Turkish Forum

Category: Syria

  • Davutoglu: Turkey will not discuss future of Syria with Israel

    Davutoglu: Turkey will not discuss future of Syria with Israel

    Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said Turkey categorically denies discussing the future of Syria with Israel, dismissing suggestions that the recent Israeli apology was linked to developments in war-torn Syria Today`s Zaman reported.

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    “This will be Turkey’s stance both today and tomorrow. Turkey will never discuss Syria’s future with Israel,” said Davutoglu during a televised interview on Thursday, adding that this was the case for all of Turkey’s neighbors.

    Noting that Turkey refuses to be part of regional policies determined by Israel, such as the ones in 1990s, Davutoglu said that the days when Turkey was not included in regional peace processes were now over.

    The Turkish foreign minister said Turkey was now the main actor in the Middle East putting forward regional solutions and policies. “From today onwards, Turkey will not bother about losing this country or that country,” he said while noting, in an apparent message to the Israel administration, that if there are countries who believe it advantageous to repair relations with Turkey due to the Syrian crisis, it was their concern.

    In late March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered an apology to Turkey for a 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara aid flotilla that resulted in the deaths of eight Turks and a Turkish American. Shortly after the apology, Netanyahu made it clear that a failed Syrian state with chemical weapons at large was the main motive behind the apology.

    Davutoglu stated that the Israeli apology was the product of three-year discussions between Israeli officials who chose to offer an apology when they understood that it was not in their best interests to continue the rift.

    Rift between families of Mavi Marmara victims and government untrue

    Touching on the Mavi Marmara attack, Davutoglu said the passengers of the flotilla only aimed to take humanitarian aid to Gaza and were not perusing any personal interest, but did it for the honor of humanity. The Turkish foreign minister also said that, except for some groups, many people across the world regarded the Mavi Marmara volunteers as people who risked their lives for the honor of humanity.

    Following the Israeli apology, the families of the nine victims have insisted that the blockade on the Gaza Strip be lifted, underlining that without the ending of the blockade and embargo, Israel’s apology and compensation for the victim’s families and those injured would have no meaning. The families also said that they have no intention of retracting their lawsuits.

    In relation to suggestions that the government tried to prevent families from obtaining compensation, Davutoglu said those claims were not true. He added that they will continue to talk to families about the process and fight for their rights.

    No need for a mediator in talks with Iraqi government

    Davutoglu also said that Turkey did not need a mediator to have talks with the Iraqi government, apparently referring to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent visits to Iraq and Turkey. Relations with Iraq have been strained as the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has criticized Turkey for interfering in Iraqi affairs. Maliki is particularly concerned over Turkey developing ties with the Iraqi Kurds in the north of the country. During his visit to Baghdad on March 24, Kerry also spoke to Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani on the phone, telling him to abandon unilateral actions that do not receive the blessing of Baghdad, particularly with regard to an oil pipeline deal with Turkey.

    Days later, Maliki softened his rhetoric, saying that he would welcome rapprochement with Turkey.

    Davutoglu said Turkey never cut off its ties with Iraq but warned that the Iraqi premier should be careful about his comments regarding Turkey.

    Touching on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s scheduled visit to Palestine in late May, the Turkish foreign minister said this date was chosen with the hope that the rival political groups of Palestine, Hamas and Fatah, may have reached a reconciliation by then.

    Davutoglu added that the important thing in the Palestine-Israel conflict is to solve the problem, not the issue of who is going to mediate between the groups.

  • Britain and France renew efforts to lift arms embargo on Syrian rebels

    Britain and France renew efforts to lift arms embargo on Syrian rebels

    Britain and France renew efforts to lift arms embargo on Syrian rebels

    Britain and France will renew their attempts to lift the EU arms embargo on the Syrian rebels after western allies accused President Bashar al-Assad of using chemical weapons.

    Members of the free Syrian Army during an attack against Syrian government forces in Aleppo Photo: AP

    By Richard Spencer, Istanbul

    7:03PM BST 21 Apr 2013

    William Hague, the foreign secretary, said the two would take a “strong stance” in talks with EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday. The pledge came after Germany, a major stumbling block to arming the rebels, significantly softened its position on the issue.

    Britain wants to widen the range of aid it is sending to the opposition, though it is not considering sending weapons “yet”. “We are in favour of getting more assistance to the Syrian National Council (SNC),” Mr Hague said. “There are many ways in which we can do that.”

    The German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, said he would accept the lifting of the arms embargo if other countries pushed for it. He said that if “one or two countries” thought there was no risk that arms would fall into the wrong hands, he would “respect” their decision.

    Western ministers and opposition leaders met in Istanbul on Sunday and agreed that all aid to the opposition would be channelled through the SNC’s military wing.

