REJECTION: Pan-Turanism at the Expense of Islam, Christianity By Appo Jabarian Managing Editor/Executive Publisher USA Armenian Life Magazine Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly The Washington-based neo-cons' expression of intention to promote Turkish military presence in Lebanon in the aftermath of the Israel-Hezbollah war has caused much concern in Lebanon, USA and around the world. These troubling concerns of a possible Turkish participation in UN international peace enforcement force in Lebanon initially raised by Harut Sassounian, the Publisher of the California Courier on August 3, triggered several developments in Lebanon, Turkey, USA and elsewhere. One such development is an August 17 strongly worded commentary by Wa'il Khatib of the Arabic-language Al-Hawadeth Magazine. Mr. Khatib's commentary was titled 'Ankara's Ambition for A Regional Role Under Two Umbrellas: Alliance with Washington and Military Partnership with Tel Aviv!' Al-Hawadeth is the equivalent of TIME in the Arab world. Mr. Khatib began his commentary by raising several crucial questions: 'Does the new Middle East notice that Turkey will participate in an international force in South Lebanon in order to return to her Ottoman role through a strong alliance' as it is now customary - with the Jewish state? Why is she accepting to return to Lebanon while she has not been eager to directly back the Americans in Iraq? Has she been promised with solutions to her problems with the Kurds or with the facilitation for entry into the European Union? Ankara doesn't even get concerned with the barbaric bombardment through the Zionist war on Lebanon. But in reality, isn't it benefiting from the exodus of the investments from the country of Cedars, from the destruction of its bridges, highways, and residential areas? Turkey knows that the Armenians, Kurds, Shias and others who remember the Turkish massacres in Mount Lebanon, do not encourage the new Ottoman forces to indulge into the Lebanese arena.' Mr. Khatib wrote: 'If the Turkish forces succeed in arriving in South Lebanon, they will attempt to ensure Israel's security and to forbid Hezbollah's maintenance of its military apparatus. Turkey has already denied passage through its territories of hundreds of Iranians who were willing to join the fighting in Lebanon.' Several Lebanese and Arab leaders have expressed strong objection to 'the Turkish entry into the heart of Lebanon, or any other Arab country, which means the penetration of the Israeli-Turkish alliance into deep Arabia. And this penetration in Iraq or Lebanon weakens the position of these countries regarding their political, economic and water interests in the rivers of Tigris, Euphrates and Littani. And it may ease (at the expense of the Arabs) the problem of providing Israel with petroleum and water through the construction of pipelines with the consent of the 'new' Middle East, and through the patronage of USA assisted by Israel and Turkey. 'This issue has gained much attention among Arabs who are allied with Iran in their opposition to the establishment of the crescent that starts from Basra (Iraq) to Jerusalem passing through Damascus and Beirut. ' No matter how much Turkey attempted to play the role of an intermediary between Israel and Arabs, it does not earn the confidence of the latter because of its status of being a full partner with the Zionists, starting from their expulsion from Spain all the way to present days, ' Mr. Khatib noted. Mr. Khatib concluded: 'Also noteworthy is the Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk's freeing one more time because (in reality) Turkey has killed one and one half million Armenians and fifty thousand Kurds during the past century, and I consider that as a clear indication that the nature of this barbaric nation caused the European Union to back away from accepting the (Turkish) state in the ranks of civilized states. The European negotiators have also made remarks about the Turk's refusal to open their ports and airports to Cypriot-Greek products and vessels. 'Turkey is also facing difficulties in instituting freedom of expression, women's, religious and minorities' rights. On the other hand, Turkey is preoccupied by an internal conflict in subduing the 20 million Kurds. Washington has warned Turkey not to pursue the PKK inside Iraq. There is a 310-kilometer long border between Iraq and Turkey. 'But the lingering question is, how could a state that is led by Islamic fundamentalists and rejects secularism, fight terrorism? Next, how can it (Turkey) demand the preservation of the Turkmen minority's rights in Iraq when it abuses the rights of Arabs, Alawites, Armenians, and Assyrians?' Millions of Armenian, Arab, Kurdish, Assyrian, and Greek victims of the centuries-long barbaric treatment are defying Turkish sinister plans to get the best of the two worlds through its alliance with Israel and Muslim ties with the Arab world, Kurds and Iran at their expense. And that's why Mr. Khatib wrote: 'It's feasible to say that Iranian nationalism does not encourage very much the Turanians (the Turks) to invade Lebanon after 100 years of the departure of the savage Ottoman (Turkish forces). The understanding among the multinational forces is still unclear. And there is not going to be an answer to this question anytime soon.' As for Lebanon's Hariri-Siniora camp's pro-Turkish leniency, Mr. Siniora ' a Sunni - must be reminded that according to Mr. Houssam Wannous, a fellow Lebanese journalist from Sunni background, the very first Lebanese who were hanged in 1914-17 by the occupation Ottoman Turkish forces in an effort to quell Lebanese patriotism, were the Sunnis. As one may see, all Lebanese must learn the hard lessons from past experiences. Otherwise, they're doomed to fall anew in the Turkish trap.

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