In an article laced with invective, and titled "You Have No Shame, Do you? Soon, You Will Raise U.S./Israel Flags In Mecca/Medina… Jerusalem Is A Common Homeland For Us All!", the editor-in-chief of AKP mouthpiece Yeni Safak, Ibrahim Karagul accused UAE Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed and Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of betraying the Muslim world in an unspecified "secret agreement" and culpability for the move of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
What is striking in the article is the revival of old historic grievances. Since Turkish President Recep Erdogan is considered a practitioner of a neo-Ottoman foreign policy, the article couples the current "betrayal" with the World War I betrayal of the Ottoman Empire and its caliphate. While Britain's main Arab allies in that war, were the Hashemites, who then controlled Mecca and Medina, the Saudis in the Nejd practiced benevolent neutrality in favor of the British after the 1915 treaty of friendship and trade was concluded. The emirates were under a British protectorate.
Below are excerpts from Karagul's article:[1]
Ibrahim Karagul (Source: Yenisafak.com)
'You Sold Off The Muslim World In A Secret Agreement'
"You, Prince Mohammed bin Zayed; you, Prince Mohammed bin Salman!
"The dark man, who is United Arab Emirates' (UAE) boss, the imprudent man at the head of the Saudi administration!
"You have no shame, do you? You have no idea how you have been disgraced, do you? You have no pride, no character, do you?
"Islam, Muslims, the values of this geography, Muslim cities being undermined to such an extent, debilitated and destroyed does not make you feel ashamed, does it? You have no such identity left, do you? You have no such character left, do you?
"Both of you are responsible for the disgrace we experienced in Jerusalem yesterday. Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed bin Zayed, you are both responsible.
"You sold off the Muslim world in a secret agreement. You made a deal with the U.S. and Israel. You are in a dark relationship through which you served up your own people, country, history and values.
"You sold off Islam, Muslims and even the prophet.
"You are the leaders of two Arab countries, the men who are appointed to the head of those countries!
"You are the apparatuses of U.S. and Israeli intelligence!
"You are poor slaves, who are unable to disobey their masters!
"You are the traitors of this geography. You sold the Arab nation, you sold the region, you sold those magnificent cities, you sold the Muslim nation, and you sold Islamic history. You sold Prophet Muhammad.
"You are going to go down in history as bigger traitors than those who struck Islam and Muslims alongside the British in World War I.
"You sold Saudi Arabia, the Gulf countries; you sold off Palestine, your own honor, your family, your homelands.'''
"The ceremony held in Jerusalem yesterday, that transfer happened thanks to you. The blood of those martyred yesterday is on your hands. That massacre took place with your approval. They are going to be remembered as the martyrs of Jerusalem, and you are going to be remembered as the traitors of Jerusalem.
"Very soon you will raise U.S./Israeli flags in Mecca and Medina.
"But you not only sold off Jerusalem, you sold off Mecca and Medina as well.
"They are also included in your secret agreements. The Kaaba, Medina and Mecca are also included. You are going to go on record, go down in history as those who sold off Islam's sacred sites, who sold off, and gave hostage these two cities.
"Soon, you will raise American flags in those two cities. You will raise Israeli, British flags there. You will raise the U.S. flag on the Kaaba, the British flag on the clock tower and the Israeli flag on the prophet's grave. You would do this.
"Soon, those dirty agreements, negotiations are also going to be revealed. Soon, the plans you are making with the U.S. and Israeli intelligence will be exposed. Soon, it will be revealed for what you exchanged Islam's holy cities.
"You are not going to be able to find room in this region…
"That is when you are not going to be able to find room in this region, let alone your own country. You are not going to be able to find room on these lands, let alone find a place for even your grave.
'It Is Time To Destroy Their Agreements Of Betrayal'
"While a handful of Palestinians are bravely resisting, trying to protect Jerusalem despite you, despite the U.S./Israel, the price of shooting your bullets at these people will very soon be revealed. Your sultanate is going to collapse.
"We will get angry with the U.S., with Israel, we will fight with them, hold a grudge against them, and settle scores with them in every corner of the earth. But, we consider treachery as the greatest evil. We are going to declare you greater sinners than them, and bigger representatives of evil.
"That is the day all hell will break loose for you
"The people of Saudi Arabia do not yet know what is happening. Those in the Gulf, the Arab nation, the Muslim nation do not yet have any idea about your dark files. When they do find out, when they understand, the ground will shake for you. You are going to face great anger and fury. Do not ever forget this. That is the day all hell will break loose for you, do not forget.
"We know what the role of bringing invaders to Islamic territory is, we know what mission you have been tasked with, we know which duties you are dishonorably fulfilling. Soon, everyone will know and hear about it.
You are guilty in the eyes of the Palestinian people, you are guilty in the eyes of Jerusalem, and you are guilty in the eyes of Mecca and Medina.
"This is the second invasion after a century...
"It is now time to spread the resistance.
"Thanks to you, Jerusalem has been invaded a second time after 101 years. The heart of Islam was invaded by the U.K. and gifted to Israel a century ago. While we have forgotten the Gaza wars, while our memories have been wiped out, while we do not remember the resistance of the Anatolian youth there[2], they were undermining Jerusalem and, along with Jerusalem, the entire Muslim world.
"This time, a century later, the U.S. realized the second invasion with the aid of these two leaders. We are watching an invasion based on undermining the entire Muslim world again. The region's traitors are behind it again.
"It is now time for resistance. It is time for the Muslim world to grow a chain of resistance, strengthen a discourse of resistance, join in solidarity, and lock hands from Central Africa to far Asia. While resisting against the U.S. and Israel, it is actually also time to resist against the traitors of the region.
"Those who do not defend Jerusalem cannot defend their own homeland…
"It is time for an uprising in Arab streets. The Arab nation must take action to save their own homelands from their own leaders before they are further harmed, before more Muslim countries are destroyed, before more cities are turned into ruins, and before occupation further spreads.
"Nobody should rely on their weapons, tanks/missiles. You, Salman and Zayed, do not rely on U.S. support, Israeli support, or your billions of dollars. Everybody who has a share in this occupation will pay the price.
"It is now time to paralyze their system. It is time to destroy their agreements of betrayal. It is time to take action, city by city, street by street. It is time to close the doors of the great betrayal. It is time to give strength to a great regional resistance.
"Do not forget, if we are unable to do anything for Jerusalem today, we are not going to be able to do anything for Mecca and Medina tomorrow. Tomorrow, we are also going to be unable to do anything for our country."
