During the last few months, a highly significant election outcome has occurred in Turkey which has generally been overshadowed by the elections in Russia and Israel.
Ancient Turkey
Based on Bible prophecy, it can be concluded that Turkey will be part of the Gogian host which invades the land of Israel in the latter days: “Also Goner with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops — the many nations with you” (Ezk. 38:6 NIV). Modern Turkey encompasses ancient Beth Togarmah, which indicates Turkey will be a supporter of the Gogian forces.
Today, however, Turkey is a full-fledged member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). With the Americans and British having quasi-control of NATO, it is highly unlikely that one of NATO’s members would attack Israel. That would almost be like NATO coming against the Jewish nation.
Yet the elections in Turkey this June offer the prospect of a dramatic change, for there has been a virtual earthquake in Turkish politics.
On June 30, 1996, The New York Times reported: “The man at the center of Turkey’s political earthquake is considerably less militant than he was 20 years ago, but he has not abandoned his Islamic and anti-Western beliefs. Neomettin Erbakan, the Islamic party leader who on Friday put together a coalition that made him Prime Minister of this resolutely secular country, has a grandfatherly manner and a broad reassuring smile. Yet behind this smile is a man who has a fervent belief that Turkey has strayed too far from its Muslim roots and become closely affiliated with Europe, Israel and the United States.”
The report continued: “In campaign speeches, Mr. Erbakan is given to sweeping pledges that rouse crowds. As he crisscrossed the country last year, he promised to join with other Muslim countries in what he described at various times as a military alliance, an economic union and a passport-free travel zone. When he kicked off his campaign before a crowd of thousands at an Istanbul mosque, he promised to work for a just order and to liberate Bosnia, Azerbaijan, Chechnya and Jerusalem.”
Islamic law?
The Turkish constitution was originally framed in 1923 by the western-oriented Mustafa Kemal. In creating this constitution, Islamic courts and schools were abolished, legal codes were imported from Europe and Arabic was replaced by the Latin alphabet. In addition, religious forms of dress were banned, along with religious brotherhoods, and women were given the right to vote. Today, despite the fact 95% of the population is Muslim, these remain enshrined in the Turkish constitution. On July 7, The New York Times reported, “Mr. Erbakan has articulated a view of Turkish society profoundly different from that stated in the constitution.”
Proposed changes
“Turkey stands at the crossroads of U.S. interests stretching from the Balkans…to the Middle East” the report continues. “Perhaps the cornerstone of Turkey’s security policy is its membership in NATO. If Mr. Erbakan’s campaign speeches are to be believed, he wants to pull Turkey out and make it part of a new ‘Islamic NATO.’ He also pledges to end Turkish cooperation with the American-led mission that supports a Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq.”
Aligning with prophecy
In order for Ezekiel’s prophecy to be fulfilled, all nations described in the prophecy must be in the proper political alignments. Persia, Gomer, Beth Togarmah, Put (Libya) and Cush (Sudan) must all be in agreement to invade the promised land. With this change in Turkey’s government, these nations are becoming more closely aligned.
Again according to the July 7 article in the Times: “There are two countries in the Middle East that previous Turkish leaders have viewed as hostile. One is Syria, which sponsors Kurdish guerrillas who are waging a brutal separatist war in southern Turkey. The other is Iran, which set a fundamentalist example to Muslims around the world. During his campaign last year, Mr. Erbakan suggested that he favors a reversal in Turkish policy toward both. He admires Iran for the emphasis its rulers have placed on religion and Syria for its efforts to control Israel.” Although Syria is absent from Ezekiel 38 and 39, Iran (ancient Persia) is to be part of the future invading host.
Shifting attitude toward Israel
Prior to Mr. Erbakan’s election, Turkey signed a military cooperation agreement with Israel allowing Israeli warplanes to train over Turkey’s vast areas. This move outraged many countries in the region and Mr. Erbakan considers the agreement repugnant.
As reported by the New York Times, “Mr. Erbakan asserted that Israel should withdraw from territories it invaded including the Golan Heights. He believes that Turkey should not only stop cooperating with Israel but should also begin supporting military groups like Hamas that are fighting to destroy the Israeli state.”
As Bible believers, we know that in time all prophecy will be fulfilled. This dramatic shift in Turkey’s government reminds us again how quickly things can change. The day will come to pass when all these things will be fulfilled. Let us pray that it will come soon.
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