Dear friends and readers,
Ever had a really great friend only to discover they are not really a friend at all? Painful is it not? Well, that is also happening between some nations. Namely Turkey in relationship to ANY Western democratic nations.
And it is becoming serious!
This situation with Turkey, a NATO member who has basically thrown Western democracies "under the bus" for the sake of new alliances with Russia, Iran and even China, has become the elephant in the worldwide room of not so public opinion. In fact I would venture to say that this phenomena is all but unknown by the general public of the western nations and is not being discussed by political leadership outside of securely locked doors. BECAUSE? It is a dilemma of monumental proportions with zero easy answers. Turkey no longer fits in NATO but what to do? And what will be the cost of doing something? Or doing nothing?
Last week my article on this blog previewed my assertion that Iran (ancient Persia), elements (if not all) of Turkey and several other Islamic strongholds such as Libya and northern Sudan may some day soon be the central players in the future invasion of Israel by Gog from the land of Magog---GOG being the leader of Russia at the time of this massive attempted invasion. I outlined the nature of this alliance both politically, culturally and even more importantly on an extremely dangerous fundamental fanatical religious basis, namely from within ISLAM! I was discussing Ezekiel chapters 38-39 which is a Biblical prophecy of the end times that outlines this horrific invasion, the participants of whom will be destroyed by GOD Himself down to 1/6 of this massive armies entire strength.
Today the question is, why is the nation of Turkey such a big deal considering the fact that many college students probably cannot find it on a map? A bit of background is in order; NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was formed in 1949 to counter the COLD WAR threat of the immense Soviet Union which had gobbled up several Eastern European nations after WWII. There were 15 states in total with Russia in the predominant position of economic, political and military power. These states were 1). Belarus (white Russia) 2). Ukraine 3). Armenia 4). Latvia 5). Lithuania 6). Moldavia 7). Georgia 8). Estonia 9). Kirghizia 10). Azerbaijan and what has become to be known as "THE STANS". 11). Uzbekistan 12). Turkmenistan 13). Tadzhkistan 14). Kazakhstan.
After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia once again was internationally recognized as the legal successor to the old former Soviet Union (FSU). At that time the NATO nations had but one simple charge in their original charter "To safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilization of member states and their peoples founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law". In other words the exact opposite across the board from what the Soviet Union stood for.
The original NATO countries in 1949 were only twelve in number but grew over the years to 29. Sorry to be boring here but we need to keep this in context. I have a purpose for displaying the following list---I really do! The current member states of NATO are 1). United States 2). United Kingdom 3). France 4), Germany 5). Greece 6). Hungary 7). Iceland 8). Montenegro 9). Italy 10). Latvia 11). Estonia 12). Lithuania 13). Luxembourg 14). Netherlands 15). Norway 16). Poland 17). Portugal 18). Romania 19). Slovakia 20). Slovenia 21). Spain 22). Albania 23). Belgium 24). Canada 25). Bulgaria 26) Croatia 27). Czech Republic 28) Denmark 29). TURKEY!
This august body of nations stood strong for 42 years countering the Soviet threat until 1991. Then the NATO alliance continued on, post Soviet Union and struggled along WITH NO ACTUAL ROLE TO PLAY, for the next 26 years until the US Presidential election of 2017. During all this time the United States paid a full 22% of the total NATO budget each and every year while the other 28 members were only expected to pay 2% of their annual GDP. Which by the way very few EVER actually did. But there are multiple categories of spending within the overall annual NATO budget so the 22% forked out by the United States is deceiving. In reality the USA pays 51.1% of the overall GDP and 71.7% of the actual total defense budget.
Along comes an outside challenger for the US Presidency named Donald Trump who committed the monumental crime of the century by actually suggesting during his campaign that NATO had outlived it's purpose and either needed to come up to speed and face todays growing threats or fold it's tent and go home. And if it remained a viable organization Mr. Trump reiterated, ALL the member nations needed to pony up their fair share.
SCREAM!!! You would have thought that Trump had stolen the Crown Jewels, robbed Fort Knox and sold the entire free world down the river. But it turned out that he was right, NATO had no authority to do anything other than it's original charter and there was no more Soviet Union to contend with plus the United States tax payers were paying an annual fortune for an organization without purpose. NOTE: Since the election and the so called TRUMP TRAIN rumbled into Washington, NATO is now upgrading it's charter and beginning to place emphasis on current worldwide threats not the least of which is massive Fundamental Islamic terror, violence at unprecedented levels and a desire for worldwide dominance. Many nations although still behind the 2% GDP goal are beginning to contribute more to the overall NATO budget.
