The lie of “democracy” on the lips of the US

Immediately following Turkey’s decision regarding Sweden’s NATO membership, the US initiated the process for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. Subsequently, Canada lifted the ban it had imposed in 2020 on the export of goods used in the defense industry to Turkey by Canadian companies. In a statement made by the US regarding CAATSA sanctions, it was also implied that if there were a change in Turkey’s stance on the S-400s, the sanctions could be lifted. While this traffic was taking place between Turkey and the US, Moscow once again confirmed that Russian leader Putin would visit Turkey in February. 

These developments not only show that the tension between the US and Russia will continue, but also indicate that the US’s imperialist policies toward our region will cause even more headaches for our country. 

To better understand this process, let us go back a little and refresh our memories…

The US attacked Iraq in 1990, at the time the Cold War was ending. This was the First Gulf Crisis, and its timing was no coincidence. Because if the Eastern Bloc had not collapsed, if the USSR had not lost its power, and if it had not officially dissolved in 1991, the US would likely not have dared to carry out such an attack. Exactly 11 years later, in 2001, the US this time invaded Afghanistan, using the September 11 attacks as a pretext. This was followed by the invasion of Iraq in 2003. That period was also when the Greater Middle East Project (GMEP) (which was later renamed GMEAP, or the Greater Middle East and North Africa Project) was widely circulated. With this project, US imperialism was promising democracy, freedom, and human rights to the countries in the region. Moreover, there were many who believed this. 

The countries within the scope of the GMEP had 3 distinct characteristics. 

First, they were countries with majority-Muslim populations. Second, with the exception of Turkey, they were all countries that had been occupied and colonized by foreign powers in their history. After the Ottoman Empire, they had become British or French mandates. Third, they were countries that lagged behind in areas such as democracy, free individuals, organized society, the industrial revolution, enlightenment, gender equality, scientific education, strong bureaucracy, the rule of law, and secularism. 

Of course, the US’s real calculations were different. Its interest in this region, where a significant portion of the world’s energy resources are located, had economic reasons, reasons related to energy resources and routes, and justifications directed at Russia and China. Israel’s security and the division of four regional countries to establish a Kurdish state were also among the US’s priorities. 

Ultimately, starting in the 2000s, the US deployed methods of “preemptive strike,” “psychological warfare,” and “asymmetric warfare” when necessary against states it defined as “failed states,” against states “supporting terrorism,” and against states “producing chemical weapons.” It attacked. It invaded. 

Therefore, let us not forget, democracy, freedom, and human rights are pretexts for the US. So much so that it massacred nearly 2 million people in Iraq and then simply walked away, saying, “Democracy did not take hold here.”