In “Overtures to Egypt’s Islamists Reverse Longtime U.S. Policy” the New York Times (1/3/2012), is trying to guess if the Moslem Brotherhood will really have a democracy in Egypt that will keep the peace agreement with Israel and a friendly policy with the US. Many doubt it. Anyway, all these revolutions in the Arab countries brought everywhere Islamic parliaments or governments.
Who do you think will take over Syria if the secular regime there was changed? At that time Turkey will have a puppet government in Syria and an allied one in Egypt, as well as allies in Libya, Jordan, Tunisia and even Morocco. What will then be the Turkish policy towards the American allies in the region? My guess will be that it will want to join hands with Egypt and North Africa and grab the oil of the Gulf countries.
The only stumbling block in the way of the Turkish ambitions is the Syrian resistance (it is understandable when you know how much they were oppressed by the Ottomans and the massacres and genocides perpetrated in their times all over the empire). If and when the Moslem Brotherhood takes over Damascus with the help of the Libyan fighters, sent to help it with Turkish and Gulf support, Turkey will have opened its road to renew its Empire, like it was in 1515.
Is the return of a modern Ottoman Empire in the American and European interests? The only way to stop this disaster is to help the Syrian government, the real Syrian opposition and the Arab League to start a real dialogue towards a real democracy, where there will be “no difference between Syrians” but in patriotism.
Roger AKL
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PS: Roger AKL is a former Lebanese navy officer, former Assistant armed Forces Attaché at the Lebanese Embassy in Washington D.C., former Second in Command of the Lebanese Navy (1981- 1984) and former head of the Lebanese liaison bureau with the American forces in Lebanon (1983-1984), former chairman, CEO and director of the board of companies in the INTRA Investment group (1984-1990). Currently he is a writer in Middle Eastern affairs.