    The United States also announced a doubling in its aid, from $127 million to $250 million.

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    In return, the SNC published a statement of principles that included pledges not to use chemical weapons, to renounce “terrorism and extremism”, and to respect the rights of minorities, including the Alawite sect from which the Assad family comes.

    “Our revolution and vision are for all Syrians,” its statement said. “There is no room for sectarianism or discrimination on ethnic, religious, linguistic or any other grounds. Universal human rights principles will apply to all Syrians, men and women.”

    Mr Hague last week said there was “credible evidence” of chemical weapons use in Syria, with a number of incidents where diluted chemicals appear to have been deployed.

    President Barack Obama has made use of chemical weapons a “red line” which would trigger outside intervention. While officials do not believe that red line has been met in terms of conclusive evidence or scale of use, the western allies made a stronger statement than before on President Assad’s refusal to allow in a United Nations fact-finding mission.

    “Such an approach suggests the responsibility of the regime,” said the statement, by the Friends of Syria group in which the UK, US, France, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are all prominent. “If these allegations are proven to be correct there will be severe consequences.”

    Ministers fear the situation inside the country is deteriorating fast, with Syrian regime forces recently making tactical gains in the Damascus suburbs and near the Lebanese border around the town of Qusayr with heavy loss of life.

    Rebel activists accused the regime of killing civilians as well as scores of fighters as it swept through the towns of Jdeidat Artouz and Jdeidat al-Fadl near Damascus.

    The risk of the war spreading into Syria’s neighbours was highlighted when a rebels accused Lebanon’s Shia militia Hizbollah of fighting alongside Assad troops, and fired shells on Shia towns inside Lebanon in retaliation.

    Britain, France and the United States want the rebels to get enough arms to turn the balance of the war, but not so as to win a quick victory, rather wanting them to force President Assad to negotiate a “managed” transition.

    “The chances of a political solution at present are negligible,” a western diplomatic source said. “The best way of opening up more chances quickly is changing the balance of power on the ground to put more pressure on the regime.”

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  • U.S., allies agree on rules for sending military aid to Syrian rebels

    U.S., allies agree on rules for sending military aid to Syrian rebels

    By Roy Gutman — McClatchy Newspapers

    ISTANBUL, TURKEY — In a move intended to trim support to Islamist extremists who now play a leading role in the Syrian uprising, the United States, Turkey and key Gulf allies this weekend agreed to funnel future military aid only through the internationally recognized Syrian rebel coalition.

    It’s one of a set of steps that Secretary of State John Kerry and other western and Mideast officials announced early Sunday, in what appears to be a concerted new drive to end the two-year-long civil war that pits the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad, who enjoys support from Russia and Iran, against a diverse group of rebels backed by the United States, Turkey, and European allies along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

    Among the steps by the “Friends of the People of Syria” were a U.S. decision to provide another $123 million in non-lethal aid to the Syrian rebel fighters, doubling the aid to date, and a call by all 11 participants for a negotiated solution to bring in a new transitional government.

    They also condemned Assad’s use of ballistic missiles and endorsed a written pledge by the Syrian opposition to hold individuals responsible for war crimes and not to seek “revenge and retribution” against members of Assad’s Alawite sect or any other minority.

    All 11 countries at the Istanbul meeting “made a commitment to direct their military aid and assistance directly and uniquely, solely, through the Supreme Military Command,” headed by Gen. Salim Idriss, a former Syrian army general who defected last July, Kerry told reporters Sunday. “This may be one of the most important single things that was agreed to…that can make a difference to the situation on the ground.”

    How to provide aid to the rebels without empowering militant Islamist extremists who have been at the forefront of anti-Assad victories for the past year has bedeviled countries seeking an end to the Assad regime. The Supreme Military Command is poorly organized and its control of fighters on the ground is uncertain. Aid from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the primary providers of military aid, have dealt primarily with individual commanders on the ground, many of whom are affiliated with Islamist extremist movements.

    Idriss made a lengthy presentation at the meeting of foreign ministers Saturday evening, giving a rundown of the military situation, province by province, and describing in detail the forces that report to him. He assured the ministers that he would provide a full account of “everything you provide to me,” according to a diplomat who attended.

    Kerry told reporters everyone was impressed by the “strength and clarity” of the Idriss presentation and said the Syrian general “could not have been more clear about his determination to separate what he and the opposition are doing from what some of the radical and extreme elements are doing.”

    “I think we are quite confident that he is a strong leader with a capacity to make a difference,” Kerry said.

    Military analysts who closely follow the war say that Gulf states, and individual donors, have been backing the Nusra Front, which the U.S. government has labeled a terrorist group identical to al Qaida in Iraq, and similar groups because of their effectiveness. More moderate rebel groups have said they’ve been starved for support. A senior State Department official, briefing reporters Saturday, said a provincial military commander with thousands under his command, said recently that he had to rely on donations obtained by his troops from family and friends, because Idriss was unable to deliver.

