria and started resolving them: We removed visas [respectively], began clearing landmine-ridden territories [on both sides of the border], launched respective train journeys, encouraged bilateral trade [and] mutual tourism. [....]  Now Syria is winning, Turkey is winning, peace, friendship and fraternity is winning. [...]  Everyone should rest assured that peace is the only thing Turkey desires in this Region. [...]

Turkey and Syria’s friendship over the past 8 years constitutes a role model for the entire Region. [...]  May this Dam [project] prove to be a symbol of friendship [and] fraternity between us. [...]  Long live Turkey’s friendship with Syria!  


[Speech by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Friendship Dam to be built on the Orontes River between Turkey’s border village of Ziyaret (Hatay province) and Syria’s border village of al-Allani (Idlib province), Hatay, 6 February 2011.]




source: Transcribed and translated from a video (in Turkish) of Mr Erdogan’s speech.



editorial note:  Apart from Prime Minister Erdogan, the following ministers have attended this ceremony:

*   Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz and Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin 


*  
Syria’s Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and Minister of Irrigation George Malki Soumi









Sabah, 7 February 2011




headline:  Turkey serves as role model for a solution [in Egypt]   

sub-headline:
 A report by NATO [Defense] College and an analysis in the New York Times both came up with the same conclusion: ‘Turkey should serve as a role model for Egypt’.


sidebar:
  ‘Lessons must be drawn from what is being experienced [in Egypt]’  

Yesterday, [Turkey’s] Prime Minister Erdogan met with Syria’s leader Assad in Aleppo. At the meeting where the developments in Egypt were discussed, Erdogan told Assad “Lessons must be drawn from what is being experienced [in Egypt]”. Assad, in turn, stated that they will expand the reforms [in Syria].

caption (smaller photo at the bottom):  An agreement “to undertake joint efforts to meet the expectations of the people of Egypt” was reached during Erdogan’s meeting with Assad at the presidential palace [in Aleppo].

[hyperlinks and emphasis added]



editorial note:  With hindsight, this front page is highly revealing of the real agenda behind Turkey’s “friendship without borders” discourse.









Sabah, 26 April 2011




headline
:  
Secret deployment of the CIA chief

sub-headline
:  In order to evaluate the Arab revolts with Turkey, CIA Director General Leon Panetta has spent five full days in Ankara.




excerpts from:  CIA Baskani'ndan 'cok gizli' ziyaret  [CIA Director’s ‘top secret’ visit]

[emphasis added]




Sabah obtained important details of highly critical consultations held in Ankara at a time when Arab revolts [sic] engulfed Syria as well. The Director of U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Leon Panetta paid a surprise visit to Ankara at the end of March [2011]. (*)  Panetta’s five-day-long visit to Ankara was kept secret from the public opinion. [...]  Apart from the Director of MIT [i.e. Turkey’s ‘National Intelligence Directorate’] Hakan Fidan Panetta held consultations with the officials from the Government and from the General Staff [of Turkish Armed Forces]. [...]

[At the meeting], it was concluded that Syria is “at a critical threshold” [...] [and] unless Assad takes urgent steps, the country will rapidly fall into civil chaos. Details of what Turkey designates as a “classified” [plan] about Syria were also discussed. It was pointed out that the “classified” [plan] consists of a regime change in Syria and of ensuring life safety of the Assad family.



(*)  NATO’s covert war on Syria was launched on March 15th, 2011. 
 







Sabah, 27 April 2011




headline
:  Plan B for Syria is ready


sub-headline
:  In the face of the escalation of violence in the neighbouring Syria, Ankara elaborates its “classified” Plan B.

 


excerpts from:  Suriye icin B plani hazir  [Plan B for Syria is ready]

[emphasis added]




Turkey, which has warned Syria’s head of state Bashar Assad against using arms on its own people, elaborates its “classified Plan B” in the face of expansion of incidents into a wider area in the country and increasing number of deaths. [Turkey’s] “Plan A” was based on Assad administration remaining in power and on the country’s transition to democracy, whereas “Plan B” entails the possibility of “chaos, civil war and migration in Syria”. “Plan B” will be on the agenda of [Turkey’s] National Security Council meeting tomorrow. [...]  Describing [a prospective] wave of [Syrian] immigrants [to Turkey] as “intense”, [...] [“Plan B”] entails [setting up] pilot hospitals as well as two reception camps in Hatay and one each in Sanliurfa, Kilis and Mardin [border provinces]. 



editorial note: It is important to bear in mind that the first violent incident in northern Syria occurred 40 days after the publication of this news report: On June 5th, 2011, NATO’s mercenary-terrorists who infiltrated from Turkey’s Hatay province brutally massacred 120 Syrian police officers and soldiers in Jisr al-Shoughour town which is located 14 kilometres from the border.

In the same month, Mehmet Ali Ediboglu, the then MP 
from Hatay province of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), revealed the details of a confidential briefing to Hatay’s top local authorities and bureaucrats held by the then governor of Hatay Celalettin Lekesiz: Expecting an influx of up to 350,000 Syrian “asylum seekers” to Hatay province, the authorities were making preparations to host them between 6 months to 5 years.  (source: Siginmacilara is ve ev vaadi iddiasi, SES, 20 June 2011)




___________________________________




Fast forward to February 2016:




If today there is a genuine moderate opposition in Syria, this is thanks to Turkey’s support. If today the Regime is not capable of controlling all of its territories, this is thanks to the support of Turkey and certain other states.  [...]  If we were to launch a military intervention on Syria, who would guarantee that Arab countries will defend and support us?

[Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s interview (in Turkish) with al-Jazeera Turk (Turkish edition of al-Jazeera), 23 February 2016]   [emphasis added]





“In order to fight against the threats it faces, Turkey reserves the right to launch all sorts of operations it sees necessary within Syria and anywhere terrorist organizations incubate. This has nothing to do with [i.e. does not violate] the sovereignty rights of the states that are incapable of maintaining their territorial integrity. [...]  It is rather farcical that those who come from another end of the world [i.e. Russia] to defend the bloody-handed Regime under the guise of fighting DAESH try to constrain Turkey within its borders despite all the threats and attacks it has been subjected to. [...]  When we are in a position of self-defence, whoever comes into our path we will see them as a terrorist and will treat them accordingly.”  (*)

[Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s speech (in Turkish) at an event to celebrate the inclusion of Gaziantep city on the list of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, Ciragan Palace Kempinski hotel, Istanbul, 20 February 2016]   [emphasis added]

 


___________________________________
 


Related:


War crimes alert: Turkish daily: "Aleppo to become the 82nd province of Turkey"

propaganda alert by Cem Ertür, Indybay, 9 August 2015



NATO and Turkey’s genocidal war on Syria

by Cem Ertür, Axis of Logic, 7 April 2014


Morally bankrupt Turkish media counts down for war on Syria


propaganda alert by Cem Ertür, Indybay,  29 August 2013  



The Role of Turkey in the US-NATO-Israeli War on Syria

Turkey
’s false-flag operation against Syria backfires: The Reyhanli bombing attacks in a larger context


by Cem Ertür, Global Research, 29 May 2013



Merkel's visit: Germany and Turkey at the forefront of NATO's war propaganda against Syria 

propaganda alert by Cem Ertür, Indybay, 26 February 2013  



Turkish daily: Turkey’s plan to finish off Assad

propaganda alert by Cem Ertür, Indybay, 11 February 2012  


Turkey’s final warning to Syria: Tomorrow may be too late for reforms

propaganda alert by Cem Ertür, Indybay, 18 June 2011
 

__________________________________
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$210.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network