Guest Post by Joe Newby
What did Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan know and when did he know it? An article posted to the German-language Euronews (A rough English translation can be seen here) dated March 18 says Erdogan criticized the European Union for not taking more migrants and seemed to warn of an attack in Brussels.
“There is no reason that a bomb like the one in Ankara did not explode in Brussels,” he said, according to the English translation. “There supporters were given the opportunity in the heart of the city to demonstrate the terrorist organization PKK. Despite this harsh reality, the European states behave completely remiss as if they were dancing on a minefield.”
The English translation of the article adds:
Erdoğan’s criticism was directed specifically at Belgium, where the edge of the EU summit Kurds protested against the Turkish government, among others, with pictures of jailed PKK -Führers Öcalan. A faction of the Kurdish Workers Party PKK, which is banned in Turkey, the EU and the USA, had claimed responsibility for the attack in Ankara. Erdoğan said now addressed to the EU: “The serpent with you sleep, can bite you at any time.”
On Tuesday — mere days after Erdogan’s remarks, terrorists attacked Brussel’s airport and metro station, killing at least 30 and injuring about 230 more. ISIS, according to reports, took credit for the attacks.
CNN added:
While jarring, the carnage wasn’t altogether surprising. Belgium has been going after terrorist threats for months, as illustrated by last week’s capture of Europe’s most wanted man, Salah Abdeslam, in a bloody raid in Brussels.
“We were fearing terrorist attacks,” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters Tuesday. “And that has now happened.”
The question remains: What, exactly did Erdoğan know, and when did he know it? You have to admit, the timing of the statement is quite curious, especially considering that he specifically mentioned a bombing in Brussels…
Crossposted From Conservative Firing Line