In his October 16, 2019 column[1] titled in part "You Are The Ones Who Attacked Turkey; We Are Just Defending Ourselves! The Plan To Establish A Second Israel Has Failed!... They Think Turkey Is Only Confined To Its Modern Era And Anatolia – As We Struck The PKK Terror Group, We Also Struck The Coalition Supporting It! We Have Destroyed The Great Plan Of The 21st Century" in Turkey's Yeni Şafak daily, which is a mouthpiece of Turkey's ruling Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP), the paper's editor-in-chief, İbrahim Karagül, commented on the impact of Turkey's recent invasion of northeast Syria.
Of the "Aleppo-Mosul line," Karagül says: "This is our strategic priority."
Karagül wrote: "We are being martyred with U.S. weapons, with the weapons from Israel and Europe... Preparations were being made for a greater war against Turkey. There was a major plan they were masking with the terrorist organization. That plan was to divide Turkey... They were building the 'second Israel'... They seem to have forgotten that we possess the legacy of the Ottomans and Seljuks! They think Turkey is only limited to its modern era and Anatolia... The U.S.'s military units in the region are being directly controlled by Israel... No force in the north of the Aleppo-Mosul line should threaten Turkey. This line is the south security line... This is our strategic priority." Here, writing in Erdoğan-government mouthpiece Yeni Şafak, Karagül gives a glimpse into what he defines as Turkey's "strategic priority" of breaking out of Anatolia and securing the territory up to the line that stretches between the Syrian city of Aleppo and the Iraqi city of Mosul. At certain points such a line includes territory that is over 70 kilometers from the Turkish border, having more than double the depth of the 32-kilometer "safe zone" to which the United States and Turkey agreed on October 17.[2]
İbrahim Karagül shaking hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (source: T24.com.tr).
Following is Yeni Şafak's translation of Karagül's column:
"We Are Being Martyred With U.S. Weapons, With The Weapons From Israel And Europe"
"Why are they so angry with Turkey?
"Why are they all standing against Turkey?
"Why are they all individually threatening and blackmailing us?
"Why are they so against this country's right to defend itself?
"From the U.S. to Europe, to the Arab world, why are they all in such a frenzy?
"They Fought Turkey By Hiding Behind PKK, DAESH [i.e., Islamic State]
"How is it that so many countries can openly support a terrorist organization like the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)?
"Do you know why?
"Together, they were all carrying out an overt and clear 'war' against Turkey.
"Hiding behind the PKK and Daesh, they were carrying out a 'dark war' in the ugliest manner.
They were working on a map project and building a hundreds-of-kilometers-long front right under Turkey's nose, with many as 30,000 truckloads of weapons and armament, 6,000 cargo plains loaded, hundreds of millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), cement from French company La Farge, and all of Israel's military tactics and forces.
"Those Weapons Are Being Used Against Us, Our Troops Are Martyred By Those Weapons
"All those weapons are being used against our country, against our troops.
"Our troops who are martyred in Syria are shot using those weapons.
"We are being martyred with U.S. weapons, with the weapons from Israel and Europe."
"They Were Building The 'Second Israel'"
"Our cities are attacked and civilian massacres are carried out using the explosives provided by them.
"Weapons that could equip and arm tens and thousands cannot be considered as just support to the terrorist organization.
"Preparations were being made for a greater war against Turkey. There was a major plan they were masking with the terrorist organization. That plan was to divide Turkey. It was to stop and punish Turkey that was on a rise despite everything.
"Do you think it is only the PKK striking us? It was U.S. weapons, German/French weapons, Israeli weapons that hit this country, this nation until now.
"The Second Israel Plan Collapsed. They Thought Turkey Was Going To Cower In Fear!
"They were building the 'second Israel.' The moment they were done on Syrian territory, they were going to open the Turkey front and launch the corridor's Turkey phase."
"They Seem To Have Forgotten That We Possess The Legacy Of The Ottomans And Seljuks! They Think Turkey Is Only Limited To Its Modern Era And Anatolia"
"They were thinking, 'We distracted Turkey until now, we can do it again.' They were saying, 'We can do this with our inside partners.'
"They were thinking, 'Turkey cannot take on the U.S., Israel and EU all at once.' They were saying, 'Turkey is in the Atlantic system; if we say no, it cannot move.'
"They were thinking, 'Saudi and UAE forces are going to provoke the whole region against Turkey anyway.'
"The game was very delicately set. Some dimwits within failed to understand this – just as it was expected. They were thinking, 'We've come all this way, we can finish the job.'
"They Seem To Have Forgotten That We Possess The Legacy Of The Ottomans And Seljuks! They Think Turkey Is Only Limited To Its Modern Era And Anatolia
"They were sure of themselves. They thought Turkey would shout and cry but not do anything; it would continue to deal with terrorism as it has been for the last four decades, and will continue to seek understanding and support from its allies.
