The invasion of Turkey by the Eastern Hemisphere Union, spearheaded by the Saudi Arabian land force, was the first major battle of the Middle East War. The invasion was launched after months of planning and preparation by many nations of the EHU, beginning in 1979. A EHU resolution passed in 1979 officially removed Turkey from the union, led by Saudi Arabia, who argued that Turkey had become corrupt by the west, and not looking into the union's best interests.