28 Mar 2024
Monday 28 August 2017 - 12:29
Story Code : 273900

Turkey 'searching for ways to reconcile with Assad' amid situation in Idlib



Sputnik - Lately, Turkey has been actively engaged in contacts with regional states and allies, discussing the situation in Syria. Leading political observer Zeynep Grcanl?, from the Szc newspaper told Sputnik Turkey that the attempt to alter foreign policy strategy and seeking a thaw with Damascus could be behind Ankaras recent diplomatic efforts.



"Currently, perhaps the most significant steps have been made inthe country's [Turkeys] foreign policy interms ofdeparting fromthe traditional 16-year political strategy ofthe ruling the Justice and Development Party (AKP). The AKP leadership constantly said that without the knowledge ofTurkey, even a bird should not fly inthe region. Proceeding fromsuch rhetoric, Ankara has been building its own line ofconduct towardSyria and Iraq fora long period oftime. Steps were taken tocreate a situation inthe region that was inthe interests ofAnkara. However, now we are witnessing that Turkey is gradually giving upthis strategy, the Turkish authorities are making certain concessions," Zeynep Grcanl? toldSputnik Turkey.


The political observer said that "Turkey has major difficulties" regarding the situation inthe northernSyrian province ofIdliband innearbyAfrin, controlled byKurdish forces.
"The AKP government was originally aiming toreplace the current leadership inSyria; the [Syrian President Bashar] Assad government was declared an enemy. However, inthe current situation, the Turkish authorities began searching forways toreconcile withAssad. I believe that the visits ofthe heads ofthe General Staff ofRussia and Iran are connected withthe discussion ofthe situation inIdlib, Afrin and the issue ofTurkey's recognition ofthe Syrian authorities," Grcanl? said.


Currently,Idlib is underthe control ofjihadists, which highly concerns Russia, Iran and the Assad government; the US also expresses concern, the expert said.
"Therefore, Idlib must be mopped upanyway, butit must be done so that the militants and their families who were aboutto flee fromIdlib cannot do this, cannot not cross the border intoTurkey. This issue is currently onthe agenda ofthe major players inthe region. The solution tothis problem lies inthe transfer ofthe region underthe control ofthe Assad government."


"But Turkey puts forward one condition, namely, the withdrawal ofKurdish self-defense units YPG fromAfrin they currently control. It seems tome that the main issue fordiscussion, which the parties are trying tosolve throughdiplomacy, is how the transfer Afrin and Idlib underthe control ofthe Syrian government forces. A very complicated search forthe least painful formula forTurkey's interests insolving this issue is being sought for," she concluded.

Interestingly, earlier this month it was reported that Turkey had decided toend its support forthe National Coalition forSyrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, which local experts consider tobe Ankaras "goodwill gesture towardDamascus." However,Assad saidlast week that Damascus doesn't consider Turkey tobe its partner.

Lately, Ankara has been engaged innegotiations withdiplomats and foreign military representativeson the situation inSyria. In particular,the chief ofthe Iranian General Staff visited Turkey, which was followed byPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogans visit toJordan. Moreover, US Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived inAnkara. Moreover, the visit ofthe head ofthe Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov is expected.

At their meeting onWednesday,Erdogan discussed Ankaras concernoverthe US support forthe Kurdish forces inthe region withPentagon chief Mattis.

To?rul ?smay?l, the expert fromthe Economic and Technological University ofthe Union ofChambers ofCommerce and Commodity Exchanges ofTurkey, commented onthe possible consequences ofthis meeting forRussian-Turkish relations inan interview withSputnik. He stressed that "the interaction ofTurkey and Russia should develop independently ofattempts atinfluence fromthe US and the EU."
"Russia and Turkey should develop bilateral cooperation inthe region, asthis is the key tostrengthening their positions. They need tocontinue toincrease their cooperation based ontheir own interests, forthe sake ofensuring peace inthe region, regardless ofattempts toexert influence fromthe US and the EU," ?smay?l said.


In his view, byresorting tovarious methods, including bysupporting the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party, the US is conducting a self-centered policy inthe Middle East that harms the countries inthe region and US allies.

"In pursuing this policy, the US acts very selfishly towardits allies, considering the situation inthe region exclusively throughthe prism ofits own interests. In pursuing this policy, the US aims tomaintain instability inthe region underits control. Allied countries should strive toprotect each other's interests, butthe US is doing the exact opposite. That is why the relationship is insuch a depressing state," the Turkish expert concluded.

Ankara considers the YPG tobe affiliated withthe Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is listed asa terrorist group inTurkey, the United States and the European Union. However, the Democratic Union Part (PYD) and the YPG, aswell asthe Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been receiving support fromthe United States infighting the Daesh terrorist group.

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