Realpolitik: Israel, the Kurds, the Turks, Apartheid SA

Gulf Times

“Turkey was always saying that Israel was backing the PKK to win the sympathy of Islamic countries and tarnish the reputation of the PKK in the minds of the Muslim Kurdish people,” Denis told AFP in the Iraqi Kurdistan regional capital Arbil.

“But today they admitted that they are the ones who are being supported by Israel. The confession shows the bankruptcy of Turkish policy.”

Zaman
Hürriyet

Democracynow!

The Israelis have had long standing ties to the Talibani and Marzani clans Kurdistan and there are many Kurdish Jews that emigrated to Israel and there are still a lot of connection. But at some time before the end of the year, and I’m not clear exactly when, certainly I would say a good six, eight months ago, Israel began to work with some trained Kurdish command does, obstensively the idea was the Israelis—some of the Israeli elite commander units, counter-terror or terror units, depending on your point of view, began training—getting the Kurds up to speed.

It wouldn't be surprising if Israel had active ties with the Iranian regime while trying to destabilise it...oh, wait!

Realpolitik is the name of the game. There is no morality attached to relations between States, and Israel is no exception. Witness the collaboration between Apartheid South Africa, an antisemitic regime, and...the State of Israel.

Guardian
Guardian

During the second world war the future South African prime minister John Vorster was interned as a Nazi sympathiser. Three decades later he was being feted in Jerusalem. In the second part of his remarkable special report, Chris McGreal investigates the clandestine alliance between Israel and the apartheid regime, cemented with the ultimate gift of friendship - A-bomb technology

The muslim witch and her presidential husband

Turkey's parliament goes to the polls to elect the next president of the country. It attempted to do so four months ago, but the election was annulled. Today, as at the time, one party, the CHP, has refused to take part in the election because of their apparent fear, that one man may be elected. That man is Abdullah Gül, of the ruling AKP. He is apparently too 'islamic' for the members of the CHP. One argument put forward against him, is that his wife wears a hijab. Apparently, the army is also lying ing wait, considering action if the President doesn't act in a sufficiently secular manner, and presumeably if Mrs Gül's headscarfe covers too much of her face!
No doubt this will not play a big part in the EU's analysis of turkish democracy when considering Turkey's application. After all, better a dictatorial army-led secular state, than a democratically elected islamic government or president (the latter albeit elected by parliament. Maybe Turkey should put the choice to the turkish people...) That seems to be the western mantra these days.