"They did not take into account Turkey's centuries of experience. They did not take into account the Seljuk, the Ottoman legacy; they forgot about that political gene. They did not take into consideration this country's memory, its experiences."
"The U.S.'s Military Units In The Region Are Being Directly Controlled By Israel"
"They thought Turkey consisted of its modern era alone. They thought this country consisted of Anatolia alone. They forgot that for centuries, at the toughest of times, we prevailed with determination. They forgot that we are very patient and solemn, but that we always take action with surprising strength.
"Do They Expect Us To Keep Silent While They Draw Maps?
"They tried to discipline us through terrorism. They tried to make us kneel through a few organizations. They were going to draw a map and we were going to remain quiet. They were going to format the region and we were going to watch along the sidelines.
"They were going to attempt all sorts of military activity and we were going to accept. They were going to destroy Turkey step-by-step, and we were going to hopelessly stand by and watch, is that so?
"Now they are wreaking havoc. They are running from one end to the other in panic, haste, anger. The U.S. established order is making promises of revenge. They think that the way to exact revenge on Trump is to take revenge on Turkey. Because the U.S.'s military units in the region are being directly controlled by Israel. But there is nothing they can do."
Arab Governments Are "A Group Of Exhausted, Outdated Regimes"
"Fraud And Shamelessness... Arab Regimes, Colony Remnants, Those Who Sold Off Jerusalem, You All Are Silent Against Israel!
"European Union countries are unanimously trying to put Turkey 'in its place.' A different threat is rising from every European capital. They are all in such a kerfuffle. As French President Emanuel Macron, who hosted terror representatives in palaces, carried out a military operation in Mali, nobody said a word! This is fraud; it is ignoble and shameless.
"Colony remnant Arab regimes and the Arab League are threatening us. Arab lands have been under invasion for three decades. One-third of Syria is under PKK and U.S. occupation. Syria's Golan is under Israeli occupation. But nobody can utter a single word.
"I am talking about those who sold off Jerusalem to Israel, those who brought Mecca to the negotiation table. I am talking about those who are not even capable of protecting their own country. I am talking about a group of exhausted, outdated regimes.
"As We Struck The PKK Terror Group, We Also Struck The Coalition Supporting It! This Is What All The Kerfuffle Is About!"
"As [Turkey] Was Striking The PKK, It Also Hit The Dirty Coalition Behind It"
"Do you know what all the kerfuffle is about?
"They were all fighting Turkey, together, under the name of terrorism, under the name of the PKK. Turkey is now confronting them with great resistance and defense.
"This is what we meant when we said this is 'defending Anatolia,' this is a 'homeland defense.' This is what we were referring to when we said that the intervention on the east of the Euphrates is a 'fight for independence.'
"Now, that war coalition, the terror coalition behind the PKK and Daesh has been revealed.
"It has not only been revealed, but Turkey has also negated all their preparations to date.
"As it was striking the PKK, it also hit the dirty coalition behind it. Turkey is collapsing this war coalition for the first time. It is entering the headquarters of the dirty alliance that spans from the U.S. to Israel, from Europe to Arabian palaces."
"Turkey spoiled the biggest plan of the 21st century.
"Next In Line: Manbij, Ayn Al-Arab
"Rasulayn and Tal Abyad were cleared in five days with Turkey's Peace Spring Operation. The south line of the safe zone has been reached. What will follow is the entire region from Manbij, from Ayn al-Arab to Hasakah."
"No Force In The North Of The Aleppo-Mosul Line Should Threaten Turkey – This Line Is The South Security Line... This Is Our Strategic Priority"
"This is not a war, it is homeland defense, it is legitimate self-defense. Regardless of who stands against us, this is the target we must reach.
"Aleppo-Mosul Is A Red Line. Look At The Last Millennium In The Region's History, You Will Understand Everything!
No force in the north of the Aleppo-Mosul line should threaten Turkey. This line is the south security line. This region must not be under the control of any terrorist organization or non-regional countries.
"This is our strategic priority.
"The whole world should know that we are only defending our country. Whatever plan you have concerning this country will be buried in these soils.
"Look at the last millennium in the region's history and you will understand everything!"
[1] Yenisafak.com/en/columns/ibrahimkaragul/you-are-the-ones-who-attacked-turkey-we-are-just-defending-ourselves-the-plan-to-establish-a-second-israel-has-failed-they-thought-turkey-would-cower-in-they-think-turkey-is-only-confined-to-its-modern-era-and-anatolia-as-we-struck-the-pkk-terror-group-we-also-struck-the-coalition-supporting-it-we-have-destroyed-the-great-plan-of-the-21st-century-this-is-what-all-the-kerfuffle-is-about-2047203, October 16, 2019.
[2] Apnews.com/8f709724b8b5465fab01e56f6c56d064, October 18, 2019.
