Syria and Turkiye Earthquake: A father holds the hand of his daughter without letting go, among the rubble and destruction

Syria and Turkiye Earthquake: A father holds the hand of his daughter without letting go, among the rubble and destruction

    Friday, February 10, 2023   No comments

Adem Altan, a photographer of forty years who spent fifteen of them at Agence France-Presse, was working in front of a collapsed building when he saw a man sitting near the rubble in Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the earthquake that killed more than 14,000 people in Turkey alone.

According to the agency, "Agence France Presse," that no rescue team had arrived at the site on Tuesday the day after the disaster, and residents were trying to remove the rubble themselves to save their families.

According to the agency, the man in an orange jacket remained motionless in the midst of the commotion, indifferent to the rain and cold.

It was then that Adem Altan noticed that a man 60 meters away from him was holding an outstretched hand from among the rubble. At that time, he began filming the scene: a father holding the hand of his dead child without letting go, amid the rubble and destruction.

Altan took the pictures while the man watched him, who whispered to him in a trembling voice, “Take pictures of my baby.” He left her hand, which he did not want to let go for a moment, to show the photographer the place where his 15-year-old daughter lay, before rushing to grab her again.

“I was so touched at that time,” says Adam Altan.

Then the photographer asked the man his name and the name of his daughter, and the father, Massoud Hanser, replied, "My daughter, Irmak."

"He spoke with difficulty, in a very low voice. It was difficult to ask him more questions as the residents around him asked people to remain silent so that they could hear the voices of the possible survivors trapped under the rubble," the photographer says.

At that moment, the photographer immediately thought that the photo summed up the pain of the earthquake victims, but he could not imagine the impact it would have.

Masoud Hanser, the Turkish father who remained holding on to the only visible part of his 15-year-old daughter Ermak's body, after she died as a result of the devastating earthquake in the Kahramanmaraş region.

Media Review: Washington, with its sanctions, is responsible for increasing the suffering of the afflicted Syrians

Media Review: Washington, with its sanctions, is responsible for increasing the suffering of the afflicted Syrians

    Wednesday, February 08, 2023   No comments

Western media have increasingly talked about the responsibility of the harsh US sanctions on Syria for increasing the suffering of the Syrian people as a result of the devastating earthquake that struck large areas in the north of the country at dawn last Monday.

The American "Responsible State Craft" website considered that "activating the humanitarian situation will require Washington to recognize the bankruptcy of the US comprehensive sanctions," stressing that Washington "opposes any step that might appear as normalization with Damascus."

In its report, the site asked whether the current humanitarian situation in Washington's view opens up any room for exceptions, in addition to the site's skepticism about the necessity of continuing the imposed sanctions, which have now mainly affected the Syrian people and exacerbated their suffering even before the earthquake disaster.

He stated that "following the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, the United States and dozens of countries rushed to provide assistance to Ankara, including the deployment of teams to help rescue survivors who are still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings," noting that these teams will not be able to help from Syria.

The report added, "The United States can make important and constructive changes in its own policies, especially since, before the earthquake, sanctions on Syria were hampering reconstruction efforts and exacerbating the suffering of civilians."

He explained that now, "these same sanctions have become a serious obstacle to providing Syrians with disaster relief and reconstruction," and stressed that "the United States must move quickly to lift as many of its broad sanctions as possible so that aid agencies and other governments in the region can operate." more effectively in addressing the plight of the Syrian people.

The site pointed out that "the Biden administration has not yet shown any inclination to ease sanctions, or to communicate with the Syrian government to coordinate humanitarian assistance in areas controlled by the government," stressing that "its position is not surprising, but it is unfortunate, because it deprives ordinary people of relief when it is necessary." possible.”

He also indicated that "Washington is reluctant to do anything that might hint at normalizing relations with the Syrian government, after more than a decade of hostility," stressing that "Washington must be ready to make exceptions in exceptional circumstances, when humanitarian needs are very severe, and it is important The very bad thing is for the Biden administration to continue to strangle innocent people just to act against the Damascus government.”

"Responsible State Craft" explained that "sanctions relief in itself is not a panacea, and it will not alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, but it will remove one major obstacle to relief, recovery and reconstruction in the coming months and years," considering that "activating the humanitarian situation for such relief will require It is imperative for the administration to acknowledge the bankruptcy of US comprehensive sanctions.”

The New York Times retracts its admission of responsibility for US sanctions

In turn, the American New York Times retracted a report two hours after it was published, to amend a statement in which it acknowledged that "sanctions are what prevent international assistance to Syria."