    “Your help to Salim Idriss isn’t going fast enough,” the official quoted the commander as saying. “How do I tell my guys, ‘Wait for the stuff from Salim Idriss. Don’t take that money from that business guy who is backed by an Islamist network’?” The senior official spoke anonymously because he said he was not authorized to speak on the record.

    The main diplomatic move announced Sunday was the call for a return to discussions with Russia on a political resolution of the conflict, based on an accord agreed reached in Geneva last July that called for a transitional government, members of whom would be nominated by, and accepted by both sides.

    Assad named an aide to represent him in the talks, but the rebels did not, and diplomats say Russia has insisted that Assad effectively have a major role in the transition. In the joint statement early Sunday, the 11 participants – Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, the United States and Turkey, said “Assad and his close associates have no place in the future of Syria” and should cede power to a transitional executive body.

    Kerry sought to offer at least a rhetorical olive branch to Russia, noting that the “framework of peace” was agreed to “by the international community, including our friends, the Russians.” But the joint statement of the 11 countries also warned that if Assad rejects a peaceful transition, “further announcements regarding expanding our assistance will follow.”

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who negotiated the framework with Kerry’s predecessor, Hillary Clinton, was in Turkey on the eve of the 11-nation talks, but there was no sign of any political shift. The discussion is expected to continue Tuesday, when Kerry attends a meeting of NATO foreign ministers that Lavrov is also expected to attend.

    Email: rgutman@mcclatchydc.com; Twitter: @RoyGutmanMcC

    via ISTANBUL, Turkey: U.S., allies agree on rules for sending military aid to Syrian rebels | World | ADN.com.

  • Iran security head visits Syria, “friends of Syria” meet in Turkey

    Iran security head visits Syria, “friends of Syria” meet in Turkey

    Iran security head visits Syria, “friends of Syria” meet in Turkey

    English.news.cn   2013-04-21 11:07:05

    DAMASCUS, April 20 (Xinhua) — Iranian national security head visited Syria on Saturday as the country’s opposition called for a no-fly zone over Syria and “surgical” bombing against Syrian army’s ballistic missile launchers.

    Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, is expected to meet President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, among others, during his three-day visit, local officials said.

    Iran has emerged as a main regional ally of the Syrian government, whose officials have repeatedly stressed support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

    Meanwhile, in the “Friends of Syria” meeting in Turkey’s Istanbul on Saturday, the oppositional National Coalition said they want a no-fly zone over Syria to protect the northern and southern borders to secure the safe return of Syrian refugees.

    They also wanted the UN Security Council to condemn the use of rockets by the government troops “against civilians” and adopt measures to stop the Syrian from using such weapons.

    The group also demanded “capable countries” undertake immediate measures to disable the government troops’ ability to use “chemical weapons and ballistic rockets” through carrying out “surgical airstrikes” by drones.

    However, their Western backers appear reluctant to do so. Among them, U.S. President Barack Obama said repeatedly that he has no plans to send weapons or render lethal aid to the rebels in Syria.

    The United States, however, was reportedly preparing a new package of aid to the Syrian rebels of up to 130 million U.S. dollars in non-lethal aid that would include body armor, night vision binoculars, armored vehicles and advanced communication devices.

    Britain and France have been supporting efforts to lift an arm embargo on Syrian rebels to tilt the balance of the conflict in their favor.

    A military leader of the Syrian rebels, Salem Idris, told reporters on the sidelines of the “Friend of Syria” meeting that “only power would end the conflict” in Syria.

    He brushed off any possibility to embark on negotiations with the administration.

    Al-Assad said Wednesday that what is happening in Syria is a “war” in all sense of the word but there is still chance for dialogue with the opposition.

    “we want all parties to participate…to make dialogue a success,” the president said.

    “All doors for dialogue are open,” he said. “Anything is negotiable… There are no red lines but in two things: Syria’s independence, which means no foreign interference in any internal affairs… and supporting terrorists.”

    Editor: An

    via Iran security head visits Syria, “friends of Syria” meet in Turkey – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

  • Syria opposition must distance itself from “terrorists:” Germany

    Syria opposition must distance itself from “terrorists:” Germany

    Reuters
    Syria opposition must distance itself from “terrorists:” Germany
    Sat Apr 20 16:29:00 UTC 2013
    ISTANBUL (Reuters) – German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Saturday the Syrian opposition must distance itself from extremist forces and he said Germany was skeptical about supplying weapons to the rebels.”We expect from the opposition that they clearly distance themselves in Syria from terrorist and extremist forces,” Westerwelle told reporters in Istanbul at a meeting of Syrian opposition leaders and their international backers.

