Turkey Goes Into “Dark Ages Mode” Following Armenian Expulsion Threat
Editorial, March 18
Turkey once again is retreating into “dark ages mode” with threats by Prime Erdogan following comments during a recent visit to London to expel 100,000 Armenians in Turkey “if necessary I will tell the 100,000: OK, time to go back to your country”.
The issue of the Armenian genocide and the failure by Turkey to recognize this ever happened, not only discredits any aspirations that Turkey has of joining the European Union, but also its supporters which include the current Conservative and Labour party’s in the UK.
Over 20 countries have accused the Ottoman Turks of genocide over the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians during the First World War; Sweden this week passed a resolution in its parliament recognizing the genocide and calling for Turkey to follow suit. Prime Minister Erdogan then canceled his visit to Stockholm and recalled the Turkish Ambassador in protest.
Turkey is now at its most dangerous, and may also as some have pointed out more likely to swing towards the East than the West, with ever closer ties to Iran.
Turkey needs some carrots, but must also begin to play ball over the gambit of issues that are pre-requisites it must resolve before EU membership is seriously considered. The United States has warned Turkey that it would pay “the price” if it was to side with Iran in the UN Security Counsel over the nuclear issue.
Once again Turkey is not interested in what the “political mood” is in Brussels, Paris or London, but is not more interested in what is in Ankara’s and Islam’s interest.