The New York Times published a report, earlier today, on the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border, in which it talked about the earthquake aid file in Syria, and acknowledged in its introduction that sanctions are what prevents international aid from reaching Syria.

The report's original introduction said, "Syria is unable to receive direct aid from many countries because of the sanctions, so the border crossing has become a lifeline."

However, two hours later, The New York Times amended the report and deleted its introduction, and amended the content of the report with new information commensurate with the new introduction, in which it says that "with the Syrian government tightly controlling the aid that allows it to enter opposition-held areas, the border crossings with Turkey have become It's a lifeline."

The Atlantic: Delivering aid to northern Syria is complicated by sanctions

Likewise, a report in the American newspaper "The Atlantic" stated that "Monday's disaster is a reminder of how desperate Syria is for international help, even if it is difficult to provide."

She pointed to the irony that occurred through "the flow of aid to Turkey and its deprivation of the afflicted in Syria," stressing that "despite the flow of aid to Turkey, the logistics and politics to help Syria, especially the vulnerable areas in the northwest of the country, are more complex due to the conflict." and international sanctions against the Syrian government.

"People Dispatch": Western sanctions impede relief and rescue work in Syria

A report in the "People Dispatch" website also indicated that "although many countries, including the United States and its allies, have extended their support to Turkey in relief and rescue work, they have refused to provide similar assistance to Syria."

The site quoted the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) as saying that “the current US sanctions severely restrict aid provided to millions of Syrians,” and that it “asked the US government on Monday to lift the sanctions imposed on it,” stressing that “lifting the sanctions will open the doors to additional and complementary aid.” It will provide immediate relief to those in need."

The US Congress has been adopting the "Caesar" law since 2020, according to which any group or company that deals with the Syrian government faces comprehensive and harsh penalties. The law, which experts confirm, its purely political background, expands the scope of the previously existing sanctions on Syria, which were imposed by the United States and its European allies since the beginning of the war in the country in 2011.

In the context, the New York Times reported today, on a senior EU official coordinating the aid file to Turkey, that "European sanctions should not impede the delivery of humanitarian and emergency aid to the Syrian people."

The United Nations has criticized on several occasions in the past the impact of sanctions on the Syrian health and other social sectors and its general economic recovery, and has also called on the United Nations to lift all unilateral punitive measures against Syria.

In the meantime, countries such as China, Iran, Russia, Cuba, Algeria, the Arab Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Venezuela, and others have begun to provide the necessary support to Syria to help in relief and rescue operations, treat the injured, and shelter the afflicted, and have already sent relief materials, which began to land in the airports of Aleppo, Damascus, and Latakia since dawn on Tuesday.

War narratives and justifications: the case of war in Ukraine

War narratives and justifications: the case of war in Ukraine

    Tuesday, February 07, 2023   No comments

War is never a simple "bad versus good", "right versus wrong"; every war has its competing narratives and justifications; the 2022 war in Ukraine is no different. The same applies to the wars in Syria, Libya, Yemen, and all the wars whose justifications were reduced to bad-versus-good.

Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs presents this narrative, in an interview on “Winter of Our Discontent” forum - Belgrade, Serbia.

“I'm deeply unimpressed with the analysis that the war in Ukraine began on 24 February, by an unprovoked attack by President Putin - it's just not true.”

 

French media outlet: There is not even the need to send tanks to kill and destroy Turkish and Syrian homes

French media outlet: There is not even the need to send tanks to kill and destroy Turkish and Syrian homes

    Tuesday, February 07, 2023   No comments

French media, once again, show that racism is the driving force behind their "art" when it is directed towards Muslims. Here, the media outlet defended by the French government when it published offensive cartoons attacking the Prophet Muhammad, publishes another cartoon, seemingly celebrating the death and destruction in Turkey and Syria because all that happened without even sending tanks to do the job.

Charlie Hebdo newspaper published, on its Twitter account, a caricature entitled "Today's Drawing", which showed a number of buildings destroyed by the earthquake in Turkey, and commented on the drawing, "There is not even the need to send tanks."

Turkey, Syria earthquake: initial death toll, cracks in Gaziantep Citadel, and oil and gas pumping stopped

Turkey, Syria earthquake: initial death toll, cracks in Gaziantep Citadel, and oil and gas pumping stopped

    Monday, February 06, 2023   No comments

 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed today, Monday, that the death toll from the earthquake has risen to 912, and 5,383 people have been injured. Turkish Vice President Fuad Oktay also confirmed the collapse of more than "1,700 buildings as a result of the earthquake."

Oktay said in a statement to reporters that schools and university dormitories were not damaged, while schools were suspended in 10 states for a week due to the earthquake.

