Kassioun Editorial 1100: Why Do We Need a Syrian-Turkish Settlement?

Reaching as soon as possible a Syrian-Turkish settlement, on the basis of the unity of Syrian territory and sovereignty, is an utmost necessity from the point of view of the Syrian people’s and Syria’s interest, for many reasons, including:

First: Merkel’s recent statements about the fraudulent and opportunistic way in which Europe and the US dealt with the Minsk Agreements on Ukraine expose the Western approach with regard to Syria as well, and implicitly UNSC Resolution 2254. That is, there being no Western interest in reaching a real solution and stability in Syria, which makes the required weight from Astana, along with China and key Arab countries, not only crucial, but also exclusive for a real push towards ending the Syrian crisis. A Syrian-Turkish settlement is a necessary step to achieve that.

Second: Ending the effects of the Western blockade and sanctions is not in any way possible without turning the Syrian-Turkish border into the main gate to breaking the blockade and sanctions. Through this door, it is possible to solve energy, electricity, and international trade issues in general, based on creating a safe space that connects us with emerging countries and their economies away from Western extortion through the seas.

Third: It is not likely to end the possibility that the ceasefire implodes in northeast and northwest Syria, without reaching a settlement with Turkey. It is also not possible to end the illegal Turkish military presence without a settlement and agreement, because the other means is war, which is neither possible nor logical, that even those who are working against the settlement, do not propose it as a tool to expel the Turkish military. Of course, they also do not propose other alternatives.

Fourth: Achieving a Syrian-Turkish settlement, means reducing especially the US’s ability not only to continue being illegally militarily present in Syria, but also reducing its ability to have a sabotaging political effect through manipulation in the northeast and northwest files.

Fifth: More than half of the Syrian refugee crisis is concentrated in Turkey, and without resolving this crisis, there can be no talk about going back to life in Syria or any reconstruction. Achieving a settlement with Turkey would speed up resolving and facilitating this issue.

Sixth: In the economic framework, Turkey has plundered our water over past years, by taking advantage of our miserable situation; any settlement with Turkey would be a gate to restore our water rights, which constitute one of the necessary entry points to resuscitating Syria.

Some may say that any settlement between two sides requires mutual common needs and that Syria’s cards are very weak, and that any settlement would be at Syria’s expense. This cannot be further from reality with regard the issue at hand. Turkey needs the settlement just as much as we do, and not because SDF/SDC threatens its national security, since this is mostly political propaganda, and also not because of the Turkish elections, as this is not significant enough to explain the reality of the matter.

Turkey needs the settlement because its national security is indeed under threat, as is the national security of all the region’s countries and peoples. However, what is threatening the national security of Turkey (and others) is the US, through the continuous attempts to set off things inside Turkey and around it, and through the long-term attrition that the US needs in the entire region within the framework of the ongoing international conflict.

Our cards are not at all weak in going towards a settlement of this kind, which cannot be completed unless it is accompanied with and is pushing a comprehensive political solution based on the full implementation of UNSC Resolution 2254. Additionally, our cards are not at weak, because a settlement like this, with conditions that are fair to both sides, is an actual point of intersection between the interests of the Syrian people and the Turkish people, as well as a point of intersection of the interests of regional and international powers that are under American and “Israeli” threat.

(النسخة العربية)