As we reach the last hands in the Russia-U.S.-Turkey S-400 game, China quietly gains major geopolitical ground without even playing directly at the table. While the world watches and predicts on the cornering of Turkey from both mega players’ sides-Russia and the United States, China deals the nuclear card (aka economics) to weaken, even neutralize, the US-NATO Operation Gladio B’s China front: Xinjiang and Uyghurs.

While the mainstream media continued buzzing with headline after headline, hollow analyses and predictions, during and after the conclusion of the G-20 Summit in Japan, no one heeded the real geopolitical game-changer taking place immediately post G-20 with Turkey President Erdogan’s China visit. The Xi-Erdogan meeting is about to become a major turning point for China in its under-the-radar battle front against NATO-U.S. Operation Gladio B. Vice versa: Losing its most important operation channel and partner in using Xinjiang’s Uyghurs against China marks the biggest blow for Operation Gladio B. Here’s how and why:

Beginning even before the historical meeting in China between the President Xi and President Erdogan on July 2, the main purpose of the visit was common knowledge: Economic. As indicated in my recent analyses (here and here), facing sanction threats from the West, assault on its currency, fallout with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and widening deficit, Turkey, understandably, had begun looking Eastward for an urgently needed economic lifeline. With Russia not known for its power of the purse-strings in its geopolitical alliance maintenance, and with former economic partners, Saudis-UAE, out of the picture, that left only one viable option- Enter China. But as we all know it cuts both ways- the rule of give-and-take in the geopolitical operations bible. With that in mind, what would be the most valuable geopolitical gain for China in a Turkey-China partnership? And with that, enter the Gladio B battle front Xinjiang and the hot-button subject of the Turkic Uyghurs.

Now, with that snap background in place, allow me to explain the what, how and why of Turkey’s recent fallout with the U.S. over S-400 as China’s major victory against Operation Gladio B’s China front:

Immediately after the Xi-Erdogan meeting the Chinese media began buzzing with the most significant outcome: Erdogan Gives A Major Signal of Support for China’s Xinjiang & Uyghurs Policies.

You heard it right. Up until recently, Turkey had been at the forefront of factions supporting and speaking up for China’s Turkic minority Uyghurs in Xinjiang, and the loudest critic of China’s repressive policies against Uyghurs. In the past, recent past, unabashed Turkish support for Uyghurs had created diplomatic tensions with China.

However, after the attempted coup, Turkey cautiously began reversing its tune on the China-Uyghur conflict. In August 2017, Erdogan’s foreign minister went so far as to announce that the government “absolutely will not allow in Turkey any activities targeting or opposing China,” and that Turkey would censor — or, in his words, “eliminate” — any “media reports targeting China.” Since then Chinese investment and tourism began making their way into Turkey. In fact, where I currently reside, Fethiye, previously unheard-of “Chinese Tourism” has become a major source of tourism revenue.

Now, back to the Xi-Erdogan meeting. Here’s one example of coverage from the media in China:

Turkey stays committed to the one-China policy, Erdogan said, stressing that residents of various ethnicities living happily in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region thanks to China’s prosperity is a hard fact, and Turkey will not allow anyone to drive a wedge in its relations with China. He also expressed the readiness to deepen political mutual trust and strengthen security cooperation with China in opposing extremism.

The now official Erdogan’s new China—Uyghur stand marks a grand reversal in Turkey’s policy and relations with China. And it has come with major backlash both internally and externally. Here’s one Western mainstream media outlet bashing the brand-new China-Turkey partnership:

The last major opponent of China's Muslim oppression has retreated into silence. Here's why that's a big deal.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken out against China's oppression of the Uighurs on numerous past occasions, but this week he gave his implicit support to China's policies in Xinjiang during a state visit to the country.

This apparent capitulation is particularly significant because Turkey, until now, had been the only Muslim country to stand up against China for the Uighurs.

The reason behind Erdogan's about-face is not clear. He has, however, been trying to strike greater economic partnerships with Beijing.

The outcry after the meeting was also loud from the Uyghur faction:

Uighur activists have criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for failing to speak out against China’s detention of hundreds of thousands of the predominantly Muslim Turkic minority in the western Xinjiang province during a visit to Beijing on Tuesday.

