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Turkey choosing between ‘bad and worse’ in Syria crisis

Jordanian activists from the Al-Tahrir party hold a sign that reads in Arabic “Your silence is shameful” during a demonstration to demand Turkish military intervention in support of Syrian rebels fighting the forces of Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad, in front of the Turkish embassy in Amman in February.

By Fulya Ozerkan

AFP

Monday, May 06, 2013

ANKARA – Turkey’s support for the Syrian rebels in the neighbouring country’s civil war has led to a policy of choosing between “bad and worse”, say analysts urging Ankara to come up with an impartial approach to the crisis.

The Islamist-rooted government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has shunned dialogue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and explicitly called for his ouster after diplomacy failed to convince him to adopt democratic reforms.

And Turkey, already home to thousands of Syrian refugees, has also become a base for Syrian rebels and army defectors who form the very core of the opposition Free Syrian Army.

A recent article in the New York Times was among many to claim that Ankara’s Esenboga Airport was now a major hub for arms supply to rebel factions – though Turkey denies arming the rebels.

“Turkey’s Syria policy has been full of mistakes since the very beginning,” Professor Huseyin Bagci of the Middle East Technical University told AFP.

“Turkey is perceived to be a contract killer in Syria backing the radicals,” he said.

Witnesses have said they’ve seen a group of jihadist fighters staying in hotels in Turkish border towns, shuttling back and forth from Syria.

The merger of Al-Nusra and Al-Qaeda, considered terrorist groups by Washington, has bolstered the Damascus claim that the rebels are extremists and raised fears in the West. Al-Nusra has been playing an effective role in the fight against Assad’s forces.

A cautious Washington is opposed to arming the rebels out of fear the weapons may turn up in the hands of extremists, though the European Union’s two heavyweights France and Britain are pushing for the lifting of an arms embargo.

Ankara is betting on the likelihood that the radical elements on the rebel side will not fit into Syrian society, and when the conflict is over, they will be “weeded out” naturally.

But meanwhile Turkey’s leaders who initially claimed that Assad’s days were numbered now avoid setting a deadline.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has admitted Turkey would face “extraordinary security risks” whether or not Assad remains in power in Syria as the two countries share a 910-kilometre (560 mile) frontier.

“Turkey is a frontline state in the Syrian crisis. Whatever happens has a direct effect on Turkey,” Professor Carlo Masala of the University of the German Armed Forces, told AFP.

Turkey makes its decisions based on its own perception of the Syrian situation, and its policy on Syria is the “result of a hard choice between bad and worse,” said Masala.

“We choose the less bad side and support them fully knowing that they might create a situation more demanding afterwards, like we see in Iraq or Libya.”

via Turkey choosing between ‘bad and worse’ in Syria crisis.

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May 6, 2013
Turkey decontaminates wounded Syrians over chemical attack claims; alert soon called off

By Associated Press, Published: April 30

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish border authorities decontaminated a group of wounded Syrians as they entered Turkey and hospital staff wore protective equipment to treat them because some claimed they may have come under a chemical attack in Syria, an official said Tuesday.

However, there was no indication that chemical weapons were used against them and the hospital near the border with Syria soon returned to normal operations, an aide to the governor of Hatay province told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity citing government rules that bar civil servants from speaking to journalists without authorization.

via Turkey decontaminates wounded Syrians over chemical attack claims; alert soon called off – The Washington Post.

May 1, 2013
NATO missiles defend Turkey as debate rages over whether the West should intervene in Syria’s civil war

First Lieutenant Arnd de Ruiter commands a Dutch Patriot missile battery which defends southern Turkey from Scud missile attacks from Syria, where Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime is becoming more unpredictable and may have used chemical weapons against his own people.

Photograph by: Matthew Fisher/Postmedia News , Postmedia News

ADANA, Turkey — As bloody as the war inside Syria is, it would suddenly get much bigger and much more complicated politically if a Syrian tactical ballistic missile was to hit Adana, a city of more than two million Turks. Such an attack would immediately draw in the Turks and oblige every NATO country to contribute to Turkey’s defence.

Adana is 140 kilometres away from the Syrian border, as the Scud missile flies. Such rockets can carry chemical weapons which the United States and others suspect have recently been used against Syrians.

via NATO missiles defend Turkey as debate rages over whether the West should intervene in Syria’s civil war.

April 30, 2013
Syria accuses Turkey of supplying rebels with chemical weapons

Syrian minister lashes out at West for supporting rebels; denies claims of chemical weapons use by government; ‘US manipulative, trying to repeat Iraq,’ he blames

Ynet

Published: 04.27.13, 09:58 / Israel News

Syrian Information Minister Omran Al-Zoubi rejected US andBritish allegations Damascus had used chemical weapons against opposition fighters, and instead accused Turkey of allowing rebels to transfer chemical weapons across the border into Syria, the Syrian SANA new agency reported.

The minister talked to Russia TV on Friday, dismissing a claim by US officials a day earlier that they had evidence the chemical weapon sarin had been used in Syria on a small scale, CNN reported.

“Everything that the American minister and British government have said lack credibility,” Al-Zoubi said. “It’s baseless, and it’s a new tactic to put political and economic pressure on Syria.”

Dead animals in Syrian village, allegedly killed by chemical weapons (Photo: Reuters)

Al-Zoubi said the Syrian government is the one that called for an investigation of an incident in which it claimed chemical weapons were used by “terrorist groups.” The government routinely labels rebel fighters as terrorists.

Syria does not have chemical weapons and would not use them if it did, he said.

The Americans “want to manipulate the issue, to let whoever used the chemical weapons … get away (with it), and to repeat the Iraq example,” Al-Zoubi said.

United States President Barack Obama said on Friday that the deployment of chemical weapons by the Syrian government was a “game changer” while noting that intelligence assessments proving that such weapons had been used were still preliminary.

“Horrific as it is when mortars are being fired on civilians and people are being indiscriminately killed, to use potential weapons of mass destruction on civilian populations crosses another line with respect to international norms and international law,” Obama told reporters at the White House.

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron agreed with US President Barack Obama that such use would represent a “red line” for the international community, but said the response would likely be political rather than military.

“This is extremely serious. And I think what President Obama said was absolutely right, that this should form for the international community a red line for us to do more,” Cameron told the BBC.

But he objected to British military involvement in Syria. “I don’t want to see that and I don’t think that is likely to happen.

“But I think we can step up the pressure on the regime, work with our partners, work with the opposition in order to bring about the right outcome.”

Also Friday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked the man heading the world body’s investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria to report to UN headquarters on Monday for “consultations,” a UN spokesman said.

The UN leader has repeatedly asked the Syrian government to give UN inspectors unrestricted access to the country as it looked into chemical weapons use allegations. The team, led by Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom, is ready to head to Syria within 48 hours if an agreement is reached.

April 28, 2013
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.

“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.

April 26, 2013
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.”
April 22, 2013