Opinion: Erdogan’s nationalist ally’s shifting stance on Palestine

People don’t fight because they go mad; they might go mad while fighting.

“Even if not to the extent of our support for the Palestinian cause, at least half as much, you have never spoken about Turkey’s historical rights, its fight against terrorism, and the plight of captive Turks scattered across vast territories. You’ve never shown shame for shielding terrorists trained in Palestinian camps who infiltrated our country. Has the Palestinian head of state ever raised a voice against the PKK and FETO, even once? Has he ever shown any reaction? He hasn’t. Because the issue was always Turkey and the Turkish nation.”

These words were spoken by Erdogan’s nationalist ally Devlet Bahçeli, the chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), at his party’s group meeting four months ago. While his initial target was Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, he also aimed the history of the Palestinian cause itself. He even went as far as to suggest that Palestine harboured terrorism against Turkey. That was a reaction to the Palestinian president’s support for China concerning the Uighurs, during his visit to China.

But that wasn’t all…

Bahçeli invited Rebiya Kadeer, President of the World Uyghur Congress, who advocates for the Uyghur region’s separation from China, to Turkey. Although Kader was banned from entering Turkey, Bahçeli stated that MHP was ready to host her.

A Security Bombshell

Naturally, the Turkish Foreign Office remained silent. That is because Kadeer’s entry into the country would be akin to handing Turkey a security bomb. The Rabia Kader issue delves much deeper than just concerns for Turkish identity.

Let’s elaborate…

She is currently being hosted in the USA. However, it should not be forgotten that Rabia Kader once lived in China. She started her life as a laundress and eventually became the seventh richest person in China. She was a leading member of the Chinese National Congress.

US policies towards minorities in countries they consider hostile turned Kadeer into a political criminal. Rabia Kader, whose husband defected to the United States in 1996, was accused of passing classified state information to US officials. In 1999, she was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Rabia Kader was released in 2005 at the behest of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She left China and settled in the USA. She was subsequently appointed president of the World Uyghur Congress. Since then, she has become an instrument of the US against China in international relations. To incite problems within their adversaries.

This metaphor isn’t without purpose. We’re essentially looking at a “Fethullah Gülen of China”.

The reason Kader cannot enter Turkey is not because of the CHP. It’s the current government. The AKP government banned Kader from entering Turkey to prevent a conflict between China and Turkey.

This Way and That

Why do I bring this up?

At the start of the summer, it was Bahçeli who declared a conflict with China in anger over Palestine. Within four months, he came to the point of suggesting sending troops to Gaza. This peculiar oscillation also demonstrates a failure to grasp the mindset behind the founding of the Republic, especially as its 100th-anniversary approaches.

The Republic was established after a process where military valour based on homeland defence was complemented by political gains. However, the present government, which began with the ambition to depoliticize the military but instead politicized it, has left the resolution of every political problem it created in the hands of the military. They set out with the dream of overthrowing governments in Iraq and Syria. They planned to buy three and get one free, all while offering prayers at the Umayyad Mosque. They not only brought the world’s largest refugee burden to their country but also condemned the Turkish army to remain in Iraq and Syria, entangled in political ineptitude. The army has transformed into a gendarmerie guarding brick houses along the border, yet unable to rescue its citizens from homes destroyed in domestic earthquakes.

Now, those trying to hand the solution to even the most intractable global problem over to the military reveal their intentions, beginning with the word “guarantor”. Turkey serving as a guarantor for Cyprus or Nakhchivan was a reality. You become the guarantor of a contract you’ll pay rent for and the guarantee of land where you’ll give your life if necessary.

Besides the fact that there isn’t yet an agreement to protect Gaza, even if there were, we know the outcome: The blood of our soldiers spilt in Gaza in exchange for money from Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia!

We often think wars are won with weapons. However, it’s nothing but the intellect that leads to victory.