    “We are skeptical as the German government when it comes to delivering weapons because we are concerned that weapons could fall into the wrong, namely extremist, hands, but it is a matter that must now be discussed in the European Union.”

    A U.S. official said on Friday Washington planned to provide about $100 million in new non-lethal aid to the Syrian opposition that could include for the first time battlefield support equipment such as body armor and night-vision goggles.

    Secretary of State John Kerry was expected to announce the new aid package, which would mark a recalibration of U.S. policy toward Syrian rebel groups at Saturday’s meeting. Fresh U.S. humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees is also likely.

    The new assistance would stop short of supplying weapons to rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It is also far less than what is sought by Syrian opposition leaders, U.S. allies Britain and France and some U.S. lawmakers.

    The 11-nation “core group” of the Friends of Syria, including the United States, European and Arab nations, has been deadlocked over how to remove Assad, whose security forces killed and arrested thousands of protesters who took to the streets to demand democratic reforms in March 2011.

    Syria’s opposition has said it hopes the Istanbul meeting will give teeth to a tacit agreement that arming rebel groups is the best way to end Assad’s rule.

    More than 70,000 have been killed in the revolt and subsequent civil war. But a military stalemate has set in and much of Syria is left in ruins because of a divided and ineffective opposition, a lack of action by foreign allies and Assad’s ability to rely on support from Russia and Iran.

    (Reporting by Nick Tattersall; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Stephen Powell)
  • Syrian rebels told by West to unify and reject extremism

    Syrian rebels told by West to unify and reject extremism

    Syrian rebels told by West to unify and reject extremism

    Syrian rebels were told by their western backers on Saturday they had to present a united face and reject extremism in return for a major new package of non-lethal assistance.

    The West has been reluctant to provide even non-lethal aid to rebel fighters Photo: Reuters

    By Richard Spencer, Istanbul

    4:05PM BST 20 Apr 2013

    Foreign ministers of nations backing the Syrian opposition, including William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, and John Kerry, the US secretary of state, met opposition leaders in Istanbul to thrash out a major new aid package.

    They continue to reject directly supplying the opposition with arms, despite fighting reaching a bloody stalemate across the country, but the US was on the verge of announcing up to $200 million in “non-lethal” military aid – equipment such as body armour and night-vision goggles.

    Diplomatic sources told The Daily Telegraph that in return the allies were demanding an end to internal wrangling in the opposition Syrian National Coalition, the Western-recognised political front for the rebels.

    The SNC was being asked to sign up to a three-pronged pledge. They had to reject extremism and present an inclusive face to the world that included religious minorities, secular groups and women as well as the dominant Islamist faction.

    Several secular members of the coalition have walked out in the last month, following the election of Ghassan Hitto, who is seen as close to the Muslim Brotherhood, as an interim prime minister for the rebels.

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    They are also being told to commit to secure Syria’s chemical weapons, a major security concern, and to present a detailed plan for “the day after” – how basic services will be run whenever President Bashar al-Assad is forced from office, assuming he is.

    Anti-Syrian regime protesters chant slogans and wave the Syrian revolutionary flag during a demonstration in Aleppo (AP)

    Time is running out,” one diplomatic source said, adding that the Coalition needed to show unity to be recognised as a credible leadership by those doing the fighting inside Syria.

    On Thursday, Mr Kerry told congressmen: “We want to make certain that the people we’re working with are committed to pluralism, diversity, to a democratic process. There have to be a series of guarantees.”

    The West, represented in the “Friends of Syria” group, has been reluctant to provide even non-lethal aid to rebel fighters, keen not to get sucked into another Middle Eastern war and afraid of bolstering the many jihadist forces among the rebels.

    But America is believed to be coordinating with Gulf allies like Saudi Arabia, which are sending weapons, and the SNC on Saturday called for more direct intervention. “While humanitarian aid is a dire necessity, the Syrian opposition is also looking for support that will enable the immediate fall of the regime and an end to the suffering of the Syrian people,” a statement said.

    Underlining their demands, fierce fighting claims scores of lives on Saturday. Activists and the regime confirmed major battles in the Damascus suburbs and between Homs and the Lebanese border.

    In Damascus, regime troops were attacking rebels who had seized the mixed Sunni and Christian suburbs of Jdeidat Artouz and Jdeidet al-Fadel. The activists’ Damascus media office said 69 people had been killed on the rebel side, including civilians.

    Near the Lebanese border, an area divided between Sunni, Shia and Christian communities, regime forces swept into four rebel-held villages around the town of Qusayr. Earlier in the week, rebels seized part of an airbase north of Qusayr, showing the back-and-forth nature of the conflict.

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