…

The WUC and the Uighur diaspora are very saddened and disappointed by Erdogan's action as he always claimed to be a leader of the Muslim world, who stands up for the Muslim population all around the world, but he couldn't speak up for Uighur Muslims in East Turkestan,” he said, using a name used by Uighur separatists to refer to Xinjiang.

…

“Uighur and Turkish people share similar culture, history and language; hence compared to other countries, Turkey should be the first to raise concerns over China's treatment of Uighurs. But this was not the case."

UK’s Sunday Times goes as far as spinning the development to run this sensationalized title: “Erdogan ‘backs’ China’s internment of Uighurs”

Needless to say, NATO and the CIA, Operation Gladio B, have been scrambling behind the scenes. This may be the “Real” explanation for the eerily quiet that persists on the Western Front since the G-20 Trump-Erdogan sideline meeting. There has been no official response or media statements on President Erdogan’s claim that President Trump had guaranteed no sanctions against Turkey on the S-400 Deal during their sideline talk:

Turkey's Erdogan: 'Trump assured no sanctions over Russia S-400 missile deal'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed Saturday he was reassured by President Donald Trump that Washington would not impose sanctions on Ankara over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

"We heard from him that there won't be anything like this (sanctions)," Erdogan told a press conference in Osaka, Japan, following a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Erdogan also said that he expected the S-400 delivery to start in the first half of July, adding that Turkey had invested $1.4 billion (€1.23 billion) in its production so far.

There has been zero official comment from the U.S. confirming or denying these latest claims. On the other hand, after a fairly substantial recovery during the G-20, Turkish currency has remained stable. This would be a grand historical oddity if the threat of the U.S. sanctions were real. We are all too aware of the U.S. showing its wrath by wiping out nations’ currencies through its financial institution arms and of course, its mainstream media spins and twists.

The first delivery of the Russian S-400 to Turkey is now officially announced for July 10- only 3 days from the time of this breaking analysis. Meanwhile the tensions between Russia and Turkey are mounting over Syria’s Idlib:

Escalation in Idlib may force Turkey to review its position

Syria's Idlib is becoming a bog of deadly violence where Turkish and regime armies are being drawn into direct confrontations.

Rising military fatalities in Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria’s civil war, could force the Turkish government to review its strategy there. Though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won't want to take a step back in foreign policy so soon after his ruling party received a major blow in domestic politics, that may be a bitter pill he has to swallow.

Moscow and Ankara have worked together on peace talks regarding the Syrian civil war, but Russia backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkey has supported the Free Syrian Army. Those peace talks stipulated that Turkey would establish a dozen observation posts in Idlib province, which borders Hama province. But those posts have become targets several times in recent weeks, leaving one Turkish soldier dead and three wounded. Turkey has retaliated, striking regime positions.

All eyes may be fixed on Russia, Turkey, Idlib, S- 400 and the coming definitive U.S. position or response in relation to all these hot points. On the other hand, there seems to be little or no analyses or attention, at least publicly, on the blinking red Turkey-China chapter with direct consequences and a blow to U.S.-NATO Operation Gladio B. Is it too late for the United States to suck up and regain Turkey as its major player in the Middle East, Central Asia and Xinjiang operations? Has the U.S. over-used its sticks against and squeezed Turkey to the point of no return? Are there Western activities behind the scenes for deals on Syria and Turkey’s economy to reset the clock? In the next few weeks we’ll have more answers. However, don’t hold your breath for the “real” answers coming from the mainstream and pseudo-alternative media outlets. Instead, tune in for my coming analyses reporting from the region.

Sibel Edmonds is editor and publisher of Newsbud, founder and president of the National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC), and author of the acclaimed book Classified Woman: The Sibel Edmonds Story, and The Lone Gladio, a Political Spy Thriller. She has appeared on national radio and TV as a commentator on matters related to whistleblowers, national security, and excessive secrecy & classification. She is the recipient of the 2006 PEN/Newman’s Own First Amendment Award. Ms. Edmonds is a certified linguist, fluent in four languages, and has an MA in public policy from George Mason University and a BA in criminal justice and psychology from George Washington University.