US & Israel target Iran, Pakistan and other Muslim countries for their resources – Erdogan
Turkey’s leader has accused the US and Israel of meddling in the affairs of Iran and Pakistan, as well as those of other Muslim countries, and are driven by the desire to grab their natural resources.
“We cannot accept that some countries — foremost the US, Israel — to interfere [sic!] in the internal affairs of Iran and Pakistan,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul on Friday, AFP reports. On Tuesday President Donald Trump tweeted support for the protests “against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime” which erupted last week.
While Erdogan did not elaborate on the US “interference” in Pakistan’s affairs, the remark is likely attributable to the US decision to withhold security funding from the country which would have amounted to over $1 billion. Washington accuses Islamabad of sheltering Taliban militants and of not taking “decisive actions against terrorism.”
The alleged US and Israeli interference is primarily driven by the desire to make “the plentiful underground riches in all these countries their own resources,” Erdogan claimed. The two countries, as well as other western states, target primarily Muslim nations, “turning the people [there] against each other,” he added. The disastrous results of such meddling can be seen in Syria, Iraq Palestine, Egypt and other countries, the president said.
“It's the same thing in Libya, Tunisia, Sudan and Chad. Countries where unrest is sown are Muslim countries. These countries have their wealth that belongs to them,” Erdogan said. “The whole humanity must know this and change its attitude.”
Erdogan’s statements echoed the official position of Tehran, which accused the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia of fueling protests in the country. Iran's Public Prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said on Thursday that the “plot” to trigger unrest had been masterminded some four years ago by an American national and former CIA operative identified as Michael Andrea, along with an unnamed Mossad-affiliated agent. Saudi Arabia, according to the prosecutor, paid the expenses of the alleged plotters.
Also this week, Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Gholamali Khoshroo, condemned the American administration’s “acts of intervention in a grotesque way in Iran's internal affairs.” Earlier this week, the US envoy to the UN called for an “urgent” UN Security Council (UNSC) to discuss the situation in Iran. The meeting is scheduled for Friday.
Russia has also denounced such calls as a blatant attempt to interfere into Iranian internal affairs. “The United States continues its policy of open and covert interference into the internal affairs of other states. Under the guise of concern about human rights and democracy, they directly attack the sovereignty of other nations,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday. Earlier this week, Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned against any external interference into Iran’s affairs calling an unacceptable move “which may destabilize the situation” further.
