News:

On October 2nd 2014, the Turkish parliament authorized the government to carry out cross-border military operations in Iraq and Syria to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other armed groups. The motion, put forward by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, passed with 298 votes in favors and 98 against. The vote also allows foreign soldiers to be stationed in Turkey and to use its military bases for the same purposes with no limit on the troop numbers. Speaking before the parliament, Ismet Yilmaz, Turkish defence minister said, "The rising influence of radical groups in Syria threatens Turkey's national security. ... The aim of this mandate is to minimise as much as possible the impact of the clashes on our borders." He added, "The only target of this text is a terrorist organisation that wants to disturb the peace of Iraq and Syria."

The vote was immediately welcomed by America. "We have been closely engaged with Turkey. We welcome the Turkish parliament's vote to authorize Turkish military action," Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, said.

Comment:

The vote passed by the Turkish parliament raises several interesting questions. Will Turkey permit America to use Incirlik Air Base and allow American troops to be stationed on its soil? Will Turkey's fear of Kurdish self-determination hamper its fight against ISIL? Will Turkey now close its borders to jihadis wanting to cross over to Iraq? Will Turkey target other Islamic groups in Syria in addition to ISIL, thereby strengthening Assad's grip on power? Will Turkey strike Kurdish militants groups operating in Iraq and Syria under the pretext of fighting terrorism? These are just some of the questions being asked of Turkey.

However, the most dangerous dimension to Turkey's parliamentary approval, is that it precariously brings Turkey close to fighting those Islamic elements in Iraq and Syria that Ankara helped to create. In many ways, Turkey is now mirroring what happened to Pakistan some decades ago.

In the eighties, Pakistan in collaboration with the US and Saudi Arabia radicalized the Pakistani population during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and later recruited Afghans from more than three million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan. These Afghans were given religious schooling in madrassas backed by Saudis as well as military training by ISI. Thus the Taliban movement was born, and with ISI guidance Taliban were able to conquer large parts of Afghanistan. Later the movement turned on Pakistan under the banner of Tehrik Taliban Pakistan.

Today Turkey's current situation resembles the early years of Pakistan's sponsorship of the Taliban. ISIL and other groups are recruiting militants in Turkey, as well as from Syrian refugee camps. By starting a fight against ISIL and other Islamic groups in Syria, there is real danger that Ankara will quickly become embroiled in a protracted guerilla war confined within Turkish borders.

Such a situation does not benefit Turkey or the Muslims of Iraq and Syria. The only beneficiary is America, which has unashamedly embarked upon an elaborate plan to change the map of the Middle East - after dismemberment of Iraq and the partitioning of Syria - Turkey will become America's next victim.

The Pakistanization of Turkey is intended to weaken Turkey both economically and militarily before the next phase of balkanization can begin. In Pakistan's case, America has wasted little opportunity in talking about the balkanization of Pakistan by hosting independence movements such as Baluchistan nationalists. How long before Turkey ends up where Pakistan is today?

Indeed the real lesson to learn from Pakistan's folly is that America along with other Western powers can never be trusted. And in this context, the Turkish government should have taken the following steps:

1.    To announce the closure of all Western embassies and the immediate expulsion of their diplomats. It is well known that Western embassies are the cauldron of conspiracies and intelligence operations directed against the Turkish state.

2.    To sever all military ties with Western powers which also includes NATO. To seize all military equipment that belongs to their armed forces and to expel or imprison their personnel, especially American armed forces and NATO personnel, who are actively at war with the Muslim world.

3.    To immediately address the grievances of the Kurdish population and sign an agreement with the warring Kurdish militants to lay down their arms and join the ranks of the Turkish army.

4.    To mobilize all Islamic militants opposed to Assad to join the ranks of the Turkish army and then to march to Damascus to remove Assad and his henchmen from power. Those groups that that refuse to join should be isolated and dealt a fatal blow.

5.    To persuade other Muslim countries allying with America to sever ties with her and join Turkey in liberating Syria and returning refugees safely home to both Syria and Iraq.

6.    To send a stern message to Iran that if it fails to withdraw its support to Assad, Abadi and Hezbollah then Tehran will pay a heavy price.

These are just some of the actions that are well within the grasp of Turkey's leadership and if performed sincerely and correctly, can prevent America and her allies from executing their evil plans against the Turkish state and the wider Muslim Ummah.

But for Turkey to be taken seriously by the Muslim Ummah, Turkey must abandon its secularism, whole-heartedly embrace Islam and re-establish the rightly guided Caliphate. Under the Ottoman Caliphate the Muslim world was protected from the nefarious designs of the European crusaders for many centuries and at its peak i.e. during the rule of Suliman Qanooni Muslims from Africa, Middle East, India and the Far East enjoyed unrivaled peace, prosperity, and security which was the envy of the West. So think what will happen today, if Turkey decides to resurrect the days of the Caliphate, not the days of the Ottoman, Abbasid or Ummayad Caliphate, but the days of the Caliphate on the way of the Prophethood?

(يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُم لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ)

"Oh you who have Iman, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered." [Surah Al-Anfal :24]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Abu Hashim