YouTube
ban: How Turkish officials conspired to stage Syria attack to provoke
war
RT,
28
March, 2014
“I'll
make up a cause of war by ordering a missile attack on Turkey.”
This leaked conversation is coming back to haunt the highest echelons
of the Turkish government as it plans a provocation in Syria, while
scrambling to contain social media internally.
The
leaked audiotapes that reveal Turkey’s highest ministers staging an
anti-Assad military intervention in Syria, have already caused
YouTube to be shut down in the country, as well as leading to fevered
accusations of treachery and betrayal of Turkey’s political
interests – “a
declaration of war,”
as Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu put it.
This
is of course after intelligence chief Hakan Fidan suggested seizing
the opportunity to secure Turkish intervention in the Syrian conflict
- a war that has already claimed 140,000 lives, and counting. In the
conversation, Davutoğlu is heard saying that Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan sees any attack as an "opportunity"
to increase troop presence in Syria, where it has staunchly supported
the anti-Assad rebels.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
"Prime Minister said that in current conjuncture, this attack
(on Suleiman Shah Tomb) must be seen as an opportunity for us."
Hakan
Fidan:
"I'll send 4 men from Syria, if that's what it takes. I'll
make up a cause of war by ordering a missile attack on Turkey; we can
also prepare an attack on Suleiman Shah Tomb if necessary."
Hakan
Fidan:
“I’ll send 4 men from Syria, if that’s what it takes.
I’ll make up a cause of war by ordering a missile attack on Turkey
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
"Our national security has become a common, cheap domestic
policy outfit."
Yaşar
Güler:
"It's a direct cause of war. I mean, what're going to do is a
direct cause of war."
--------
FIRST SCREEN:
Ahmet Davutoğlu: I couldn't entirely understand the other thing; what exactly does our foreign ministry supposed to do? No, I'm not talking about the thing. There are other things we're supposed to do. If we decide on this, we are to notify the United Nations, the Istanbul Consulate of the Syrian regime, right?
FIRST SCREEN:
Ahmet Davutoğlu: I couldn't entirely understand the other thing; what exactly does our foreign ministry supposed to do? No, I'm not talking about the thing. There are other things we're supposed to do. If we decide on this, we are to notify the United Nations, the Istanbul Consulate of the Syrian regime, right?
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
But if we decide on an operation in there, it should create a
shocking effect. I mean, if we are going to do so. I don't know what
we're going to do, but regardless of what we decide, I don't think
it'd be appropriate to notify anyone beforehand.
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu: But if we decide on an operation in there, it should
create a shocking effect. I
mean, if we are going to do so. I
don’t know what we’re going to do, but regardless of what we
decide, I don’t think it’d be appropriate to notify anyone
beforehand.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
OK, but we're gonna have to prepare somehow. To avoid any shorts on
regarding international law. I just realised when I was talking to
the president (Abdullah Gül), if the Turkish tanks go in there, it
means we're in there in any case, right?
Yaşar
Güler:
It means we're in, yes.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
Yeah, but there's a difference between going in with aircraft and
going in with tanks...
SECOND
SCREEN:
Yaşar
Güler:
Maybe we can tell the Syrian consulate general that, ISIL is
currently working alongside the regime, and that place is Turkish
land. We should definitely...
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
But we have already said that, sent them several diplomatic notes.
Yaşar
Güler:
To Syria...
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
That's right.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
Yes, we've sent them countless times. Therefore, I'd like to know
what our Chief of Staff's expects from our ministry.
Yaşar
Güler:
Maybe his intent was to say that, I don't really know, he met with
Mr. Fidan.
Hakan
Fidan:
Well, he did mention that part but we didn't go into any further
details.
Yaşar
Güler:
Maybe that was what he meant... A diplomatic note to Syria?
Hakan
Fidan:
Maybe the Foreign Ministry is assigned with coordination...
Residents
of Syria's besieged Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp, south of
Damascus, stand amidst debris as they wait to receive food parcels on
March 24, 2014. (AFP Photo / Rami Al-Sayed)
THIRD
SCREEN:
Ahmet Davutoğlu: I mean, I could coordinate the diplomacy but civil war, the military...
Ahmet Davutoğlu: I mean, I could coordinate the diplomacy but civil war, the military...
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
That's what I told back there. For one thing, the situation is
different. An operation on ISIL has solid ground on international
law. We're going to portray this is Al-Qaeda, there's no distress
there if it's a matter regarding Al-Qaeda. And if it comes to
defending Suleiman Shah Tomb, that's a matter of protecting our land.
Yaşar
Güler:
We don't have any problems with that.
Hakan
Fidan:
Second after it happens, it'll cause a great internal commotion
(several bombing events is bound to happen within). The border is not
under control...
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:I
mean, yes, the bombings are of course going to happen. But I remember
our talk from 3 years ago...
Yaşar
Güler:
Mr. Fidan should urgently receive back-up and we need to help him
supply guns and ammo to rebels. We need to speak with the minister.
Our Interior Minister, our Defense Minister. We need to talk about
this and reach a resolution sir.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
How did we get special forces into action when there was a threat in
Northern Iraq? We should have done so in there, too. We should have
trained those men. We should have sent men. Anyway, we can't do that,
we can only do what diplomacy...
Ahmet
Davutoğlu: How did we get special forces into action when there was
a threat in Northern Iraq? We should have done so in there, too. We
should have trained those men. We should have sent men.
