Turkey’s close call with a military coup this past week not only sent shockwaves through that country but also through the Western world. Because of its strategic position between East and West and its ever-tense alliance with the Western powers, instability in Turkey sets off alarms in Europe and the United States, particularly so at a time like this, when Western allies have Islamic State (ISIL) on the run in battlefield combat but when the ultra-Islamist terrorist network is changing tactics and encouraging small terrorist cells or lone-wolf killers to infiltrate Western capitals and wreak havoc. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan It is believed that the reasons behind the attempted coup were not only President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s authoritarian advances against democratic rule in Turkey but also because of attacks carried out by ISIL in the heart of Turkish society. The perception among many is that Turkey is paying with innocent blood for the sins...
Author Roberto Vivo comments on wars past and present, on the world’s great peacemakers and on the pathway to global peace. His basic philosophy: In a world where 9 out of every 10 victims of armed conflict are civilians, war is no longer a viable political alternative. Indeed, it is the ultimate crime against humanity. If rising generations are to have a future, the key will lie in world peace. War is the pathway to oblivion.