Unfortunately for Syria, the civil war is still going on at full ferocity and it doesn't seem like it will end soon. For the people who are still trying to live in Syria, the situation is getting harder with every passing day. For this reason, definite steps for a safe zone must be taken. Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for many years, have been making calls to the entire world, starting with the U.S. and EU, to form a safe zone. If we take a little bit more time to address this matter, it will become impossible to stop the new tide of refugees. On top of this, countries like Turkey and Jordan, which are providing shelter to Syrian refugees, are at the end of their resources. It is now impossible for Turkey to open its doors to more refugees. If a safe zone is not provided and refugees were to leave Syria, the EU can be sure that it is going to suffer dire consequences.
As German Internal Affairs Minister Horst Seehofer justifiably said last week, the "refugee crisis" that was experienced in 2015 could happen again in a much worse way.
Erdoğan discussed this in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump Sunday. The two leaders exchanged ideas on the planned safe zone east of the Euphrates.
The Turkish president once again stressed that putting an end to the threats posed by the PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) and creating a secure environment for the return of Syrian refugees were of utmost importance.
President Erdoğan specifically shared with Trump the discomfort that was felt due to the inability of the U.S. military and security bureaucracy to hold to the requirements of the agreement formed between the two countries.
The two leaders have agreed to hold a meeting in Washington in the upcoming month as per Trump's invitation.
Despite Trump's constructive approach in this matter, the U.S. military and certain circles within the security bureaucracy are taking special care to make the already-troubled Turkey-U.S. relations even more problematic, much like the way they are sabotaging the U.S.' warming relations with Russia and China.
Provocateurs within the U.S. government are trying to sabotage all positive steps that Trump is willing to take. The scandal caused by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara on Sunday is an example of this.
A rogue journalist, working for the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ), sent out a tweet about Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) President Devlet Bahçeli, saying "Turkey's people should become ready for a political period without Bahçeli." The U.S. Embassy in Turkey's official Twitter account then liked the tweet.
The Foreign Ministry immediately called on the U.S. Embassy's chargé d'affaires and asked the "U.S. to immediately give a clear explanation regarding this matter."
Both the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the opposition party Republican People's Party (CHP) reacted to this scandal. Turkey took a strong stand against the U.S. Embassy.
The U.S. Embassy, which panicked following this, made two consecutive statements saying, "It was a mistake" and issued an apology.
Justifiably, Turkey did not deserve this apology over Twitter and nobody in Turkey believed the statement that this was a mistake.
It is no coincidence for the people handling the U.S. Embassy's official Twitter account to like a tweet by a terrorist organization member by "mistake." Especially at a time when Turkey and the U.S. are making progress in the safe zone and collaborating in joint military patrols.
Moreover, it is impossible for a diplomat or an intelligence officer who is capable of doing such a mindless mistake to work at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.
The scandal was an attempt by American provocateurs to harm Turkey-U.S. relations. Certain circles within the U.S. government disgruntled with Trump's good relations with Turkey did not remain idle.
On the same day, another attempt to deepen the U.S.-Russia crisis took place in front of the entire world. A Russian lawmaker was taken into U.S. custody and interrogated by the FBI.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, which has reacted to this scandal, justifiably said the following in their statement: "We gave a note of protest due to the steps taken by the U.S. government. The move in question is a hostile action toward Russia and its representatives to further degrade Russia-U.S. relations."
Russian Federal Assembly State Duma President Vyacheslav Volodin assessed the event as a "provocation."
At the same time, provocations against Turkey and Russia are as much against Turkey and Russia as they are against Trump. These provocations are first and foremost harming U.S. interests. They are also threatening global peace, the war against terrorism and justifiably worrying the entire world.