The waters are still turbulent in the Eastern Mediterranean. When Merkel’s interventions were without resolution, the NATO General Secretary Stoltenberg had to intervene. But this also failed.

In relation to the Turkey and Greece discussions, Turkey is pressuring Greece saying “let’s talk with no pre-conditions”. Greece refuses this lack of “pre-conditions” on the basis that it would mean accepting as legitimate Turkey’s current actions, saying “First Turkey should withdraw its ships from the illegal territories they are in”.

After failure of Germany’s interventions, the EU announced full supported for its member Greece and the Republic of Cyprus.

Charles Michel, EU Council President spoke to Reuters “We will identify tools in our external policy, a sticks and carrots approach – what tools to use to improve the relationship and what tools to react if we are not being respected”.

IS FRANCES’S POSITION FRANCE’S POSITION?

France’s position on the developments in Eastern Mediterranean is even more special.

Even if Macron’s visits to the East of the Eastern Mediterranean, Lebanon and Iraq are particularly linked to dreams of old French colonialism, the sending of a fleet to Eastern Mediterranean and his accusing Turkey of “running after the fantasy of an empire” cannot be viewed as actions taken independently of the EU.

Nonetheless, Macron doesn’t cite France’s economic interests as the reason for sending warships to the area. On the contrary, in explaining his interventions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Macron goes as far as to say Turkey’s actions in the Eastern Mediterranean is a “provocation”, “Turkey is attacking Greece and Cyprus’ sovereignty rights” and that “Turkey’s strategies in the past few years is not one of a NATO country”.

It would be true to say that France’s sending warships and planes to the area, taking steps equivalent to arming Greece and Cyprus, was part of acting as the “stick” in the EU Commission President Michel’s “carrot and stick” politics.

FIGHT BACK AGAINST ALL IMPERIALISM AND REGRESSIVE POLITICS

Meanwhile, President Erdogan on Sunday said: “We say at every platform that as long as the sharing is fair for Turkey we are willing. The problem is that we face people who ignore our rights. But this is not the case... either they will understand through the language of politics and democracy, or they will learn through painful experiences on the field. We hope it is not too late when they realise that nothing can stop a people for whom struggle and martyrdom is the highest honour!”

The words of the president, unequivocally shows what type of region Erdogan and his government want and the political direction they are pursuing.

If you ask; “Turkey is like this but are other countries pursuing better politics?”, of course the response to this question for Evrensel readers is “no”!

In an environment in which both imperialists and regressive political forces are getting their tales twisted with one another, the issue of what a struggle against these imperialists and regressive politics becomes more important.

Because, today when Turkey’s progressive democrats and anti-imperialists take a stance against these regressive politics, they are in a position to struggle against regressive forces in Turkey and the whole region.

THE EASIEST IS TO THROW MUD AT OTHER GOVERNMENTS!

The most critical point in the struggle is for the progressives, democrats and anti-imperialist powers to struggle against the government and politics that represent imperialism, regressive politics, ultra-nationalism and militarism in their own country. Failing this it will bolster its own government’s expansionist, ultra nationalist and imperialist politics.

This is common today. One of the typical examples of this is the condition of the opposition parties that have gathered around the banner of the “National Alliance”. These opposition parties are only opposed to interventions in the Eastern Mediterranean by the EU, Greek, French and Germans who are seeking their own share of petrol, natural gases and fishing waters; meanwhile they promote Turkey’s use of military power to heighten tensions, which supports the arming of the regions countries and makes imperialist interventions easier.

The AKP is happy at having the parties around the national alliance supporting the government in relation to foreign policy, and because of this the AKP and Erdogan is using foreign policy more frequently as a way of putting opposition parties in their place.

In terms of the struggle for a secular and democratic Turkey, today the only correct approach in Turkey is for all progressive democratic forces to struggle against Turkey’s expansionist interventions in Syria, Eastern Mediterranean, Libya and other countries. Failing this, whatever the reason, will result in boosting the AKP-MHP alliance, the one-man regime and fuel the conflicts between imperialist interventions and regressive powers in the region.