Turkey must avoid falling prey to Iran

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WE congratulate the Justice and Development Party for attaining victory in the early elections that ‘rescued’ it from the search for an ally to form a coalition government, so it has become the sole ruling party.

It is true that people have been talking about amendment of the constitution but the victory does not make it easy for the president to take such step. This may jeopardize the aspiration of the party but it is beneficial to Turkey and the Arab nations, for Erdogan not to transform this large country in the region into a haven for the Muslim Brotherhood Movement which has become an international pariah enmeshed in disputes and terrorism.

It is natural for Erdogan to understand the dangers associated with a situation whereby his country toes the path of Iran in the region since it cannot face the challenge alone. Turkey definitely needs to form an alliance with other powerful Arab nations like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt in foiling the attempt of Persia to expand further within the territory regarded as its strategic surrounding.

It is more pertinent in the bitter experience of Ankara during the terrorist operations perpetrated by groups supported by Iran in its territories. This is in addition to the accommodation that Turkey provided for the Brotherhood when it opened its doors for them to attack Egypt and other Arab nations. Turkey allowed Iran, which is also an ally of the Brotherhood, to operate within its territories.

Undoubtedly, Erdogan and his party fully understand the meaning of terminating the Iranian project. The issue is not just about political disagreements over Syrian or Iraqi problems and the oil pipeline, but also the Mullah regime’s historical struggle to change the face of the region culturally, politically and doctrinally.

They should not forgive the Brotherhood for its role in this project, whether in promoting the Mullah regime since 1979 or the terrorist activities in which the group is good at planning and execution. This is not limited to Egypt since it covers several Arab nations but it became more pronounced with the interference of Iran in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Yemen and Syria. When the group failed in that aspect, it cooperated with al-Qaeda and DAESH with the support of Iran.

It behooves Erdogan to partner with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and other GCC countries in challenging Iran in order to prevent the ‘fire’ of its inordinate ambition from the Turkish highly inflammable internal garment. This is important considering the government is planning to boost its economic performance and resolve living standard issues.

Turkey needs to form an alliance with strong partners rather than taking chances with the weak that depend on terrorism to actualize their objectives. Those who feel the effects of Operation Storm of Resolve, joined the 5+1 dialogue with Iran and accepted conditions of the Group of Six, cannot ignore the alliance with Turkey. This could even speed up the admission of Turkey into the European Union — the dream of every Turkish.

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times

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