Biden's Genocide Code

Last year, for the first time in history, a US president explained the events of 1915 with expressions of the Armenian genocide and great disaster. Moreover, he was not satisfied with this, he called Istanbul Constantinopolis. This year, too, Biden did not refrain from using the phrase "genocide".

So, what happened that the US president started using the term genocide every year?

Turkish-American relations, which could be resolved somehow in the 20th century or that mutual sensitivities were taken care of, started to move in a direction where crises increased one by one and solutions became more difficult in the 21st century.

Despite the many problems experienced in Turkish-American relations, the term "genocide" has never been used by the US presidents regarding the events in 1915. (It was only in 1981 that Ronald Reagan made a similar statement, but it would be correct to accept Biden's statement as the first, since it didn't make much noise at the time.)

As the Turkish public, we would celebrate our 23 April, we would be full of joy, and right after that, we would tense up on April 24, experience the nightmare of whether the US president would use the phrase genocide, and we would be relieved when this word was not said.

The changing order both in the domestic and the outside world, on the one hand, caused us not to be able to celebrate our 23 April to the fullest, on the other hand, the expression of genocide was used for the first time and our uneasiness increased.

In fact, for some reason, we lived with the assumption that if the President of the United States says genocide, it was genocide, and if he does not, it is as if there was no genocide. However, the US president's use or non-use of the phrase "genocide" can never be a result. After all, the institution that decides on these events is history and law, not politics. While it is known by the US president that both history and legal sciences do not describe the events as genocide, it is necessary to examine what is meant by this statement.

US President Biden's use of the word genocide once again is an important indicator of his anti-Turkey political stance.

Two different views emerge and are discussed in the way Turkish-American relations come to this state. The reason for using this baseless phrase of genocide, which is uttered for the first time in the history of bilateral relations and which has no basis in truth, is Turkey's wrong steps in foreign policy, according to some, and Turkey's independent policies, according to others.

Proponents of opposition support the first proposition, while supporters of government support the second proposition. So let's take a closer look at the situation.

What are the mistakes made in foreign policy? Let's take a look at these first.

Issues that can be considered as mistakes or wrongs in foreign policy:

1. Weakness in the determination of Turkey's foreign policy, allegedly caused by the despising of bureaucrats and foreign affairs members who have given their place for years, and the election of those who are appointed to their place, mostly from political actors.

2. Deterioration of relations with the “one minute” protest against Israel with the thought that it will bring votes in domestic politics and the statements made afterwards, this deterioration caused the support of the Jewish lobby in the USA, which was in favor of Turkey, to be cut off, and the Turkish lobby, which remained unsupported, to support the Greek, Greek and Greek Cypriots. The defeat of the Armenian lobby.

3. Due to the Ikhwan and neo-Ottomanist perception created in foreign policy, the deterioration of relations with the Middle East countries, especially Egypt, Israel and Syria, the withdrawal of mutual ambassadors and the absence of any country that can be called friendly with Turkey in regional terms, except for Qatar.

4. The inability to give the necessary and sufficient reaction to the humiliation and instructive actions, rhetoric and actions of the USA, which started with the sack over the head of the Turkish soldier in 2003, and the fact that the USA, seeing this, gradually increased its useless pressure to engage in and hostile behavior, and Turkey's accelerating the fact that he could not, for some reason, give the necessary and sufficient response to the pressures.

5. The release of Pastor Brunson, who was said to be 'not possible', by surrendering to the pressures of the USA and sending him to his country.

6. The fact that the USA's CAATSA (Act of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions) imposed on its enemies such as Russia and China and on countries such as North Korea and Iran, which it describes as enemies, could not be prevented from applying to Turkey despite being in the same alliance.

7. The purchase of the S-400s from Russia and discussing whether this system is actively used due to pressures, without foreseeing the problems that may be experienced by the USA and NATO, without making a full benefit and disadvantage analysis.

8. The USA started to see the predictable Greece as more strategic partners instead of the unpredictable Turkey and increased its political and military support in favor of Greece.

We can say that this chain of political events, briefly summarized, affected the relations of the USA with Turkey and caused the expression of genocide to be used against Turkey.

On the other hand, we cannot ignore some issues where Turkey started to follow a more independent, unpredictable, and maverick foreign policy, especially after 2016, and gradually got rid of its old mistakes.

So what are these issues?

1. Olive Branch, Euphrates Shield and Peace Spring operations against the PYD/YPG structure and its nationalization, which were tried to be carried out with the support of the USA and supported to ensure Israel's security in Syria, and thanks to these operations, Turkey declared that it would not allow fait accompli in the region. .

2. As a result of the adoption of the blue homeland concept as a national policy, the defense of the rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, which was not emphasized in the past, started. In this context, the purchase of drilling vessels, the signing of the maritime jurisdiction demarcation agreement with Libya and the steps taken to improve relations with other riparian countries, albeit delayed.

3. In the crisis between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the political and military support given to Azerbaijan, without confronting Russia, resulted in the recapture of a part of the Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh.

4. In the Cyprus case, the stance shown towards a confederative solution with two equal and sovereign states, with the abandonment of the unfinished federation solution talks.

5. Thanks to the balanced policy implemented between Russia and Ukraine, despite being a NATO member, Turkey is a country that is able to mediate for peace and its importance is increasing.

