Turkey challenged by Russia and the US
The world stands to pay a heavier price for the violent conflict and humanitarian crisis in Syria as European and Middle Eastern countries find themselves faced with serious challenges. For Turkey, the situation is far more complex. The country not only tries to address the economic, social and security challenges that 2 million Syrian refugees pose, but has also spent close to $8 billion on humanitarian relief so far.
The humanitarian crisis has now reached continental Europe, which compels the European Union to take action. Last week, Brussels drafted a $3 billion deal geared toward sending asylum seekers across the continent back home through Turkey. The European leadership, according to sources, has sweetened the deal by pledging to allow visa-free travel for Turkish citizens if Ankara agrees to their terms. An agreement, however, has not yet been reached. Provided that Turkey has taken in 2 million Syrian refugees for years without any significant assistance from the international community, one could argue that the agreement would serve Ankara's interests. Striking a deal at this time, though, might mislead Europe into completely ignoring the Syrian conflict down the road. Unfortunately, Europe's interest in the Syrian civil war remains limited to the influx of refugees, which makes EU citizens uncomfortable at home. With no asylum seekers left in Europe, as such, Brussels might conveniently ignore the problem.
Whether or not the European leadership has any intention to address the Syrian question, Turkey continues to face Syria-related problems. With civil war raging across its southern border, the country finds it difficult to shelter its citizens from violence. The most recent manifestation of this problem was a suicide attack in Ankara in which the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), possibly in cooperation with other terrorist organizations, killed more than 100 Turkish citizens and wounded hundreds more.
The Syrian conflict, furthermore, puts strains on Ankara's relations with two global powers, Russia and the U.S.
The government remains deeply concerned about the Kremlin's support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime. Russia's growing military presence in Syria has further complicated an already complex problem. By supporting what the U.S. and others describe as a bloody tyrant, Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy could potentially cause more bloodshed, trigger new waves of mass exodus and strengthen terrorist organizations including ISIS - all of which place Turkey's national security at risk. The violation of Turkey's airspace by Russian warplanes, meanwhile, remains another source of concern. Earlier this month, the Russian air force repeatedly violated Turkish airspace, creating tensions between Ankara and Moscow. On Thursday, a Russian military delegation visited the capital Ankara to claim that the violations had stemmed from a lack of experience and inclement weather, and apologized for the inconvenience. Turkish authorities, in turn, warned Moscow that they would shoot down any aircraft that violates Turkey's airspace in line with the military rules of engagement. Just hours after the meeting, Turkish F-16 fighter jets downed an unmanned aircraft, potentially Russian, over Kilis. According to security sources, similar incidents cannot be avoided until the Kremlin abandons its policy of aggression.
Washington's Syria policy, likewise, remains a serious problem for Turkey. Unable to focus on anything but the anti-ISIS campaign in Syria, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has recently provided weapons and ammunition to the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which, Ankara argues, might end up in the hands of the PKK and be used to kill Turkish citizens. In the meantime, Turkish authorities discovered U.S.-made weapons in PKK storage facilities in Northern Iraq. According to intelligence sources, the PKK leadership has requested Stinger missiles from the U.S., which could be used against Turkey instead of ISIS. In light of the most recent discovery, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shared Ankara's concerns with Obama during a phone call last week. At this time, the U.S. must focus on developing a long-term road map for Syria as much as the ongoing military campaign against ISIS. The PYD and its armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), which the Obama administration generously supplied with weapons and ammunition, have been accused by Amnesty International of engaging in ethnic cleansing in northern Syria. Although the PYD pays lip service to fighting ISIS, the organization's ultimate goal is to unite a number of autonomous cantons in northern Syria and, by forcing out Arab and Turkmen communities from the area, establish a Kurdish corridor across Turkey's southern border. In recent weeks, the Turkish government made it quite clear that they care more about the PYD's efforts in northern Syria than Russia's airspace violations. As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu warned that Turkey would engage the PYD's YPG if they were to pursue territorial expansion westward. According to intelligence sources, a group of PYD members attempted to cross the Euphrates last week, but the boat never made it to the river's western shore.