The Turkish representative added that 102 mobile broadcasting stations for mobile phones were sent and operated to the areas affected by the earthquake, adding that Hatay Airport was closed and civil aviation traffic was stopped in the states of Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep, and Adana Airport was closed to flights until further notice.

Oktay indicated that the concerned authorities had "stopped the supply of natural gas to many areas" because of the earthquake, pointing out that "the aid will be coordinated under the supervision of the Turkish Emergency and Natural Disasters Administration and distributed to those affected by the earthquake."

Oktay stated that the earthquake affected large areas in Turkey and abroad, indicating that the specialized teams began search and rescue work from the first moments.

He stated that many Turkish ministers had moved to the areas affected by the earthquake to continue the search and rescue work.

Oktay called on citizens not to use their cars and roam the streets in order to keep the roads passable for the movement of cadres supervising rescue operations and ambulances.

Regarding the details of deaths and injuries as a preliminary outcome, Oktay said: "We have 70 deaths and 200 injuries in Kahramanmaraş, 4 deaths and 7 injuries in Hatay, and 20 deaths and 200 injuries in Osmaniye."

He continued: "13 deaths and 22 injuries in Adiyaman, 14 deaths and 226 injuries in Diyarbakir, 18 deaths and 200 injuries in Sanliurfa, 80 deaths and 600 injuries in Gaziantep, 10 deaths and 118 injuries in Adana, and 47 deaths and 550 injuries in Malatya."

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Syria was affected by the devastating earthquake that shook several provinces in southern Turkey today, Monday, with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale.

Al-Mayadeen correspondent reported that the total number of earthquake victims rose to more than 592 people in various Syrian governorates, while Sarmada was classified as a disaster area.

According to the latest toll announced by the Syrian Ministry of Health, the death toll from the earthquake rose to 371 deaths and 1,089 injuries, most of them in Latakia, Aleppo, Hama and Tartous, stressing that this outcome is not final.

According to the Ministry, readiness has been raised in hospital ambulance departments in all governorates, and response teams that transfer injuries to hospitals have been mobilized, pointing out that the general emergency plan and the supply plan for supplies and medicines have been implemented to supply the affected places with them.

27 ambulances and 7 mobile clinics were sent from Damascus, Rif Dimashq, Quneitra, Homs and Tartous as support to Aleppo and Lattakia, while 4 truckloads of medicines and surgical and first aid supplies were sent to Aleppo, Lattakia and Hama.

According to the Director General of the National Center for Seismology, Raed Ahmed, the most affected areas are those near the epicenter of the earthquake in Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo, stressing that the earthquake is the strongest during the investment lifetime of the national seismic network in Syria, that is, since 1995.

According to Ahmed, aftershocks have occurred and will occur successively, but they are much weaker than the strength of the earthquake that occurred, explaining that the state of seismic instability will continue, but with tremors that are weaker in impact and within the limits of 5 degrees.

The Director General of the National Center for Seismology confirmed that the buildings will be damaged and affected by the earthquakes, according to the response of their building structure and its resistance to earthquakes.

150 deaths in Aleppo and its countryside

Al-Mayadeen correspondent reported that there were more than 50 victims in Aleppo as a preliminary outcome of the devastating earthquake, explaining that the number of rescue teams in Aleppo is very few, and the capabilities are weak as a result of the war and the siege on Syria.

Al-Mayadeen correspondent indicated that more than 50 buildings were destroyed in Aleppo as a result of the earthquake.

The collapse of more than 60 buildings in Lattakia

Likewise, Al-Mayadeen correspondent in Lattakia reported that at least 80 people died, and 300 others were injured in a preliminary outcome as a result of the earthquake that struck the province, which led to the collapse of more than 60 buildings completely and partially, and cracks in hundreds of homes, with the continuation of the work of removing rubble in areas many in the province.

The earthquake, which measured 7.8 degrees on the "Richter" scale, caused the complete collapse of 21 buildings in the streets of Rumaila, Ghazalat and Rumaila in the city of Jableh, which led to the death of more than 30 people and about 200 injuries, as the mechanisms of civil defense, firefighting and the rest of the government sectors work to remove the rubble. Under difficult weather conditions, to get out the trapped under it.

A number of buildings collapsed on Damsarkho Highway, Al-Raml Al-Janoubi, and some floors in Al-Azhari and Al-Awaina roundabouts in Lattakia. Significant damage and cracks occurred in dozens of homes in the city, which led to the death of a number of its residents and the injury of others.

