Tuesday, August 16, 2016

IT LOOKS LIKE TURKEY IS SELLING THE SYRIAN OPPOSITION DOWN THE RIVER

A SHORT COMMENT

By Tony Sayegh

السياسة التصالحية التركية

Why is is it that I am not surprised by the latest moves by Turkey. Realizing that Turkey itself is vulnerable to Kurdish ambitions and feeling the pressure from all sides, especially from the US, Turkey is turning inward.

All of the empty talk about "strategic alliance" with Qatar and Saudi Arabia has evaporated. All of the "tough" conditions towards Israel have evaporated too. 

Turkey reconciled with Israel claiming that would relieve the siege on Gaza. Actually the reverse has happened, and all now agree that the siege is tighter than ever. Even humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza are now targeted and some of their executives arrested on false charges. The cargo of the one Turkish ship that unloaded its aid for Gaza, in an Israeli port, was not delivered. Israel claimed that "terror" supporting groups were behind the mission.

Soon after reconciling with Russia and Iran, we now see the result: Russian strategic bombers are using Iranian bases and flying over Iraq to bomb Syria. As if the Russian bases in Syria were not enough!

The Turkish PM has been saying for a few days to expect "good news" concerning Syria. The "good news" is apparently Turkish capitulation to Russian and Iranian conditions.

The US has told the Syrian opposition to deal directly with Russia, since "it has the solution." Russia has been talking to those Syrians that Russia finds acceptable.

And today the Turkish PM has spelled out his two "conditions" for an acceptable Syrian solution. First is the territorial integrity of Syria. The second is that Syria is not to be governed by a sectarian regime.

Guess what? Those two conditions are the same as those of the Assad regime.

Voila! Assad can stay and that is the "good news" from Turkey!

KISS THE SYRIAN REVOLUTION GOODBYE, BECAUSE IT HAS SUCH A LOUSY LEADERSHIP!

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