Turkish Foreign Minister Calls for Eurasian Union

If I didn't venture over to Russia.ru and decide to watch yet another video of Alexander Dugin, I would probably never hear about this pronouncement by a senior Turkish politician. But the pronouncement is not the only information this bearded Eurasianist conveys. He also mentions the 'Ergenekon affair,' an issue which was likewise previously unknown to me. Let me start off with the 'Ergenekon affair' first, as it is a rather perplexing issue and then I will return back to Foreign Minister's pronouncement...

First let me recount what Dugin said in the video about the 'Ergenekon affair' because it makes much more sense than the affair itself. He said that part of the military elite raised a question of leaving the NATO because American foreign policy clashes with Turkish regional interests. Neither does US support  Northern Cyprus, which they are trying to get into the EU as part of a reunited country, nor do Turkish interests coincide with the creation of autonomous Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. [We should recall that Turkey didn't let Americans use their aviation facilities in 2003] This shocking statement by the military elite according to Dugin led to uncovering, by the Turkish government, of a massive conspiracy with the intent to topple the government, and led to the imprisonment of these people and many others.

Wikipedia has a rather lengthy entry on the Ergenekon organisation which in my opinion is all soup and very little breadcrumbs. Researching the thing I abandoned any hopes of understanding it after reading this article:

If you're trying to make sense of this, remember that Turkish politics are like the adage about the Arabic lexicon: any given word may mean a thing, its opposite, or a camel. If that doesn't make sense, don't worry. Neither does Ergenekon.

The name Ergenekon is apparently taken from a mythical place in the inaccessible valleys of the Altai Mountains where Bumin Khan is said to have gathered the Turkish tribes. This suggests a very nationalist or even pan-Turanic ideology but among the allegations is working with left-wing groups, left-leaning Kurdish guerrillas and even setting up Hizb ut-Tahrir as a fictitious organisation. Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international (although banned wherever you look except Britain) movement whose goals are establishment of a pan-Islamic Caliphate. Somewhat like al-Qaeda without the suicide-bombers. Also there was an alleged involvement of an obscure and irregular Orthodox group called the Autocephalous Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate, a group established in 1920's by Turkicised Greeks.

How on Earth do you make Commies, Nationalists with diverging interests, Islamists and Orthodox cook up a conspiracy? I know that individual groups with different goals and ideologies do cooperate from time to time when they find a common interest, but this diverse bunch? The Russian magazine Kommersant does confirm Dugin's words that the accused raised the issue of leaving NATO and adds that they all had very warm attitudes towards Russia. It was a Russophile plot concocted by the Russian Secret Service and Dugin was link between them. If this was true, kudos to Turkish Russophiles, Russian Secret Service and Dugin, good that the Turkish Intelligence said it has no evidence to back this up. It is clear Dugin met with some of the accused but apparently he discussed only Eurasianism with them. Given the chaos that the 'Ergenekon affair' is I find Dugin's simple version of the events much more believable.

I rest my case on the 'Ergenekon affair' right here, let me discuss something less perplexing...

'There is a need to embark on a new vision in order to have the Eurasia region regain its historical importance,' Davutoğlu [Foreign Minister] said on Thursday [4 February] at a meeting organized by the Turkish-Eurasia Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) in Ankara. In addition to Davutoğlu, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan and Energy Minister Taner Yıldız also participated in the meeting, which brought together ambassadors and commercial officers accredited at the embassies of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Later on Thursday, Davutoğlu and Dussanbay Kasseinov, the secretary-general of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY), signed a host country agreement.

TÜRKSOY was founded in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 1993 upon Turkey’s initiative. TÜRKSOY, which has diplomatic status as an international organization, began its activities within the same year. TÜRKSOY member countries are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), the Gagauzia Autonomous Region of Moldova and some autonomous republics of the Russian Federation -- the Altai Republic, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Republic of Khakassia, the Saha (Yakutistan) Federal Republic, the Republic of Tatarstan and the Tuva Republic -- participate in TÜRKSOY’s activities as observers.

