Why did Bahçeli remember July 15?!

Trump, who celebrated New Year's with "Pharaoh" Netanyahu, answered the question "Do you have a New Year's resolution?" by saying, "Yes, I do. Peace. Peace in the world."

Two days later, he threatened to "strike their bases" if Iran intervened in the protests that began due to the economic crisis. In these threats, Mossad and PJAK, the Iranian branch of the PKK, did not leave Trump alone. A day after that, we witnessed Trump's unprecedented banditry and thuggery in the world; he recounted, as if describing a movie, with accompanying footage, how he had apprehended Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife in their bed and brought them to the US.

THEY HAVE BEEN AFTER 'OIL' FOR 45 YEARS

Before coming to the stance of the AKP and its partner, the MHP, regarding this banditry, let us convey the reactions of two figures.

11th President Abdullah Gül, while reserving his criticisms of Maduro, stated that a head of state being taken from his home by a military operation was a violation of international law and that this move by the US could set a dangerous precedent in global politics, warning, "The opening of this door by the US will lead to very dangerous developments."

DEVA Party Chairman Ali Babacan emphasized that the UN Charter had been violated and stated that "the fate of Venezuela should be determined by the people of Venezuela, not by foreign powers." Babacan also called on the government, saying, "Turkey must display a principled and consistent stance on this issue and defend international law under all circumstances."

Why these two names? Because they were the biggest defenders of the March 1 memorandum, which envisioned the US occupation of Iraq but failed to receive enough votes as a result of the resistance of the nation and the members of parliament. Babacan, who was the Minister of State responsible for the economy at the time, had conducted the negotiations for an $8.5 billion loan agreement with the US, and it was revealed that a condition stating "Turkey will not unilaterally send troops to northern Iraq" had been included in the agreement made at the time.

As for the Prime Minister of the time, Abdullah Gül; when the first Gulf War began in 1991, he was saying the following in his speeches in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) as a representative of the Welfare Party (Refah Partisi):

"The whole world saw how this war was orchestrated under America's leadership and hegemony to provide an opportunity to establish a new world order... Perhaps the person who best explained the real reasons for this war was Robert Dole, the leader of the Minority Committee in the American Congress. He said exactly this: 'We are in the Middle East for three letters: Oil. That is why in the Gulf.' In other words, the man is saying, 'We are in the Middle East for three letters (o, i, l), not for democracy or to save this or that.' Similarly, in the first hours of the first day when the war began and thousands of tons of bombs were rained down on Baghdad, Les Aspin, one of the important men of the American Congress, reminded everyone that the war had reached its goal with these three points: 1- That Israel's security was ensured, 2- That control of the oil regions was seized, 3- That America had proven its power to the world as the sole superpower."

"What are the 32nd and 36th parallels?... Is there such a United Nations resolution?... There is no such thing. What exists is only this: the American, British, and French trio using pressure on this region to divide it, to maintain oil dominance in this region, and to ensure Israel's security."

"We are all following with concern whether this will encompass Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, and even Iran tomorrow?... This is, of course, a much more dangerous development. Economically, unfortunately, Turkey has been caught in very bad conditions, caught as a country that has practically lost its economic independence. Perhaps this is what lies beneath Turkey's inability to say to some things, 'No, it shouldn't be like that, it should be like this.'"

During their time in power, these things happened exactly as described. Saddam was hanged on the first day of Eid al-Adha... Gaddafi was lynched to death... Syria was torn to pieces... The state of Sudan and Yemen is obvious.

From the very first minute; in Venezuela too, "that the target is underground resources," "that American oil companies will be celebrating" is it not being discussed?.. The commander who carried out the operation himself, "The US's focus of interest in Latin America is not democracy, but controlling oil, lithium, gold, and rare earth minerals." isn't he saying?

In other words, there has been no change on the Western front since the first Gulf War and the US invasion of Afghanistan. Just look at how quickly they gathered again. The first congratulatory message to Trump came from Netanyahu. The British Prime Minister stated, "We viewed Maduro as an illegitimate head of state." The EU announced that they "support a democratic transition in Venezuela"... Elon Musk, who is trying to take over humanity and the world through technology, also congratulated Trump and stated that this victory is a clear message to bad dictators everywhere in the world.

ERDOĞAN AND MADURO: FRIENDS IN "DARK TIMES"

As CHP Chairman Özgür Özel reminded us the other day, Maduro was one of the first to support the government in the face of the July 15 coup attempt. While Erdoğan emphasized this during Maduro's visits to Turkey, he also stated that they stood by the Venezuelan people during their most difficult and troubled times.

The "difficult and troubled times" he referred to were a small-scale military uprising that occurred at that time, as well as intense protests due to sanctions imposed on Venezuela and the economic crisis. Erdoğan supported Maduro on all these issues as follows:

"We believe that there is no power above the will of the people, and we think that foreign interventions often deepen problems further."

"Maduro's strong and courageous leadership has played a significant role in overcoming the multifaceted siege to which Venezuela has been subjected. My dear friend has written his name in golden letters in his country's struggle for independence, just like Simon Bolivar and Hugo Chavez. Mr. Maduro's stance on the Palestinian issue is also commendable... I shared once again with the President that we are against unilateral sanctions on Venezuela. I particularly emphasized our principled stance against unilateral sanctions."

