Turkish Blues

So, how did things deteriorate with Turkey this quickly. The cozy love affair between the Turks and the West (particularly the US) has ended with calls from the US to recognize the genocide of the Armenians during the first half of the twentieth century. There has been an implicit understanding between the US and Turkey that Turkey will help the US in everywhich way as long as the US doesn't bring up the topic of the Armenian genocide. A similar agreement exists between Turkey and Israel in which Israel will never talk about the genocide as long as Turkey takes a favorable stance towards the Hebrew state. So, what happened now? Life has been rocky ever since Recep Tayeb Erdogan became PM of Turkey. This step was perceived by the West as an awkward turn in Turkish politics. The bringing of a religious Muslim party to the front of Turkish politics was frowned upon by the West although Erdogan and his party demonstrated more warmth towards the West and a great desire to conform to the EU standard in order to enter into Europe as soon as possible. Again, Turkey gained the animosity of the West when Erdogan nominated Abdullah Gul, foreign minister, to the presidency. Protestors took to the street in what reminded us of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. However, the will of the voters was evident in the elections and Gul was elected to the presidency. Shortly after, the US media began bringing up the subject of the Armenian genocide. Now, I'm not against recognizing the Armenian genocide for what it really is, the slaughtering of thousands of Armenians and other minorities by the dying Ottoman Empire. But what I wonder at is the timing of the event. Why now when the event is nearly a century old? Why now when Armenians everywhere were rallying every year, begging the world to hear them out, to recognize their plight? It doesn't take much brains to see that the US and West want something from Turkey, what exactly is not clear yet, more collaboration perhaps, more compliance? However, Turkey has one of two options: either acknowledge the Armenian genocide and accept the repurcutions, or, what seems more probable, give in to the West. The latter seems more probable especially with the Kurdish situation fomenting now in the south. Turkey has ventured into the Iraqi north in order to quell the Kurdish rebels. However, it has been surprised by an attack that claimed the life of 9 of its soldiers. Surprise or coincidence?