The official language of TÜRKSOY is Turkish, and its headquarters is in Ankara. The signing of the host country agreement on Thursday aims at outlining legal privileges and immunities of TÜRKSOY staff during their activities in Turkey. The agreement is expected to facilitate TÜRKSOY’s activities here and lead to concrete contributions to the organization.

Reports Zaman

Dugin commented on the issue with making a comparison to Stalin and Trotsky. Stalin first purged the Trotskyites (the accused in 'Ergenekon affair' were also often representatives of the opposition) and then proceeded with adopting his policies. He also suggested that Russia should watch these developments closely. The Zaman article also alludes to the natural sphere of Turkish influence, which is certainly not EU.

See my other posts on Turkishness as well!

Comments

[Gregor]

I find Turkey very interesting because it seems that they have a cultured elite, and a history that is not easy to fit into a special category or conventional narrative. I saw once that the Istanbul Police even uses the Byzantine bicephalic eagle as a motif.

Basically, I don’t think that ‘true’ history is terribly relevant or important to creating a national mythology. Turkey’s national mythology, largely focused on Kemalism, is I think sputtering to an end: too secular and European for the conservatives, too ethnocentric and militaristic for the liberals. Who knows? Maybe they will choose the path of Greece and Russia in opposing Western hegemony whilst trying to form good relations (and yes, Russia did try to form good relations with the West). In terms of history, the Turks hav a lot to select from to make a 'past' for themselves.

Incidentally, I read about a series of bestselling books in Turkey where the USA invades and the Turks form an alliance with Russia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_f%C4%B1rt%C4%B1na

[Leoš Tomíček]

Hi Gregor, thank you for your comment

I saw the bicephalic eagle on old Seljuk buildings as well. I think the old cultures of Anatolia have a greater deal of continuity, they were only Turkicised and mildly Islamicised.

I get likewise fascinated with the country.

[jack]

I first heard about this when it was revealed that is was orchestrated by Mossad presumably because Turkey would object to an attack on Iran as that would give more power to Kurdish separatists (also been said that Israel help train Kurdish fighters in Iraq) hence Turkeys tense relationship with Israel and closer co-operation with Russia especially in oil and gas transit deals.

In fact as I have been saying this has been the major geo-political objective since the mid 70’s and especially after the collapse of the USSR hence economic shock therapy, the Oligarchs, the Balkans wars, Chechen wars, Afghanistan and support for Islamic terrorism.

RT videos on the subject.

Wayne Madsen discusses Ergenekon and Fatullah Gulen a Turkish CIA businessman (used his finance to support mosques and other institutions like Universities to support pan Turkish Islamic terrorism in Russia, Central Asia and China) and the history of it being part of the Glaido US/NATO stay behind network established after WW2.

Will President Obama ask Turkish PM to release Ergenekon members?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOkYlB-hH1Y

Turkey coup trial resumes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzAcrnvAfvM

Not to do with Turkey but interesting interviews.

“RT interviews German journalist Jurgen Elsaesser, author of the book "Iran: facts against Western propaganda". He thinks Tehran has every right to produce nuclear energy. And fears that "extremist Israeli government could provoke war with Iran at any time".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7PvaHGFb8Q
Chossudovsky: US will start WW3 by attacking Iran

Chossudovsky claims that states like Belgium, Turkey and a few others also have undeclared nuclear weapons. Haven’t heard that allegation before I presume he means undisclosed US nukes secretly based in Turkey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4p1kD8CZX8

@Gregor

Surprised to hear about Turkeys warm view of Russia given that Turkey and its intelligence and military are at the forefront and Turkey is at the epicentre of supporting Chechen militants/terrorism. If you read Paul Murphy's book Wolves of Islam you'll know what I am talking about.