Illustrative image: REUTERS/ Osman Orsal
The Turkish government has fired 2,756 more military servicemen and public servants over alleged links to a movement of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen.
The Erdogan regime often refers the Gulen’s movement as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). It also accuses it of being behind the failed military coup attempt in July 2016.
The Turkish Official Gazette published a decree on December 24. The text reveals that the government fired 637 soldiers from the Turkish Armed Forces: 155 from ground forces, 155 from the Navy and 327 from the Air Force. The move also impacted members of police, gendarmerie, coast guard, the Justice Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Directorate of Religious Affairs and state universities staff.
Furthermore, the government closed 17 public organizations.
On July 16, the military coup attempt took place in Turkey. Following it, Ankara introduced a state of emergency and accused the Gulen movement of masterminding the coup attempt. The government has arrested thousands of military personnel, activists, officials and journalists over suspected links to the Golen movement.
Gulen himself has denied allegations. He has been residing in the United States since 1999. This fact thas caused significant tensions between Washington and Ankara.
If Crazy Erdogan wants to take on the YPG, as he constantly seems to say, he should do well to remember what happened to the USSR after Stalin’s purges in the 30’s. After that the Red Army couldn’t even invade a wet paper towel. Just look at the Winterwar with Finland. And the same thing seems to have happened to the Turkish army, based on its performance during Operation Euphrates Shield.
Have no doubt the YPG is well trained , experienced and motivated . Still the Turkish Army is the third largest standing army in the world . Unless the US goes against Turkey , the Kurds hundred thousand or two , even with air support , would just be a training exercise . .
Have no doubt , he may be crazy as evidenced by his support of the Wahhabi jihadists , but loosing a couple hundred thousand troops in order to clear his southern border of Kurds would not make him bat an eye .