While

 

everybody been all about "Rome"?

Somebody tryin to tell ya:

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Always

keep your eye on Turkey.

Jailed İstanbul mayor warns 

a democratic Turkey is essential for global stability

4/16/2025

(If you know your book?

You already know how that's gonna work out)

"A democratic and secular Turkey is vital for the stability of Europe, the Middle East and the international order, jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu warned in a powerful opinion piece he wrote for the Financial Times from prison, urging global democratic solidarity against the country’s growing authoritarianism under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."

Background:

"İmamoğlu, who became a key opposition figure after his landmark victory in İstanbul’s 2019 mayoral election and his re-election as the mayor of İstanbul last year, is seen as the post powerful rival of Erdoğan, whose increasingly authoritarian rule has faced growing criticism at home and abroad."

"He was arrested on March 23 on corruption charges, which many critics view as politically motivated. His detention on March 19 ignited widespread protests, the largest in Turkey since 2013, escalating political tensions."

"Writing from Silivri Prison, İmamoğlu called the accusations against him “baseless” and argued that Turkey’s geographic and strategic position, at the intersection of Europe, Asia and key conflict zones, makes its democratic trajectory critical to the security of NATO, the EU and the broader Middle East."

"He said the war in Ukraine has shown how urgently strategic coordination is needed across this geopolitical arc, adding that developments in Syria and the ongoing tragedy in Gaza demonstrate how quickly instability can spill across borders.

“In each of these theatres, a democratic, secular Turkey is not merely helpful — it is essential,” he wrote."

(And its not gonna happen, regardless of the protest.)

In other related events:

Saudi Arabia plans to pay off 

Syria's World Bank debts, sources say

4/14/25

"BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) -Saudi Arabia plans to pay off Syria's debts to the World Bank, three people familiar with the matter said, paving the way for the approval of millions of dollars in grants for reconstruction and to support the country's paralysed public sector."

"It may also be a sign that crucial Gulf Arab support for Syria is beginning to materialize after previous plans, including an initiative by Doha to fund salaries, were held up by uncertainty over U.S. sanctions."

"Last month, Qatar announced a plan to provide Syria with gas via Jordan to improve the nation's meagre electricity supply, a move that sources told Reuters had Washington's nod of approval."

"Syria has around $15 million in arrears to the World Bank which must be paid off before the international financial institution can approve grants and provide other forms of assistance."

"Reuters reported on Saturday that Syria would send a high-level delegation to Washington for the yearly spring meetings of the World Bank and IMF later this month, marking the first visit by Syrian officials to the U.S. since Assad's ouster."

"Some White House officials have been keen to take a more hard line stance, pointing to the new Syrian leadership's former ties to Al-Qaeda as reason to keep engagement to a minimum, according to diplomats and U.S. sources."

Translation?

The pathway for the lifting of US sanctions 

is being opened.

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani

(Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa)

will be rewarded for his massacre of the Alawites

just like somebody said he would be.