Istanbul is the gateway to Turkey, once the home of the Ottoman empire. But it was an obscurantist regime that did not tolerate dissent leading to the famous massacre of Armenian Christians in 1915. The Turks still deny this massacre. Turkey lost World War I and the empire was dismantled. Out of the rubble emerged Kamal Mustapha who at the point of the bayonet ushered in secularism and modernization. Over the years, particularly after 2000, the Turks have been slowly weaning away from secularism and adopting Islamic policies. The present president, Erdogan, is part of this process.

In addition, the Turks have brutalized the eastern part of the country and killed thousands of Kurds whose only fault was a demand for autonomy or independence. The Turks have also intervened in Syria and shelled Kurd villages as well as trying to dominate the region by attacking the forces of Assad. One cannot ride the tiger and not be eaten by it. Turkey is no longer the power it was and dependent to a great extent on American support.

The terror attack.

Turkey is now face to face with repeated terror attacks. The latest was at Istanbul airport which has left over 50 dead. Turkish security was not foolproof and resulted in this attack. The Turks have claimed it is the handiwork of the ISI.This may be true, but the ISI appears to have common cause with the Kurd's, thousands of whom have been brutally killed.

In any case, the Arabs have no love for Turkey which ruled the Arabs for many decades in a brutal manner. The attack on Istanbul airport must be condemned, but Turkey by its actions has brought these and similar attacks on itself. This won't be the end or the last attack and Turkey will have to face many more such attacks.

The future.

Turkey must realize that it is no longer the strong man of the world. It rides piggyback on US support and that is the reason it shot the Russian jet down. It must also stop the policy of genocide against the Kurds and see if it can play a constructive role in the Middle East. The Arabs have terrible memories of Turkish rule during the days of the Ottoman empire and will not accept the dictates of Turkey.

It is incumbent on the USA to ensure a fair deal for the Kurds and to stop the brutal suppression of this minority. The US has done too little for theKurds who live on both sides of the border in Turkey, Syria and Iraq.