Can Erdoğan dare?

White House Spokesman Sarah Sanders announced that US President Donald Trump will announce his decision to move the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, today.

The US Embassy in Tel Aviv (photo credit: Ori~/Wikimedia Commons/File)

I’m not planning to take on this issue based on the history of Jerusalem, or its religious importance for all monotheist religions. I won’t even slightly consider to evaluate it from the perspective of Israeli – Palestinian relations..

I want to look at it from the Turkish side. Yes! You read that right! Turkish! Why ? Let me explain…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan does not miss a single chance to criticize Israel and find a way to rally his followers against it. He has been focusing on the Israeli – Palestinian conflict at an obsessive level as if his power of ruling Turkey depended on it.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – The President of Turkey (Image from grihat.com)

Due to this statement by the U.S., the Turkish president declared that Jerusalem is a “Red line for the whole Muslim world” He also added that if the U.S. follows through with such a statement Turkey might even “Consider cutting all relations with Israel“.

Yes you have read that right… -Consider cutting all relations with Israel.

If Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wanted to cut all relations with Israel he could have done that anytime in the past 70 years. Jerusalem is and has been the Capital of Israel.

Donalt Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Image from lobelog.com)

If President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is truly concerned with the U.S. embassy being moved to Jerusalem, the logical response for him to make is to cut all relations with the U.S.  

No?

Why would he consider putting such a threat over Israel ?

First of all he doesn’t have the courage to do the same thing for the U.S. Secondly; yelling from the stage to blame Israel for something / anything is what he does best to get votes and  change the focus from whatever is going on his own country.

To shift the focus….

So what is going on in Turkey now a days?

The current exchange rate of USD/TRY is almost 4 which suggests that the Turkish economy is not as good as it is portrayes itself to be.

Since 15 July 2016; over 225.000 people have been arrested due to suspicion of aiding the “so called” Military Coup which was magically blamed on U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gülen.

The main political opposition’s leader in Turkey – Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, claimed Turkish President had embezzled some of the money which was supposed to be spent on the Syrian refugees According to the accusation this money was in a bank account in Mann island in the U.K.. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wanted proof for this accusations and Kemal Kılıçtaroğlu presented official bank transfer statements which belonged to Turkish President’s relatives. Of course Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s lawyers denied the claim and authenticity of these documents even before laying an eye on them.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (Image from Birgun.net)

The main media coverage in Turkey is focused on the US case over Rıza Zarrab.

Who is Rıza Zarrab? Glad you asked… Now focus!

Reza Zarrab or Rıza Sarraf  – born on 12 September 1983 in Tabriz, Iran. He is a Turkey-based businessman. He has quadruple Iranian, Azerbaijani, Turkish and Macedonian citizenship.

Reza Zarrab recieved “Top Exporter Award of 2015” in Turkey and recieved his plaque from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy in a ceremony where Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was present.

On 19 March 2016 he was arrested in the United States and accused of being a member of international criminal organization. He was charged with evading the US sanctions on Iran and money laundering  in an alleged racket scheme to help Iran bypass the sanctions, involving ministers of the Turkish government including prime minister and now president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

His father, Hossein Zarrab, had a close relationship with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who served as the President of Iran between 2005 and 2013. The U.S. Department of Treasury accused Hossein Zarrab of violating U.S. sanctions on Iran and slapped a $9.1 million fine against him. His fine reduced to $2.3 million following his collaboration with the U.S. officials.

Zarrab was arrested by the FBI in Florida on March 19, 2016 and was accused of bank fraud, money laundering and helping the Iranian government in evading the US economic sanctions on Iran to hinder its nuclear-weapons program. His charges; conspiracy to defraud, violating the IEEPA, money laundering, and bank fraud; could bring up to 70 years in prison if found guilty in the U.S. Federal Court.

Rıza Zarrab (Image from Romanyahaber.com)

Now guess who admitted to all of his crimes including bribing Turkish officials, ministers and Turkish national banks in return of being a witness against other suspects and Turkish officials.

Let Recep Tayyip Erdoğan scream at the top of his lungs against Israel. His real concern is keeping his followers minds out of the matters that might put himself in the crosshairs.