... Turkey is nonexistent and ineffectual in comparison to the Kurdish and Alevi components, which have cultural and human rights groups, as well as indirect political participation. Given this, many have interpreted the statement to be about the Arabs and Kurds in Syria, as well as Turkey and those there. The idea that the "Kurdish reconciliation" project is a foreign policy endeavor is supported by this, particularly given that should the reconciliation be successful and Bahceli's vision be approved by the Turkish parliament,...
Challenges and Prospects of Disbandment
The
disbandment
of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on May 12 raised questions about
Turkey's military position
in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region going forward. Analysts
questioned
if PKK members in Iraq's mountainous north will
follow
their central leadership's decision to disband the group. The PKK's
demobilization
in Iraq and the potential ...
... complicating Turkey’s internal situation, these actions extended the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. The dominating powers (the West) used a strategy of “running with the hare and hunting with the hounds,” as Abdullah Ocalan clarified in his defense.
Turkey’s Double-Edged Sword: Protect Kurds or Sow Discord?
States in the Middle East understand change is coming their way. This is especially true for the countries involved in the Kurdish crisis—Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey. The winds of change transformed Iraq from a centralized Baathist ...
... 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 ...
... 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 ...
... Ankara demanded the withdrawal of the SDF from the cities of Manbij, Tal Rifaat, and Ain al-Arab (Kobane), all located in northern Syria.
While conducting an air operation in Syria, Erdogan did not rule out normalizing relations with Damascus. However, Turkey's ground campaign, as well as continued air strikes against the Kurds, is likely to complicate communication with Syria and hinder any mutual trust forming. This will happen even if Ankara succeeds in obtaining formal permission from Russia and the Syrian government to conduct an operation against the Kurds. According ...
... 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 ...
... entity that does not have any demographic or geographical components within the territories of the Syrian Republic? In fact, 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 and do not constitute a majority in their places of residence. It is the so-called “war against ISIS” that granted them ...
... 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 ...