We can list the erroneous policies of both sides, which can be summarized as mutual interference in the internal affairs of the other state, as follows:

1. Despite President Trump's contemptuous and bureaucratic letter to President Erdogan, his approval of sanctions against Turkey, his threats to collapse Turkey economically, and his continued support of Pyd/Ypg in Syria, Erdogan 's support of Trump and his statement that he is in favor of his election. The problem that arose after the election of Biden.

2. The US President Biden's statement that he will support the opposition in order to overthrow Erdoğan, while it is clear that the US is in the background of the coups in the history of Turkey and the dire situation remaining from the 15 July 2016 attempt.

3. The US's failure to hand over the leader of the Fetullahist terrorist organization, supporting the perception that it was behind the 15 July 2016 coup attempt, and the delayed and strange statements it made after the coup attempt.

4. Allusive comments and statements made by Turkey regarding the raid and anti-democratic events that took place in the US Congress on January 6, 2021, similar to the statements made by the US in similar events.

Turkey, on the one hand, does not want to wear the shirt of obey without question if you are an ally, and on the other hand, it cannot show a clear stance against the USA due to the fragility brought about by wrong decisions in the economy and foreign policy.

Increasing US Pressures:

The USA, on the other hand, wants to return to the bipolar world order. Instead of the capitalist and communist poles of the Cold War era, the poles created by the USA this time are designed as democratic and autocratic regimes. This pressure is increasing because the USA does not see Turkey as fully democratic, let alone whether it is right or wrong. The USA told Turkey, “Either be a democratic, transparent democracy with us and remain our ally; or be an autocratic regime on the other side, like China or Russia, stay our enemy”.

The operation to test, so to speak, adjust and increase tensions, the ones who govern Turkey, which the USA started with the sack incident in 2003,

In 2014, with the support of truckloads of weapons to the PKK,

Being behind the 15 July coup attempt in 2016 and ultimately

In 2021 and 2022, it continues to increase in intensity with the use of genocide expressions on April 24.

Briefly; The USA measures the reaction of Turkey, increases its pressures and scratches the sensitivities as long as there is no reaction or the dosage remains low.

It seems that as long as weak and dysfunctional reactions continue, similar events and expressions that we do not like are likely to occur.

In addition to Turkey's removal from the F-35 program and the continuation of CAATSA sanctions, the USA will increase its pressure in the form of property investigations that will be shaped according to the decisions of the Halkbank case and the efforts to establish a de facto Kurdish state in Syria, and that the Turkish-American It is understood that the problems in the relations will accelerate.

So what should Turkey do then?

1. Turkey must first develop its democratic values, show the internal and external world that it is a social and democratic state of law, internalize its democratic norms, and end all practices that look like autocratic regimes. Being at the same level as autocratic regimes in terms of rule of law and freedom of the press does not suit Turkey's democratic scorecard.

2. It is not possible to achieve domestic unity by making foreign policy a material for domestic policy and by marginalizing and making enemies of those who do not think like themselves. Ensuring unity can only be achieved through more democracy, tolerance, freedom and transparency.

3. Turkey should not make the slightest concession on matters related to its national interests. Our national causes, Cyprus, the Blue Homeland, the protection of the rights and interests on the islands, islets and rocks in the Sea of ​​Islands, and the puppet state formation that is being tried to be created in Syria and Iraq should never be compromised.

4. A mistake that will directly affect Turkey's survival, such as leaving NATO, should not be made, and the power of having a NATO membership, where consensus is valid, should not be lost in the decision-making process. It should not be forgotten that NATO membership provides defense not only against threats from outside, but also against threats from within the alliance.

5. In order to defend the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq together and to fight together with all separatist organizations and structures, whether we like it or not, Turkey should improve its relations with neighboring state administrations and prevent the realization of imperial goals in the region with joint measures to be taken. In this context, efforts should be increased to establish an OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in the Middle East) similar to the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), which is tried in Europe and prevents the outbreak of wars.

6. Against economic sanctions, savings and production economy measures should be brought to the fore immediately, and technological, economic and political nationalization moves should be put into effect quickly in parallel with the national and domestic developments in the defense industry.

7. Expensive projects such as Kanal Istanbul should be suspended or forgotten immediately, resources should be transferred to the national power, namely military, economic, technological and political power elements, and production economy measures should be taken urgently, especially to ensure the development of the weakening economy.

8. Deficiencies in public diplomacy and lobbying should be identified, measures to eliminate problems should be taken, and all kinds of visual, written and social media activities related to the promotion of the country should be accelerated.

9. Rather than appointing politicians to overseas missions, people who are based on merit, who are knowledgeable, who have the capacity and ability to represent the country, should be appointed to critical positions, regardless of whether they are monarchs or not.

10. In the Cyprus case, since the Greek Cypriot side is a member of the EU and does not accept equal sovereignty, as it is understood that a federative solution is not possible as a result of the disturbed balance, efforts should be increased to reach a confederative solution based on two equal and sovereign countries and to recognize the TRNC. In this context, it should be ensured that the guarantor country, England, acts together with the Turkish side.

11. Islands, islets and reefs occupied by Greece, whose sovereignty was not given to Greece by agreements, should be identified one by one. and if it is not evacuated, it should be announced to the whole world that it will intervene.

12. The policy of balancing the great powers is only possible if the regional powers act together. The main foreign policy axis that Atatürk implemented in his own time should be well understood, and the background of the Balkan and Sadabat pacts should be evaluated well. The policy of "peace at home, peace in the world" should be returned immediately, negotiations with Syria, Israel and Egypt should be accelerated, and political and economic agreements on maritime jurisdiction areas should be signed.