Simply put, the Syrian conflict creates serious challenges for Turkey with the refugee crisis, Europe's indifference, ISIS attacks and the PYD's ethnic cleansing campaign coincide with Russian airspace violations and U.S. weapons potentially facing Turkish citizens. The situation, indeed, is difficult.
The humanitarian crisis has now reached continental Europe, which compels the European Union to take action. Last week, Brussels drafted a $3 billion deal geared toward sending asylum seekers across the continent back home through Turkey. The European leadership, according to sources, has sweetened the deal by pledging to allow visa-free travel for Turkish citizens if Ankara agrees to their terms. An agreement, however, has not yet been reached. Provided that Turkey has taken in 2 million Syrian refugees for years without any significant assistance from the international community, one could argue that the agreement would serve Ankara's interests. Striking a deal at this time, though, might mislead Europe into completely ignoring the Syrian conflict down the road. Unfortunately, Europe's interest in the Syrian civil war remains limited to the influx of refugees, which makes EU citizens uncomfortable at home. With no asylum seekers left in Europe, as such, Brussels might conveniently ignore the problem.
Whether or not the European leadership has any intention to address the Syrian question, Turkey continues to face Syria-related problems. With civil war raging across its southern border, the country finds it difficult to shelter its citizens from violence. The most recent manifestation of this problem was a suicide attack in Ankara in which the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), possibly in cooperation with other terrorist organizations, killed more than 100 Turkish citizens and wounded hundreds more.
The Syrian conflict, furthermore, puts strains on Ankara's relations with two global powers, Russia and the U.S.
The government remains deeply concerned about the Kremlin's support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime. Russia's growing military presence in Syria has further complicated an already complex problem. By supporting what the U.S. and others describe as a bloody tyrant, Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy could potentially cause more bloodshed, trigger new waves of mass exodus and strengthen terrorist organizations including ISIS - all of which place Turkey's national security at risk. The violation of Turkey's airspace by Russian warplanes, meanwhile, remains another source of concern. Earlier this month, the Russian air force repeatedly violated Turkish airspace, creating tensions between Ankara and Moscow. On Thursday, a Russian military delegation visited the capital Ankara to claim that the violations had stemmed from a lack of experience and inclement weather, and apologized for the inconvenience. Turkish authorities, in turn, warned Moscow that they would shoot down any aircraft that violates Turkey's airspace in line with the military rules of engagement. Just hours after the meeting, Turkish F-16 fighter jets downed an unmanned aircraft, potentially Russian, over Kilis. According to security sources, similar incidents cannot be avoided until the Kremlin abandons its policy of aggression.
Washington's Syria policy, likewise, remains a serious problem for Turkey. Unable to focus on anything but the anti-ISIS campaign in Syria, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has recently provided weapons and ammunition to the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which, Ankara argues, might end up in the hands of the PKK and be used to kill Turkish citizens. In the meantime, Turkish authorities discovered U.S.-made weapons in PKK storage facilities in Northern Iraq. According to intelligence sources, the PKK leadership has requested Stinger missiles from the U.S., which could be used against Turkey instead of ISIS. In light of the most recent discovery, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shared Ankara's concerns with Obama during a phone call last week. At this time, the U.S. must focus on developing a long-term road map for Syria as much as the ongoing military campaign against ISIS. The PYD and its armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), which the Obama administration generously supplied with weapons and ammunition, have been accused by Amnesty International of engaging in ethnic cleansing in northern Syria. Although the PYD pays lip service to fighting ISIS, the organization's ultimate goal is to unite a number of autonomous cantons in northern Syria and, by forcing out Arab and Turkmen communities from the area, establish a Kurdish corridor across Turkey's southern border. In recent weeks, the Turkish government made it quite clear that they care more about the PYD's efforts in northern Syria than Russia's airspace violations. As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu warned that Turkey would engage the PYD's YPG if they were to pursue territorial expansion westward. According to intelligence sources, a group of PYD members attempted to cross the Euphrates last week, but the boat never made it to the river's western shore.
Simply put, the Syrian conflict creates serious challenges for Turkey with the refugee crisis, Europe's indifference, ISIS attacks and the PYD's ethnic cleansing campaign coincide with Russian airspace violations and U.S. weapons potentially facing Turkish citizens. The situation, indeed, is difficult.
Last Update: October 19, 2015 01:37