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The target is not Qatar but Saudi Arabia 

June 11, 2017 at 12:56 pm

People hold flags and banners during a demonstration in support of Qatar on 9 June 2017, in Gaza, Palestine [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency]

The recent decision taken by some Gulf countries to isolate Qatar is actually an indication that major events are about to take place in the region. We all know that these tremors are not under the control of one country, but it is not clear who will benefit or be affected by them. There is a significant difference between political change and physical change: political and social change may carry data which are beyond the calculations of physical change.

The number of actors in the Middle East today is beyond measure. Everybody has his own plan, but the internal inconsistencies of these plans do not allow anyone to make changes in the policies of the Middle East. Under these circumstances, we may find some parts who build their roots on top of their enemies or we may actually see a structure that is in its final stage suddenly sabotaged by someone else. The United States, which incites one terrorist group against the other, is doomed to deal with the destruction that this terrorist organisation made.

As a matter of fact, it is known that it is impossible for the United States to present a consistent and strategic plan for the Middle East today. Actually, Trump’s exceptional positions are being made up day after day by American agencies, lobbies and forces. For example, the US State Department has opposed Trump’s tweets on Qatar which pretend that he was the one who gave the authority to implement these decisions during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

Within a few hours, the US State Department contradicted Trump, referring to the continuation of good relations with Qatar adding that America is not in favour of the boycott of Qatar.

But what is strange is that news on Qatar’s isolation is hardly being covered by the American media. The reason is clear as the United States is so preoccupied with its crises to the extent that it cannot pay attention to the crises of the Middle East or elsewhere. This point alone is enough to prove the irrationality of the countries of the region that depend on the United States when making their plans.

When looking at the reasons declared for the isolation of Qatar, it is possible to say that these reasons will, before anything else, create more trouble for those who took this step. In reality, they committed the mistake of classifying Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist groups supported by the State of Qatar.

However, regardless of what anyone says about Hamas, no Muslim in the world has it in his conscience to categorise Hamas as a terrorist group. Hamas is a popular uprising and resistance movement that emerged as a result of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and Jerusalem. It is a legitimate movement. There is no doubt that the Islamic countries did not stand behind the issue of Palestine until it reached the Hamas movement. These countries will inevitably be held accountable by their people and history, but they can pay part of the price of this failure by supporting Hamas’ resistance.

The State of Qatar is one of the rare countries that tried to pay part of this price and it deserves the appreciation of the Islamic world for this. But, all the countries that have lied to Qatar, because of its support of Hamas, in order to get the satisfaction of America should realise that they will get nothing from the United States, since America itself is in a spiral and it cannot pay attention to anyone.

What’s more is that the United States, which is supporting terrorist operations against Turkey through sustaining the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK), the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), is not in a good position to blame anybody for supporting terrorism. It appears that the United States does not even take into account the rights of its allies. In this context, a question arises: “Which is less dangerous, the United States’ friendship or enmity?”

The crisis in Qatar is a crisis for the Islamic countries and they have to solve it among themselves. Regarding our analyses, the issue of Qatar is a crisis that has been already planned to increase the region’s tension. As a result, it will have no benefit for those who started the campaign either, since it is a step that can push them into greater instability too.

Turkey’s mediation and impartiality

Despite having extremely high level relations with Qatar, Turkey tried to put out the fire from the start and assumed the role of mediator between the sides. Saudi Arabia is one of the most important elements of stability in the region and, until now, Turkey tried to refrain from any discourse that would disturb it regardless of their disputes on many issues. If we reflect on the coup in Egypt, we will realise that it was actually the first step of the great instability we are experiencing today, knowing that efforts were made to prepare a coup in Turkey with the Gezi events, simultaneously with the Egyptian coup. Saudi Arabia supported the coup in Egypt, but Turkey objected to it. Despite this, Turkey has not tried to strain its relations with Saudi Arabia because it supported the Egyptian coup. Because, a threat that may target Saudi Arabia will have a greater and negative impact on Turkey and the entire Muslim world. Hence, regardless of all their disputes, Turkey’s relations with Saudi Arabia must always continue at the highest level. This is important, in terms of the leading role both Turkey and Saudi Arabia are playing for the security, peace and quality of the entire Muslim world.

Even though Turkey has assumed the role of mediator in the Gulf conflict, those claiming that it has taken a position in support of Qatar against Saudi Arabia are not well intentioned. There is an asymmetric partiality, and what should be done when one of the sides is about to almost eradicate the other? After one of the sides is eradicated, there will be not be two sides to mediate between. Turkey is not the United States to sell out its ally at the first opportunity that arises.

Both Turkey’s friendship and enmity are real. It should never be forgotten that Turkey strongly and openly objected to the decision process in the United States which blamed Saudi Arabia for the September 11 attacks. It stood up against the United States for Saudi Arabia. When it is faced with injustice, Turkey will continue to stand by Saudi Arabia, just like it is standing by Qatar, which is faced with injustice today.

By taking part in this entirely unjust campaign, Saudi Arabia is taking a great risk. The greatest display of friendship and brotherhood we can show for our friend, our sister country Saudi Arabia, is to protect it from this risk.

Translated from yenisafak.com, 10 June 2017

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.