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
I told you back then, for God's sake, General, you know how we
managed to get those tanks in, you were there.
Yaşar
Güler:
What, you mean our stuff?
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
Yes, how do you think we've managed to rally our tanks into Iraq?
How? How did we manage to get special forces, the battalions in? I
was involved in that. Let me be clear, there was no government
decision on that, we have managed that just with a single order.
FOURTH
SCREEN:
Yaşar Güler: Well, I agree with you. For one thing, we're not even discussing that. But there are different things that Syria can do right now.
Yaşar Güler: Well, I agree with you. For one thing, we're not even discussing that. But there are different things that Syria can do right now.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
General, the reason we're saying no to this operation is because we
know about the capacity of those men.
Yaşar
Güler:
Look, sir, isn't MKE (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation)
at minister's bidding? Sir, I mean, Qatar is looking for ammo to buy
in cash. Ready cash. So, why don't they just get it done? It's at Mr.
Minister's command.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
But there's the spot we can't act integratedly, we can't coordinate.
Yaşar
Güler:
Then, our Prime Minister can summon both Mr. Defence Minister and Mr.
Minister at the same time. Then he can directly talk to them.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
We, Mr. Siniroğlu and I, have literally begged Mr. Prime Minster for
a private meeting, we said that things were not looking so bright.
FIFTH
SCREEN:
Yaşar Güler: Also, it doesn't have to be a crowded meeting. Yourself, Mr. Defence Minister, Mr. Interior Minister and our Chief of Staff, the four of you are enough. There's no need for a crowd. Because, sir, the main need there is guns and ammo. Not even guns, mainly ammo. We've just talked about this, sir. Let's say we're building an army down there, 1000 strong. If we get them into that war without previously storing a minimum of 6-months' worth of ammo, these men will return to us after two months.
Yaşar Güler: Also, it doesn't have to be a crowded meeting. Yourself, Mr. Defence Minister, Mr. Interior Minister and our Chief of Staff, the four of you are enough. There's no need for a crowd. Because, sir, the main need there is guns and ammo. Not even guns, mainly ammo. We've just talked about this, sir. Let's say we're building an army down there, 1000 strong. If we get them into that war without previously storing a minimum of 6-months' worth of ammo, these men will return to us after two months.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
They're back already.
Yaşar
Güler:
They'll return to us, sir.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
They've came back from... What was it? Çobanbey.
Yaşar
Güler:
Yes, indeed, sir. This matter can't be just a burden on Mr. Fidan's
shoulders as it is now. It's unacceptable. I mean, we can't
understand this. Why?
SIXTH
SCREEN:
Ahmet Davutoğlu: That evening we'd reached a resolution. And I thought that things were taking a turn for the good. Our...
Ahmet Davutoğlu: That evening we'd reached a resolution. And I thought that things were taking a turn for the good. Our...
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
We issued the MGK (National Security Council) resolution the day
after. Then we talked with the general...
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
And the other forces really do a good follow up on this weakness of
ours. You say that you're going to capture this place, and that men
being there constitutes a risk factor. You pull them back. You
capture the place. You reinforce it and send in your troops again.
Yaşar
Güler:
Exactly, sir. You're absolutely right.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
Right? That's how I interpret it. But after the evacuation, this is
not a military necessity. It's a whole other thing.
SEVENTH SCREEN
Feridun Siniroğlu: There are some serious shifts in global and regional geopolitics. It now can spread to other places. You said it yourself today, and others agreed... We're headed to a different game now. We should be able to see those. That ISIL and all that jazz, all those organisations are extremely open to manipulation. Having a region made up of organisations of similar nature will constitute a vital security risk for us. And when we first went into Northern Iraq, there was always the risk of PKK blowing up the place. If we thoroughly consider the risks and substantiate... As the general just said...
Yaşar
Güler:
Sir, when you were inside a moment ago, we were discussing just that.
Openly. I mean, armed forces are a "tool" necessary for you
in every turn.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
Of course. I always tell the Prime Minister, in your absence, the
same thing in academic jargon, you can't stay in those lands without
hard power. Without hard power, there can be no soft power.
EIGTH SCREEN
Yaşar Güler: Sir.
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
The national security has been politicised. I don't remember anything
like this in Turkish political history. It has become a matter of
domestic policy. All talks we've done on defending our lands, our
border security, our sovereign lands in there, they've all become a
common, cheap domestic policy outfit.
Yaşar
Güler:
Exactly.
Feridun
Siniroğlu:
That has never happened before. Unfortunately but...
Yaşar
Güler:
I mean, do even one of the opposition parties support you in such a
high point of national security? Sir, is this a justifiable sense of
national security?
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
I don't even remember such a period.
NINTH
SCREEN:
Yaşar
Güler:
In what matter can we be unified, if not a matter of national
security of such importance? None.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
The year 2012, we didn't do it 2011. If only we'd took serious action
back then, even in the summer of 2012.
Feridun
Sinirlioğlu:
They were at their lowest back in 2012.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
Internally, they were just like Libya. Who comes in and goes from
power is not of any importance to us. But some things...
Yaşar
Güler:
Sir, to avoid any confusion, our need in 2011 was guns and ammo. In
2012, 2013 and today also. We're in the exact same point. We
absolutely need to find this and secure that place.
Ahmet
Davutoğlu:
Guns and ammo are not a big need for that place. Because we couldn't
get the human factor in order...
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