On a side note, do I need to make the disclaimer that not all members of the Islamic faith are bad guys??? Probably not considering we hear that every single day on the news programs by just about every single politician running for office. Oh, well.
But here is the really sticky part, the huge elephant in the room; TURKEY is one of the 29 NATO nations and has been since both Turkey and Greece joined NATO in 1952. So? Historically Turkey was the home port for the old Ottoman Empire that ruled most of the Middle East for over 600 years from 1299 A.D. until 1922 when it was replaced by the current Turkish Republic. For most of the past 64 years until 2016, Turkey was viewed by the world as a democratic western leaning nation in which the citizens enjoyed a high level of personal freedoms. Turkey fields NATO's second largest military, and the United States maintains the large INCIRLIK air base which is close to Syria and may still be home to an estimated 50 nuclear bombs.
Things in Turkey took a vast change for the worst in 2016 although I suppose the writing may have been on the wall when Turkey denied use of the US air base in 2003 to launch an offensive against Saddam Hussein. One way or another the world was caught by surprise in 2016 when an attempted coup against the government was discovered and blamed on the followers of FETHULLAH GULEN who had at one time been a contemporary and confidant of the current Turkish President RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN. Remember, one time not so long ago Turkey was a very pro west leaning civilized nation with a modern rule of law. But after the reported uprising against ERDOGAN and the ruling JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT PARTY, it is now believed that the entire issue may have been contrived by the government itself to allow for an excuse to reform the nation into an Islamic fundamental state which has now aligned itself with Russia and Iran and even fields the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system. Plus while it was for many years supplied militarily by the United States, it is now fortified by Chinese made fighter aircraft.
How serious is this change in government policies? Since the reported coup of 2016, Erdogan has placed his boot on the necks of the once powerful Turkish secular power block and is strengthening the Islamic political elite class at alarming rates. He has instigated a series of government and private purges that includes firing and in many cases confinement of over 165,000 government officials, seized 11 Billion dollars from over 1000 private company's, fired 2,745 judges, imprisoned journalists, shut down or taken over television stations and news papers, fired teachers, police officers and many within his own military. All replaced by Islamic fundamentalists.
NATO in the mean while has reformed to fight against the very forms of government and terrorist organizations that TURKEY now steadfastly represents. And I might add that the once sound diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel is now basically on life support at best.
The question is? What to do about a once long time friend, at the very center of both a friendly force (NATO) and enemy forces represented by Russia, Iran and Syria? When NATO was formed there was no written way in the original charter that allowed a process for kicking out one of it's members. And one of the reasons Turkey joined NATO in the first place way back in 1952 was because it shares a common boarder with a centuries old enemy, Russia. Now the very same issue---a shared boarder between Turkey and it's new best bud Russia, has become a source of very great concern to Allied forces throughout NATO.
This whole situation is like entire nations walking on broken glass. There is simply no easy way to resolve this problem and that takes me back to my original premise that Turkey or at least vast portions of it will likely be among the troops who will eventually be lead by GOG (RUSSIA) in a massive future attempted invasion of Israel. Ezekiel chapters 38-39.
Coming to a theater near you---perhaps soon! Dates to be announced from "ON HIGH"!
But for several of the NATO countries, particularly those who are members of the EUROPEAN UNION (EU), the show has already begun. The curtain has risen and the tide has changed. All of the following NATO countries opened their doors to the poor immigrants from war torn Middle Eastern countries. Some good folks to be sure BUT, much to their surprise several countries have also received fire bombings, brutally stabbed innocent bystanders, cars and trucks running down entire families out for a Sunday stroll, mass shootings and violent gang rape(s). Many of these nations are being torn apart and entire ancient cultures put at risk of eventual oblivion. With Middle Eastern birth rates several times that of European, could in the course of time this spell the demise of organizations like NATO?
All of these countries in NATO are currently affected to various degrees by the flood tide of immigrants coming from fundamentalist Islamic nations; United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark, Netherlands, Greece, Romania, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia, Croatia, Latvia, Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia. 23 nations so far from NATO out of 29 and the flood tide is becoming even stronger. Wars and rumors of wars on every front.
In view of everything happening in an increasingly violent, unstable world, what should the church be doing? Two things; Praying and working diligently to accomplish the great commission. This is simply not a time to be sitting in our churches waiting for the lost of the world to walk through our doors. We must go out to them. Constantly and with all the vigor we can muster.
Remember that if countries like Turkey, Iran, Syria and Lebanon can change so drastically to fit the mold of what they consider to be todays challenges, should the church do any less? Do we sit tight as spectators in a violent war torn world or do we fight evil with the word of God?
God bless you all,
Pastor Rance.