Erdoğan also noted that they had shown the whole world that the friendship between Turkey and Venezuela was truly a 'friendship for dark days,' and a manifestation of such a bond.

But what happened recently? Turkey was the first to comply with the US call for a flight embargo. To give credit where it is due, let us recall that 13 days ago, Saadet Party Chairman Mahmut Arıkan reacted to this, pointing to Venezuela's resolute stance on the Gaza issue and asking, "What kind of loyalty and friendship is this?" while issuing the following warnings:

"The recent interventionist steps by the US are not only contrary to international law but also a clear threat to the principle of independence... Every pressure exerted on Venezuela is, in fact, a message intended for all independent countries... If we remain silent today about what is being done to Venezuela, the same methods will be used against other countries tomorrow. Today Iran, tomorrow Egypt, the next day Indonesia..."

WHAT DID ERDOĞAN AND MADURO DISCUSS 1 MONTH AGO?

Yesterday, an analysis by the US-based New York Times drew attention; it was claimed that on December 23, the US suggested Maduro step down and go to Turkey, and that Trump pressed the button after Maduro angrily rejected this.

We forget so many things amidst the bombardment of the agenda. This is one of them. Yet, Republican Senatör Lindsey Graham, known as Trump's right-hand man, who played a leading role in rescuing Pastor Brunson—whom Trump often boasted about—and whom Erdoğan called "not an honest person," hinted at the end of November that Maduro could be exiled, saying, "I heard Turkey and Iran are very beautiful this time of year."

Following this, Erdoğan and Maduro spoke on the phone on December 6. Some websites pointed out that the call took place after the claim that Maduro would take refuge in Turkey, and that it was not disclosed which side requested the call.

In the statement made by the Presidential Communications Directorate two days later, it was stated that "Erdoğan emphasized the importance of keeping dialogue channels open between the US and Venezuela, expressed his wish for the tension to subside as soon as possible, and that the leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional issues," followed by this detail:

“Washington accuses Caracas of trafficking drugs into the US. At the same time, Washington is conducting a pressure campaign on Venezuela to force Maduro to resign.”

THE US AND TRUMP

Since the day he arrived, Tom Barrack, whom Trump appointed as Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy for Syria, has committed a series of blunders, particularly regarding our sovereign rights, yet he has not faced a single reaction from the AKP.

The most famous of these was when he stated, before Trump’s meeting with Erdoğan at the White House, that Trump was most in “need” of Erdoğan, referring to “granting legitimacy.”

It was precisely on this issue of “legitimacy” that CHP Chairman Özgür Özel attacked Erdoğan—who remained silent on the packaging of Maduro—during his rally in Çankırı the other day and in a subsequent post.

Those who, until that moment, had made posts about the incident as if embarrassed, without ever mentioning the names of the US or Trump, or who had deleted their posts, began to turn their arrows toward Özgür Özel, attempting to “put him in his place” by lecturing him on “foreign policy” and “legitimacy.” In other words, this beyond-grave incident also turned into an “internal war.”

If only they had put Tom Barrack in his place like that at the time!..

THE US AND JULY 15

In contrast to Erdoğan's silence and the attitude of AKP members, it was both significant and noteworthy that People's Alliance partner and MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli compared the US military intervention in Venezuela to the July 15 coup attempt and the attempt to abduct Erdoğan from Marmaris, calling for the issue to be addressed from this perspective.

Let us recall: the first person to clearly and explicitly state that the US was behind July 15 was the then-Minister of Labor and Social Security, Süleyman Soylu. Soylu repeated this claim while serving as Minister of the Interior, but regarding the Venezuela incident, he refrained from naming the US, settling for saying, 'We stand where we stood on July 15.'

Yes, on July 15, Trump was not yet president; he had only just been confirmed as the Republican candidate. In his statements, while praising the failure of the July 15 attempt, he told Erdoğan that the US had 'no right to call for the rule of law' regarding concerns about a 'witch hunt' against opponents.

On the other hand, it was revealed that John Bolton, whom Trump appointed as National Security Advisor after taking office, had interpreted the coup attempt on the night of July 15 as 'an action by a group within the military to protect Turkey's secular constitution' and accused Erdoğan of 'Islamizing' Turkey, while another advisor, retired General Michael Flynn, had said, 'The coup deserves to be applauded.'

However, since Erdoğan has continued his friendship with the US, ignoring the allegations that it was behind July 15—a vital turning point for Turkey—and disregarding the fact that the US has not extradited Fethullah Gülen despite folders full of requests, why did his partner Bahçeli send this message via Venezuela?

Perhaps he wanted to remind everyone of his September call, saying, 'The time has come to settle accounts with the US,' and proposing: 'Against the US-Israel evil coalition that challenges the world, the most suitable option in terms of reason, diplomacy, the spirit of politics, geographical conditions, and the strategic environment of the new century is the construction and revival of a 'TRC' alliance. Our desire and proposal is that the TRC alliance consist of Turkey, Russia, and China.'

Or, acting on the information that Maduro was betrayed from within, did he fire the signal flare for new operations against those who oppose the government and the PKK peace process, as well as for pursuing the political wing of 'FETÖ,' which has never been properly investigated?

In short, to see what will happen, let us focus on the phone call Erdoğan announced he would have with Trump today and the developments in Syria centered on the PKK/YPG/PYD/SDF.