Sunday, October 13, 2019

The story of Syria, Turkey, and the Arab League

I do not like what Erdogan is doing in Syria though he has the tacit approval of the US, Russia, and the EU. They make statements but if he manages to insure the safe zone quickly, they would be happy. It would solve the problem of some refugees and would reign the separatist hopes of the Syrian Kurds.
If he fails to do it swiftly, then they can pretend to have been against the incursion and that they really care for Kurdish hopes.

I might be wrong but this is how it appears if we follow talk versus action including the Security Council confusion.

What I do not understand is the position of the Arab League.

Syria has been sanctioned and is no more attending the Arab League meetings. This is clear position that Assad is no more the legal representative of Syria. Russia and Iran are more than present in Syria. In a friendly tug of war they both rule Syria.
The Americans controle an area and have a say while Israel is allowed to rule the air.
Almost half the Syrian population are refugees in neighbouring countries and the Assad regime has failed or do not want to return them.
Sovereignty??

How can they talk about Syrian sovereignty and Turkish invasion?
The targeted safe zone is a region that is not under the control of the government or the Russians, or the Iranians. It is mostly a US controlled area.
Anyway during all the talks about a peaceful solution of the Syrian crisis whether in the UN or the following parallel conferences initiated by Putin, the Syrian Assad government and Arab League were the invisible missing presence.
The Arab League lost its right to defend Syria when for a decade they stood watched the Syrian people slaughtered by Assad, Daesh, Russia, and the Iranians.

So why now are they riding their high their horses? Surely not out of care for Syria, rather emanating from regional competition with Turkey. But they are hopeless to really face Turkey. Though they might be able to hurt its economy by curbing Arab tourism in Turkey.

Ayway Erdogan policies have weakened Turkey economically. Sanctions from the US and the EU might be a blow that Turkey will not be able to fend.






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