[Liz]

When ISIS splintered from Al Nusra last summer under the auspices of Turkey, the US did not act and perpetuated its long-standing policy of providing Turkey cover for its murderous policies.

How Turkey Went Bad / | 10/3/2014 | Daniel Pipes / FR Posted by markomalley

Only twelve years ago, the Republic of Turkey was correctly seen as a stalwart NATO ally, the model of a pro-Western Muslim state, and a bridge between Europe and the Middle East. A strong military bond with the Pentagon undergirded broader economic and cultural ties with Americans. For those of us who work on the Middle East, time in Istanbul, Ankara, and other Turkish cities was a refreshing oasis from the turmoil of the region.

And then, starting with the still-astonishing election of 2002, the country dramatically changed course. Slowly at first and then with increasing velocity since mid-2011, the government began breaking its own laws, turned autocratic, and allied with the enemies of the United States. Even those most reluctant to recognize this shift have been forced to do so. If Barack Obama listed Turkey’s dominant political leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as one of his five best foreign friends in 2012, he showed a quite different attitude by having a mere chargé d’affaires represent him at Erdogan’s presidential inauguration a few weeks ago – a public slap in the face.

What caused this shift? Why did Turkey go rotten?

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With its youthful population of 75 million, a central location, control of a key waterway, and eight mostly problematic neighbors, Turkey is a highly desirable ally.

In addition, it enjoys a position of prominence in the Middle East, among Turkic-speakers from Bosnia to Xinjiang, and among Muslims worldwide. The U.S.-Turkish alliance that began with the Korean War has been highly advantageous to Washington, which is understandably loath to lose it.

That said, one side alone cannot sustain an alliance. Ankara’s record of friendly relations with Tehran, support for Hamas and the Islamic State, undermining the authority of Baghdad, virulence toward Israel, and threats against Cyprus make its membership in NATO questionable at best and duplicitous at worst.

Washington must signal that the bully tactics winning votes within Turkey fail in the rest of the world. The Wall Street Journal has helpfully proposed moving a U.S. military base in Turkey to Iraqi Kurdistan. Erdogan’s increasingly dictatorial rule must be repudiated as should Ankara’s continued occupation of Cyprus, its support for terrorists, and its anti-semitic effusions.

Beyond these steps, the time has come for the U.S. government to make clear that unless major changes occur quickly, it will push for Turkey’s suspension and eventual expulsion from NATO.

If Erdogan insists on acting the rogue, then that’s how its former ally should treat him.

[Liz]

BACKSTORY---THEN-CONG WEXLER APPOINTS HIMSELF ISLAMIC PEACEMAKER
Wexler founded the Congressional Caucus on US-Turkish Relations
and got himself a seat on a Congressional Study Group on Turkey.

THEN-CONG WEXLER AND BIBI NETANYAHU.

As the putative "Fla Congressman (ousted for lying)," Wexler inveigled the US to launch a "cooperative effort" to further Islamic Turkey's "economic and military self-reliance."

At Wexler's behest, the US stupidly loaned and granted Islamic Turkey more than $7 billion in economic aid, and more than $14 billion in military assistance.

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In July 2008, it was revealed that then-Cong Robert Wexler claimed his mother-in-law's home in Delray Beach, Fla as his official residence (though he was listed on the House roll as "Dem-Boca Raton")...he actually lived in a Maryland suburb for most of the year.

Edward J. Lynch, a Republican running for Wexler's congressional seat, researched Wexler's living arrangements and took his argument to Fox News. "The house he lists on his voter registration is his in-laws' house, in a gated 55-and-older community," Lynch said. "Legally, he can't move back with children under 18."

After Wexler was confronted about the allegation, he stated that his mother-in-law does own the house in Delray Beach. But he also said he stays there when in Florida which, according to his office is, on average, about twice a month.

As a putative Florida resident, Wexler did not pay personal income tax, and his vehicles were also registered in that state, despite his near-permanent residency in Maryland and the Washington metropolitan area.

Wexler, born in 1961, did not meet the age requirements for his mother-in-law's senior community. Wexler later obtained a separate address within Palm Beach County.

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LEST WE FORGET---

Islamic TURKEY received $21 billion economic/military US foreign aid (orchestrated by Wexler---a Fla Congressman forced out of office for lying).

The ex-Fla Cong WEXLER inveigled the US to launch a "cooperative effort to further Turkish economic and military self-reliance," so the US stupidly loaned and granted Turkey more than $7 billion in economic aid and more than $14 billion in military assistance.

So much for "peace and cooperation." Turkey is now acquiring nuclear weapons and the ex-Fla Congressman is now running a.n.o.t.h.e.r Mideast (cough) "Peace" group sucking up US tax dollars.

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Countless US assets---our embassies, ships and military bases are bombed----our military and diplo-personnel savaged, killed, maimed and tortured by fanatics in Mideast hellholes---and invariably the US gets the blame: "We weren't stern enough, we weren't strong enough"---and my personal favorite----"we didn't give them enough money," etc etc etc.

REALITY CHECK: let us count the ways America has been duped:

eocons duped the US into pouring trillions into Islamic Afghanistan.....the most corrupt spot on the globe. The Bank of Kabul is engaged in massive fraud---the bank gets billions of US tax dollars deposited to run the war----if you are "a connected" Afghani you can withdraw billions with no silly responsibility to pay it back. Afghan Pres Karzhai was seen loading billions of US dollars to transport out of the country.

Who could forget Obama's "Arab Spring" when all of the terrorists would suddenly become sap-happy humanitarians, weaving daisy chains while frolicking around the May pole?

Since he duped America into electing him in 2008-12, Obama's been prostrate, apologizing for America-----on his knees, all puckered up, sucking up to America-hating countries. Obama and the Chicago crime kingpins he installed in the WH have done everything possible to undermine US ntl security --- and they did it with our tax dollars.

ITEM Obama entertained the Muslim Brotherhood in the WH---and he gave the Muslim Brotherhood $2 billion tax dollars to finance its anti-American activities. It's entirely conceivable that the Mideast killings of Americans is being financed w/our tax dollars---thanks to the idiot in the WH.

He and the Chicago crime bosses in the WH should be charged w/ un-American activities.