Page 74 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - October / November 2018

74 Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy Theories

Continued from Page 73

Üst akıl
Conspiracy theories in Turkey started to
dominate public discourse during the late reign
of the Justice and Development Party and Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan. In 2014, Erdoğan coined the
term üst akıl ("mastermind") to denote the
alleged command and control institution,
somewhat ambiguously placed with the
government of the United States, in a
comprehensive conspiracy to weaken or even
dismember Turkey, by orchestrating every
political actor and action perceived hostile by
Turkey. Erdoğan as well as the Daily Sabah have
on multiple occasions alleged that very different
non-state actors — like the Salafi jihadist
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the
Anarcho-Marxist Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK) and supporters of Fethullah Gülen —
were attacking Turkey at the same time in a
well-coordinated campaign.
A notable instance of promoting the
"Mastermind" conspiracy theory was in
February 2017 then Ankara Mayor Melih Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal designed to defraud Christian nations of billions
Gökçek claiming that earthquakes in the western Conspiracy theories have arisen in this of dollars, and that the Armenian Church
province of Çanakkale could have been case because of alleged inconsistencies in the instigates terrorist attacks. Filmmaker Davud
organized by dark external powers aiming to evidence presented by the British government. Imanov has accused the Armenians of plotting
destroy Turkey's economy with an "artificial One example is Craig Murray's blog. against Azerbaijan and has claimed that the
Karabakh movement was a plot by the CIA to
earthquake" near Istanbul. In another example in
November 2017, the Islamist newspaper Yeni Ethnicity, Race, and Religion destroy the Soviet Union.
Journalist Arzu Geybulla has drawn
Akit claimed that the fashion trend of "ripped
attention to the way in which such theories are
denim" jeans would in fact be a means of Antisemitism
communication, via specific forms of rips and Since at least the Middle Ages, used to stifle political dissent.
holes, between agents of foreign states and their antisemitism has featured elements of
collaborators in Turkey. conspiracy theory. In medieval Europe it was Anti-Baha'ism
Iran's Baha'i minority has been the target
widely believed that Jews poisoned wells, had
Espionage been responsible for the death of Jesus, and of conspiracy theories alleging involvement
with hostile powers. Iranian government
ritually consumed the blood of Christians. The
officials and others have claimed that Bahá'ís
Israeli animal spying second half of the 19th century saw the have been agents variously of Russian
Conspiracy theories exist alleging that emergence of notions that Jews and/or imperialism, British colonialism, American
Israel uses animals to conduct espionage or to Freemasons were plotting to establish control expansionism and Zionism. An apocryphal and
attack people. These are often associated with over the world. Forged evidence has been historically-inaccurate book published in Iran,
conspiracy theories about Zionism. Matters of presented to spread the notion that Jews were entitled The Memoirs of Count Dolgoruki,
interest to theorists include a series of shark responsible for the propagation of Communism, details a theory that the Bahá'ís intend to destroy
attacks in Egypt in 2010, Hezbollah's the most notorious example being The Protocols Islam. Such anti-Bahá'í accusations have been
accusations of the use of 'spying' eagles, and the of the Elders of Zion (1903). Such antisemitic dismissed as having no factual foundation.
2011 capture of a griffon vulture carrying an conspiracy theories became central to the
Israeli-labeled satellite tracking device. worldview of Adolf Hitler. Antisemitic theories (Continued on Page 75)
persist today in notions concerning banking,
Harold Wilson Hollywood, the news media and a purported
Zionist Occupation Government.
Numerous persons, including former
Holocaust denial is also considered an Coming Soon!
MI5 officer Peter Wright and Soviet defector
antisemitic conspiracy theory because of its
Anatoliy Golitsyn, have alleged that British
position that the Holocaust is a hoax designed to
Prime Minister Harold Wilson was secretly a
advance the interests of Jews and justify the
KGB spy. Historian Christopher Andrew has
creation of the State of Israel. Notable Holocaust
lamented that a number of people have been
deniers include former Iranian President
"seduced by Golitsyn's fantasies".
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, the convicted Germar
Rudolf and the discredited author David Irving.
Malala Yousafzai
Conspiracy theories concerning Malala
Anti-Armenianism
Yousafzai are widespread in Pakistan, elements
Conspiracy theories which allege that
of which originate from a 2013 satirical piece in
the Armenians wield secret political power are
Dawn. These theories variously allege that she is
prevalent in Azerbaijan, and have been
a Western spy, or that her attempted murder by
promoted by President Ilham Aliyev.
the Taliban in 2012 was a secret operation to
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt
further discredit the Taliban, and was organized
Çavuşoğlu has claimed that the Russian media is
by her father and the CIA and carried out by
run by Armenians. American writer and
actor Robert de Niro disguised as an Uzbek
disbarred lawyer Samuel Weems has claimed
homeopath.
that the Armenian Genocide was a hoax