Likewise, the collapse of a number of houses over the heads of their occupants was recorded in the villages of Video, Bustan Al-Basha, Satamo and Al-Haffah, and a number of deaths and injuries were recorded, in addition to the removal of a number of survivors from under the rubble, while continuing the work of removing the rubble and evacuating some buildings from their residents after cracks occurred in them. by the earthquake.

The Lattakia governorate has urgently secured shelters for residents whose homes were damaged by the earthquake, and provided urgent relief and food assistance to those affected.

Tens of thousands of residents rushed to evacuate their homes after the earthquake occurred in Lattakia Governorate, as streets, squares, and public roads were crowded with people from Monday night until the morning hours, for fear of aftershocks that had followed after the severe earthquake, with all medical staff on alert to transport the dead and wounded to hospitals.

The collapse of an entire neighborhood in the Syrian countryside of Idlib as a result of the earthquake

Video footage captured by a drone showed the extent of the destruction in an area belonging to the Syrian governorate of Idlib, as a result of a strong earthquake that struck at dawn today, Monday, the regions of southern Turkey and northern Syria, leaving hundreds dead and injured, and was felt by a number of countries in the region.

A distress call from the Red Crescent

The Secretary-General of the Syrian Red Crescent, Khaled Ircsous, confirmed that there is a severe shortage of medicines and fuel needed to operate hospitals in light of the catastrophe of the earthquake that hit the country.

Ircouss indicated that the Red Crescent teams are still working to recover bodies from under the rubble, stressing that "we see injured people under the rubble, but we cannot reach them due to the lack of equipment."

Earthquake damage affects Syrian archaeological sites

The Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums stated that initial reports received from some governorates indicated that damage had occurred to some archaeological sites as a result of the earthquake at dawn on Monday.

And the Directorate stated, in a statement, that "Aleppo Citadel suffered minor and moderate damages, including the fall of parts of the Ottoman mill, and the occurrence of cracks and cracks and the fall of parts of the northeastern defensive walls, and large parts of the dome of the Ayyubid mosque minaret fell, and the entrances to the castle were damaged, and parts fell of stones, including the entrance to the Mamluk defensive tower, and the facade of the Ottoman hospice was damaged.

The statement stated that some of the museum artifacts inside the display storage were damaged, and cracks and cracks appeared on the facade of the National Museum in Aleppo.

According to the statement, the historic neighborhood of Aqaba, adjacent to the city's western wall, was damaged and collapsed, and it is not far from Bab Antioch. The same applies to the historic Al-Jalloum neighborhood, where severe damage occurred, including the fall of dip ceilings, walls, and parts of facades.

Arab and international solidarity with the victims of Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed to his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, his country's readiness to provide the necessary assistance to overcome the effects of the earthquake that struck Syria at dawn today.

In his telegram, Putin offered his sincere condolences to the victims of the earthquake, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

In turn, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during a phone call with President Assad, confirmed his country's stand with Syria and its solidarity with it as a result of the devastating earthquake, and offered sincere condolences for the hundreds of victims who fell, stressing that his country is fully prepared to help the Syrian people overcome the effects of this disaster.

Likewise, the Sultanate of Oman expressed, in an official statement, its solidarity with both Turkey and Syria, and extended its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims of the devastating earthquake that occurred in southern Turkey, and to the Turkish and Syrian peoples, and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

Algeria extended its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the governments and peoples of Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquake that struck the two countries, and left heavy losses in lives, property and infrastructure, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the national community abroad.

Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiyah, announced in a statement: "We made quick and successive contacts with the Syrian Ministers of Transport and Health, conveying to them our condolences on behalf of the Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the Council of Ministers, and stressing that Lebanon is a state and people fully prepared to provide all possible assistance." And within the available capabilities, in everything that the Syrian state requires to face the repercussions of the earthquake that struck last night in the north of it, and other regions and countries as well.

Chechens and Caucasus, Albanians and Uzbeks are moving to Idlib to fight in Ukraine

Chechens and Caucasus, Albanians and Uzbeks are moving to Idlib to fight in Ukraine

    Sunday, January 15, 2023   No comments

Intersectional reports indicate that foreign fighters from extremist groups have begun to migrate from Idlib in northern Syria towards Ukraine to fight the Russian army there, and reports say that most of those who move to eastern Europe are Chechen and Caucasian battalion fighters, Uzbek and Tajik fighters, and a group of Albanian fighters, and the vast majority belong to These fighters belong to the ranks of “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham,” which was formerly “Al-Nusra Front,” linked to Al-Qaeda and led by “Abu Muhammad al-Julani.”

