Turkey keeps on threating, but lacks of generals
Il Giornale, July 31, 2011
Turkey is again very angry: after Israel, there is now another State, Armenia, which must apologize immediately to Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister of the Country which used to be the most secular among the Islamic States, and turned to be the most Islamic of secular Countries.
The fact that all the army generals, including the chief of staff Isik Kosaner, have resigned to protest against the detention of 250 high-ranked officers, does not deter Erdogan from the strange move. The detention of the generals is based on an alleged conspiracy against AK power, Erdogan's party, which has ruled the Country since 2003. Erdogan declares that the Supreme Military Council will meet next Monday to appoint new military officers. It is questionable that they will represent the traditional democratic guarantee that the army used to be.
Meanwhile, why should Armenia present its apologies? The Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, asked by a student about the territories that once belonged to Armenia, including Mount Ararat, replied: "The future is only in your hands, young people". An insult. Erdogan claimed that Sargsyan incites his youngsters to hate and that his statement, if not followed by apologies, will drag Armenians “into darkness". Recently he also again repeated that if Israel does not apologize for the Mavi Marmara - the ship that carried to Gaza IHH militants whose clash with Israeli soldiers left 8 dead on the ground - then he will implement a supposedly terrible “Plan B” against Israel.
Everybody knows that threatening Israel can be a source of great consensus. But it is bizarre to think that if Turkey requests apologies by Armenians, this will lead to the same results, given that Armenians still mourn the genocide of more than 1.5 million people, which Turley refuses to acknowledge.
It seems also quite strange that Turkish judiciary forewarns now of the imminent arrest of 22 army officers more. Who knows, now with such a poor army, Turkey could suffer a terrible, dangerous attack by Armenia…