... noting that the country became the greatest reseller of Russian gold in 2022. Russia’s gold exports to the Emirates in 2022 totaled 75.7 tons or $4.3 billion.
Another important factor shaping the Middle East’s approach to international relations is Turkey’s foreign policy. Particularly important, is Turkey’s position on Syria prior to the presidential elections in May 2023, and the new aspects it has now acquired following the victory of incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Judging by the leadership’s recent steps, Turkey wants to maintain continuity with its ...
... problems germinating in the southern borders of Turkey. This issue has become especially important for Turkey, given that it is on the eve of its presidential and parliamentary elections, which are to be held in June this year.
Interestingly, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to solve the problem posed by Syrian Kurds by combining force with the possibility of normalizing relations with Syria. Back in December of last year, he proposed to hold a meeting between the presidents of Russia, Turkey, and Syria. According to Erdogan, this meeting should be after negotiations ...
... concern for the international community. In November 2022, Turkish armed forces launched air strikes on parts of northern Syria with Operation Claw-Sword. The November 13
th
terrorist attack in Istanbul was a major reason for the start of the operation. Turkey carried out air strikes on areas dominated by mostly Syrians and Iraqi Kurds. More than 50 aircraft and 20 drones took part in the air operation, with the support of Turkey’s artillery.
Afterwards, Recep Erdogan stated that the air strikes were only the beginning of Turkey’s plans, and Turkish troops would start ground ...
... the United States
" to dozens of Turkish airstrikes. In his opinion, Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine increased Turkey’s value in the eyes of both Russia and the West. Many believe that the sluggish response of both states to Turkey’s escalating war against the Syrian Kurds is explained by their desire to pull Ankara over to one side.
According to Kobane
, unless Moscow and Washington show firmness, Turkey is likely to carry out repeated threats to launch an offensive in Syria, as it did in two separate incursions ...
... entirely Arab and try to prove that a demographic change is taking place
US President Donald Trump took several decisions on the Syria conflict recently, which triggered political and media pressure on him. Most criticism either attempted to score political ... ... the Kurdish population in Syria does not exceed six percent. The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura revealed that Kurds represent only five percent of the Syrian population. Besides, Kurds live in geographical areas that are not interconnected ...
... the pressure Turkey puts on the United States, an ally of the Kurds.
Ankara’s main goal is ostensibly to create a buffer zone in the north of Syria to prevent the Kurds from implementing a project there.
This will allow Ankara to cut ties between Kurds in Syria and Turkey and bring Syrian refugees, mostly Sunni Arabs, back to settle in the new “safe zone.” The United States has even convinced even the Kurds that the “safe zone” is necessary. The question, however, is how deep the Turkish military will go ...
Kremlin has nothing to lose but a good opportunity to have a significant long-term gain if the Turkish operation is successfully conducted
On August 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
declared in a speech
during an opening ceremony that Turkey will launch a military operation in Syria’s terrorist PKK/YPG-occupied eastern Euphrates region. After the official declaration of the upcoming operation, there occurred the question of “how will it affect the bilateral relations between Russia and Turkey?” There will be no negative ...
... Turkey and Russia are able to find a common solution and acknowledge their corresponding legitimate interests and concerns. Turkey’s cooperation with Russia is a tactical phenomenon that was caused by Western partners’ inability to show solidarity ... ... occasions and to act against Russia.
Differences over political issues like the fate of Assad’s regime or scope of rights for Kurds may be pushed from the agenda in the mid-term, allowing bilateral cooperation on Syria to be focused on economic matters like reconstruction, trade, energy projects. These are the areas that are important for ...
... dialogue. U.S. support for the Syrian Kurdish polity and long-term plans to retain its own limited military presence in northern Syria are already straining relations between Ankara and Washington. Reluctance to make a compromise on the issue of PYD-led Syrian Kurds may prompt Turkey to seriously consider
military and political cooperation
with Iran in Syria and Iraq.
Yuri Barmin:
The Syrian Congress in Sochi: Too Much Too Soon
However, it is related political issues that may strain relations between the two major powers ...
... that the main reason was that the time had just come to stop antagonizing Turkey because the US doesn’t want to lose it. And I need to say that at the same time it’s not a catastrophic disaster for the Syrian Kurds. One thing the U.S. gave to the Syrian Kurds is an enormous amount of weapons and we are not taking them back. We just do not provide them anymore. In addition, Turkey is in no military position to attack, leave alone examine the Kurdish military facilities, plus Russia is going to play a vital role here. Many Syrian Kurds suppose that Russia will protect them even more than the U.S. in these circumstances.
I’d ...