Accounts of activists in the areas controlled by extremist groups in northern Syria speak of the departure of dozens of foreign fighters since the beginning of this year. These fighters, according to the details of the battles in the past years in Syria, are considered the most ferocious and experienced in martial arts and street warfare.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that more than 170 people have left the Syrian territory in batches since last October, and all of them are from the Caucasus and Chechens. They headed towards a European country based on pressure and a request by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

It is not known until now the mechanism for the transfer of dangerous fighters, who are classified as terrorists by the countries of the world, from Idlib in northern Syria to eastern Europe, and whether American or Western intelligence agencies are working to involve these fighters in the war against the Russian forces in an organized manner, and to repeat the model of the war in Afghanistan during the occupation Soviet. Where the American intelligence formed Al-Qaeda in partnership with Saudi and Pakistani intelligence to defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan, and after this was achieved, the states sought to eliminate the organization by launching direct attribution to the occupation of the country, and pursuing Al-Qaeda fighters, and it is also unknown whether these groups were fighting under the command of the Ukrainian army or in coordination with NATO. Their peers have already fought in Libya under the command of NATO.

The dissident Salafist from Tahrir al-Sham, Ali al-Arjani, said on Telegram, “The Caucasus and Albanian group leave Idlib for Ukraine, because they found that Ukraine is more free for them than Idlib, and the battles in it are real, and it seems that they are following the old fatwa of Ayman Haroush, that going out to the country of the infidels is better.” From sitting in Idlib under the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Julani.” A video recording was published showing Abdul Hakim al-Shishani (Rustam Azif), the leader of the Caucasus Soldiers group, and his group fighting against Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, and Russian media published the video recording, indicating that the United States had begun using terrorist groups to support the Ukrainian army.

A state of disagreements prevailed between some of these groups, which are based on foreign fighters, and between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its leader al-Julani in northern Syria, as al-Julani tried to domesticate and control these groups in the context of the changes that occurred in al-Julani's approach in an attempt to enter the political space and satisfy Turkey on the one hand and flirt with the United States On the other hand, to ensure the consolidation of his control over Idlib and some of the northern Syrian countryside.

Erdogan's advisor: Turkiye needs full control over Syria's Aleppo to solve refugee issue

Erdogan's advisor: Turkiye needs full control over Syria's Aleppo to solve refugee issue

    Thursday, January 12, 2023   No comments

Erdogan’s desire to unload Syrian refugees and address the emerging autonomous Kurdish state along its border with Syria is forcing him to rush for a solution that would involve reconciliation with the Syrian government.

In the past few weeks alone, the Turkish leader sent out his defense minister and head of intelligence to meet their Syrian counterparts in Russia. Turkish leaders then announced plans to for the foreign ministers to meet soon to pave the way for a historical summit between Erdogan and Assad. All these changes are driven by Erdogan’s fear that economic hardships, volatile border with Syria, and large Syrian population in Turkey will limit his chances of winning another term and derail his party’s ambitions to keep a decisive plurality in the parliament.

However, given the role Erdogan played in supporting the Syrian armed factions who wanted, and still want, to overthrow the Syrian government, neither Assad is eager to meet him and many of his party leaders and advisors are unwilling to give up their dream of Syria controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies. This split among Turkey’s Islamists is reminding observers of their ideology-driven campaign to fuel a war in Syria designed to overthrow the government no matter what the human and economic costs. Nothing more telling of this ideological and sectarian impulse than the chain of events that lead to the recent revelations that Turkey should aim to control Aleppo and use it to resettle Syrian refugees instead of rebuilding the Syrian-Turkish relations to what it was before the so-called Arab Spring.

Immediately after the announcement of the expected meeting between the Syrian and Turkish foreign ministers, Qatar’s Aljazeera publishes a long piece by an Islamist commentator and professor at Qatar university floating the idea of Turkey’s control over Aleppo and rejecting Turkish reconciliation with the Syrian government. The article was picked by a long time advisor the Erdogan and his party and he made the same point an interview with a Turkish outlet. Given how skeptical the Syrian government is from this about-face from Erdogan, it can easily use this statement to cancel the proposed meeting and reject Erdogan’s courting of Assad.

Aware of the problem, it was revealed that the Turkish foreign minister was very upset with the advisor’s statements and perhaps that is what forced the advisor to appear on Arab media outlets and explain that what he said was a personal opinion based on an article that he read in the media (a clear reference to aljazeera’s piece).

