The pressure on Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and the AK Party continues to escalate. Beyond the ongoing pressure from various activist groups, a division within the ruling Islamist party has expanded following the exposure of deep corruption at the highest levels of leadership. And above all of this, a full blown war between the Gülenists of Turkey and the AKP Islamists has erupted. Some analysts of Turkish society and politics have suggested that the source of the tension between these two groups is a disagreement about what kind of Islam Turkey should embrace going forward. It is said that the AKP is pushing an “Arab” Islam leaning east, as seen in its support for the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, while the Gülenists are pushing for a more Turkish form of Islam, which is presented as more intellectual and tolerant, but in truth is simply more patient and subtle. Will this lead to the eventual ouster of Erdogan, clearly the most influential politician to emerge in that nation since Ataturk? Only God knows. But for us, time will tell. As various ministers are forced to resign, there have been calls for Erdogan’s resignation from those formerly in very high offices. Knowing Erdogan’s soaring ego however, it is doubtful that he would ever willingly resign in shame, though being forced out remains a narrow possibility. More likely however, the long-term damage to the Prime Minister will be revealed during the elections in 2014 and 2015. All in all, whatever happens will have dramatic ramifications for the future and direction of one of the premiere emerging nations in the region.
A few recent articles addressing the present situation:
Erdogan v Gulen: Zero sum game?
A Guy Who Lives in Pennsylvania May Be Taking Down the Entire Turkish Government
Turkish protesters clash with police as supporters cheer Erdogan
Turkey: Army will not get involved in politics
Battered Erdogan seen weathering storm as scandal deepens
Turkey’s Erdogan and year of ‘foreign plot’
7 Responses
Hi Joel!
Did you say 2014 and 2015? My mind went directly to the blood-moon tetrad (war tetrad) when you posted this commentary. As we approach this most watched season in some time by prophecy students (myself included) for God’s hand to move in world events, I see it becoming quite turbulent and churning with fast-paced and breaking news. Many of us will be racing for our Bibles to double-check prophetic Scripture with accompany commentary from those we follow…at the top of the list for me, is you.
I expect a wild ride and to hang on with my Bible so that I will not be shaken from my Rock, the Lord Jesus who holds me securely in His mighty hand.
Blessings!
As Joel Has Brought To Focus Old Testament Prophecy, I Would Like To See An In Depth Discussion On The State Of Israel In Bible Prophecy. There Seems To Be A Great DEvide On This issue. Many Churches Support The State Of Israel And Even The U.S. Government. While Others Like Orthodox Jews and Even Muslims Say That The State Of Israel Is A Zionist State. Many Jews Lived At Peace With Muslims Until The Recent Escalations From Both Jews And Muslims Because Of This State. Should There Be A Two State Solution? Is This Truly Biblical Prophecy? Are God’s Chosen People The Jews Or Christians? Can Peace Be Promoted And War Averted?
Dear Christopher:
I was fortunate to read the Dalton Thomas book, “The Controversy of Zion” when it was a free e-book for a very limited time via a link through Joel’s Trumpet.com web site. I think if you will obtain this book, your many questions will indeed be answered and this well-researched work will give you a bigger picture of God’s overall plan for the current nation-state of Israel. Tho’ Joel may choose to answer briefly, you will be able to gain much better insight and how Israel fulfills in her current condition the Ezekiel 37:1-14 passage.
Blessings!
Hi Christopher,
I would suggest grabbing a copy of Chris Mitchell’s book, Dateline Jerusalem. It addresses the very issues you commented on.
Blessings,
Vernon
We view events thru a glass darkly at this point. Yes, Good4u, 2014-2014 caught my eye and took me to Daniel 8. Specifically verses 5-6.
“And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.”
The ram has to charge west, north and south first, so I am not sure the notable horn of the goat will be revealed in the 2014-2015 election or later. Although he may be on the scene already. Then, of course, the little horn is revealed even later. But I am watching and praying.
Jim
Joel:
The New Republic argument is long but excellent. Is Oktar influenced by Gulen? I find it interesting that Gulen is a Sufi. I learned that Sufis are a mystical branch of Islam that tend to spiritualize the Qur’an and other texts and to focus on inward perfection (ihsan), rather than the literal fulfillment of political aspirations. It seems the Gulenists tote that line in public, but their actions in the background would suggest otherwise. It seems their public image of tolerance and education would be very deceptive, especially with the world so focused on the threat of Salafist groups, which are gradually being discredited in the public eye (such as the Muslim Brotherhood and their more violent offshoots, and now maybe the AKP). In any case, I find it interesting that more “spiritual” Islamic voices (as opposed to political) are beginning to come to the fore, calling for things such as peace with Israel and the rebuilding of the Jewish temple.
From debka.com
Israeli leaders ponder punishment for terror without derailing Mid East peace talks, DEBKAfile Special Report
24 Dec. The Palestinian sniper who Tuesday, Dec. 24, shot dead an Israeli civilian from Gaza sent Israeli leaders in an agony of indecision over how to fight back against surging Palestinian terrorism without derailing US-sponsored Middle East peace talks. That afternoon, Israeli warplanes struck a Hamas base in Gaza, a relatively mild punishment. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hopes that by holding back, he could bring the talks to a successful conclusion. But he was wrong. The Palestinians ran off with the initiative from a new terrorist command center in Gaza and Istanbul.