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