These events revisit the events and actors that promoted and benefited the so-called Arab Spring, including the role of the Qatari government and its media influencer, Aljazeera, the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafism, and Turkey who wanted to create a middle east to their liking that resulted in destroyed communities in Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Iraq and the displacement of millions of people—in addition to the nearly one million people killed in these countries as a result of the geopolitical ambitions of Turkey, Qatar, UAE, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

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Here are the background stories for this event:

With the opposition accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of not being serious in dealing with the Syrian file and developing an urgent plan for reconciliation with Damascus to return Syrian refugees to their country, Yasin Aktay's proposal, Erdogan's advisor, came to confirm the validity of doubts about the latter's intentions and accounts for Syria.

 

Aktay, who was a very close friend of the late Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, said, "To ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees to their country, the city of Aleppo must be placed under Turkish administration for a transitional period."

 

Aktay pointed out, in his interview with the pro-President Erdogan channel, "Olca", to "the importance of dialogue between Turkey and the Syrian regime." But thanks to the Iranian and Russian support, the Assad regime was able to control it, after carrying out very large massacres. And had it not been for Turkey's intervention at the time, the regime would have carried out bloody massacres greater than it."

 

He added, "Therefore, Turkey must have a role in achieving security in the city and its environs, so that we can return one and a half million, or even two million, refugees to the city voluntarily, which will not be achieved unless a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis is reached with the participation of the people." Syrian".

 

Aktay's speech aroused the interest of the media and social networks, which said that he revealed the true intentions of President Erdogan by inviting President Putin to bring him together with President Assad after the recent meeting of the Syrian and Turkish defense ministers in Moscow, in the presence of the Russian defense minister.

 

Some saw his words as a message from Ankara to the Syrian opposition with all its factions, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, after the information that talked about Ankara's efforts to convince it of the feasibility of a possible reconciliation with Damascus, which is what this opposition started after meeting its leaders, Foreign Minister Mouloud Jawish. oglu last week.

 

Journalist Muhammad Ali Gullar recalled "the slogan raised by nationalist circles at the beginning of the Turkish intervention in northern Syria, when they talked about annexing this region to Turkey, as it was part of the map of the National Pact of 1920, just as Aleppo declared the 82nd state of present-day Turkey."

 

It seems that Aktay's statements and the media's interaction with them will remain the talk of the Turkish street during the next stage, as long as the Syrian file, with all its main and subheadings, will be the semi-main topic of the upcoming election campaigns, after it became clear that this file, especially the issue of Syrian refugees in Turkey, will affect the decision of the Turkish voter when He will vote for President Erdogan or his potential rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

 

This explains why the security authorities raided a gathering center for Syrian refugees in a suburb of Istanbul, whom the Republican People's Party was preparing to deport to Syria with their consent, and the aforementioned authorities transferred them to an unknown location so that Kilicdaroglu would not meet them before they left Istanbul towards the Syrian border.

 

All this while betting on information that was reported a while ago about Syrian President Assad's hesitation in reconciliation with Erdogan before the upcoming elections, which may be in mid-May, at a time when Russian and Gulf pressures continue on the two sides to achieve this reconciliation as quickly as possible.

 Journalist Omar Odamish predicted, "The image that will gather Erdogan and President Assad will affect the psyche of the voter, as the Turkish president will tell him that reconciliation with Damascus is necessary to eliminate terrorism, by which he means the PKK and its Syrian arm, the People's Protection Units, without mentioning the Syrian opposition militants." They are terrorists for Damascus."

 Opposition circles ruled out that Erdogan would meet the Syrian demands, and said that this would be after the elections and not before, given that it would constitute a security crisis in northern Syria and the Turkish interior, especially if Ankara failed to convince Jabhat Tahrir al-Sham of the importance and necessity of this reconciliation, including the war together against the militias. Kurdish forces east of the Euphrates, in exchange for advantages and privileges that Turkey recognizes for HTS fighters and leaders, which the media has been talking about for some time about its heated dialogue with Washington.

 The information talks about Washington increasing its military support for the Kurdish People's Protection Units to face any upcoming war in the region and against the Syrian and Turkish armies in the event of a joint reconciliation.

 President Erdogan seeks to justify this reconciliation to his followers and supporters by talking about the need to eliminate terrorism in Turkey and northern Syria, by which he means the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and its Syrian arm, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, which in turn entered the line of domestic politics in Turkey when it announced the co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party , the political wing of the PKK, the party's decision to participate in the upcoming elections with its own candidate, which puts the opposition "Nation Alliance" face to face with a new crisis in competition with Erdogan, who may prevail over the opposition candidate unless he has the support of the Kurds.

 

This account did not prevent the Supreme Constitutional Court from considering the issue of banning the activity of the Peoples’ Democratic Party before the end of this week, after it froze 3 days ago the aid provided by the treasury, according to the election law, which orders it to support the electoral campaigns of all political parties that have parliamentary blocs, i.e. on At least 20 seats.

 

All these complex data suggest the next stage in Turkish domestic politics, as long as it is affected by the future of the relationship with Damascus, for many surprises in terms of Turkish-Syrian relations, which will be under direct influence from Moscow, Tehran and the Gulf capitals represented by Abu Dhabi, which the Turkish media says is " It is ready to pay billions of dollars to the Syrian and Turkish sides in exchange for their agreement to the final reconciliation, according to its mood and the mood of its allies, who are many and contradictory.

 

Reviewing Turskish media reaction to the Ankara - Damascus Normalization

Reviewing Turskish media reaction to the Ankara - Damascus Normalization

    Thursday, January 05, 2023   No comments

Once the Syrians remember the facts of eleven years of Turkish behavior towards their country, the attempts to overthrow the regime and the state and support the armed opposition, leading to the occupation of parts of northern Syria, the importance of the first Moscow meeting can be realized at the level of the defense ministers of Turkey, Syria and Russia. And while awaiting the crystallization of a clearer picture with the possible meeting to be held soon between the three countries at the level of foreign ministers, Turkey was preoccupied with the details of the new phase of the reconciliation process, noting that the view of the writers supporting the “Justice and Development” party was shy in approaching the developments, while enthusiasm appeared, The “schadenfreude” is evident in the position of those who have been calling, for years, for direct communication with Damascus, amid almost unanimous agreement that the biggest winner of what is happening is the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad.

About this, Muhammed Ali Guler writes, in the opposition newspaper “Cumhuriyet”, in an article entitled “Al-Assad won and NATO lost,” that “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s external needs, and (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan’s internal needs, intersected to produce pressure. Russia is in the direction of holding a meeting of the Turkish and Syrian defense ministers in Moscow, thus opening the door to normalization between Syria and Turkey. According to Guler, “a lot of speculation arose in Turkey and Syria about the issues discussed by the two ministers, but it can be said that from the point of view of Turkish foreign policy, Ankara has accepted the fact that regional policies will proceed from now on on the basis of a “solution with Assad” or “the Assad solution.” ». Guler stresses that the most important of all these assessments is “to see the extent of the reflection of the normalization process from the point of view of Turkish foreign policy, on Ankara’s behavior in regional and international issues, which assumes that the “Assad solution” will be reflected in Turkey’s foreign policies. This requires necessary steps in the field that reflect the new approach.

The first of these measures, the writer says, is the dismantling of the structures that Ankara established in order to overthrow Assad. It includes all armed groups, Syrian, Islamic and radical, to which Turkey opened borders and formed a parliament and government for them as well. In Guler's opinion, the aforementioned constitutes "the most important issue now," as it is by "dissolving these structures" that what the writer describes as a "flexible solution" to the presence of the Turkish army in Syria can be reached. And he adds, “Of course, the dissolution of these groups is not as easy as expected, as it has a political and social cost. Some of them will not give up their arms, but may even move against Turkey. Here, cooperation between the Turkish and Syrian armies will be of great importance, as it will facilitate the liquidation of armed Islamic groups and will reduce the cost to Turkey. Secondly, it will help program a gradual withdrawal of the Turkish army and a corresponding control of the Syrian army over its territory. And he wonders, in this context, whether the Turkish authorities will accept the advanced scenario, or will they adapt their vision to the impact of the presidential elections and put forward the condition of “achieving political stability” first?

In the same newspaper, Barish Doster writes, saying that the Moscow meeting, despite its delay, is important for the two countries, as it allowed Turkey to correct its wrong policies towards Syria, and at the same time showed more than one thing: the first of which is “the limits of the Turkish state’s ability”; The second is “the mistake of practicing foreign policy on a sectarian, ethnic, ideological, personal or emotional basis and using it as a tool in domestic politics.” The new Turkish policy towards Syria also showed, according to Doster, “the mistake of relying on and trusting the United States and believing that it will win under any circumstances; It is also a mistake to underestimate Assad and look at countries and societies in the Middle East with a sectarian eye. According to the writer, “if the talks between the two countries produce results, they can cooperate, with the help of Russia and Iran, against terrorism, eliminate the American presence in Syria and the armed Kurdish elements that support it, and thus achieve peace and stability,” as well as prepare for “the return of Syrian refugees.” to their country.” He believes that "Syria is Turkey's gateway to the Middle East with a border of 911 km, the second begins to win, not only from the political, diplomatic, strategic and security aspects, but also from the economic point of view."

In the loyal newspaper "Miliyet", Tonga Bengen says, "The United States wants a Syria fragmented as a state and institutions, because this is its way to consolidate its influence in this country. Therefore, Washington is not satisfied with Turkey's efforts to reconcile with Syria. And he goes on to say that “Washington will use all kinds of conspiracies and provocations to trap a solution between Ankara and Damascus, such as pressure through the militants in Idlib, and through other issues in the eastern Mediterranean and within the Turkish army by officers who do not agree with Erdogan in his new policies.” Hence, the most important thing, according to Bengin, is that “Syria, Russia and Turkey be honest, sincere and firm in order to achieve lasting peace and confront the potential games of the United States and the mines that it will plant.”

As for Mustafa Kara Ali Oglu, in the opposition newspaper “Qarar”, which is close to Ahmed Davutoglu, he believes that “Turkey is not in an enviable position. We were against Bashar al-Assad and we want to depose him. Now this goal is no longer possible, and Assad has gained enough strength to sit at the table across from us. And Russia skillfully managed the Astana process to the extent that it forced Turkey to recognize the Assad regime and sit with it. This is a significant success for both Moscow and Damascus. But he also says that Turkey “should not trust Russia with regard to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, as Moscow and Washington provide protection for it,” asking: “Can it be said to the refugees who fled Assad that the problem has been solved, and they can return? Is this applicable? According to the writer, the Turkish forces cannot leave Syria without resolving the problem of the Kurdish forces, because they are “the only negotiating force we have with regard to Damascus,” concluding that “the process is completely unknown and unreliable, and negotiations over it will take years or even decades before reaching agreements.” Issues that cannot be resolved in the field will not be easy to solve at the table.

For his part, Fahim Tashkin, in the opposition newspaper "Gazete Dwar", considers that "the Syrians today must use accurate measures in order to confront what they expect from the normalization process with Turkey. Things may progress surprisingly, and Erdogan's dream of praying at the Umayyad Mosque may come true, but alongside Assad. The writer describes the Moscow meeting as “a birth on the page of Turkey’s defeat,” noting that “it is not clear what the two sides agreed upon, but Damascus and Moscow see it as an agreement to strike the armed groups in Idlib, while Ankara suffices to mention the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, while the problem will be the jihadist groups.” In Idlib and the warlords, it is one of the most difficult challenges that Ankara will face. Tashkin wondered: “Will Turkey say to Syria: Deal with the Kurds and leave me the matter of finishing off the jihadists?” To answer: “Erdogan wants to convince Damascus that the Kurds are the common enemy, and that they are the price of normalization between the two countries.” And if Erdogan and Assad meet before the elections, he adds, “We can talk about a bloody electoral investment. The next meeting of foreign ministers will make the goals clearer. The result: Assad wins.

The first meeting between the defense ministers of Turkey and Syria in Moscow

The first meeting between the defense ministers of Turkey and Syria in Moscow

    Wednesday, December 28, 2022   No comments

  A statement by the Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that the meeting of the defense ministers of Russia, Turkey and Syria and the heads of the Syrian and Turkish intelligence services in Moscow took place in a constructive atmosphere.

The statement said that the Turkish Minister of Defense, Hulusi Akar, and the head of Turkish intelligence, Hakan Fidan, held a meeting with the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu, the Syrian Minister of Defense, Ali Mahmoud Abbas, and the heads of Turkish and Syrian intelligence, in Moscow.

Syria confirms the meeting, too. The Syrian Ministry of Defense said in a statement: “Today, a meeting took place between the Minister of Defense and the Director of the Syrian General Intelligence Department with their counterparts, the Minister of Defense and the head of the Turkish Intelligence Service, in the Russian capital, Moscow, with the participation of the Russian party. The two sides discussed many files, and the meeting was positive.”

The meeting discussed the Syrian crisis, the refugee problem, and "joint efforts" to combat all terrorist organizations in Syria.

As a result of the meeting, which "was held in a constructive atmosphere," the Turkish Ministry of Defense statement said, "it was agreed to continue the tripartite meetings, to ensure and maintain stability in Syria and the region as a whole."

And the Russian Ministry of Defense announced this evening, Wednesday, that the defense ministers of the Russian Federation, Syria and Turkey held tripartite talks in Moscow, which dealt with ways to solve the Syrian crisis and the refugee problem, and joint efforts to combat extremist groups in Syria, and they also discussed the continuation of stability in Syria and the region.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the parties participating in the meeting confirmed "the constructive nature of the dialogue.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement: “The defense ministers of Russia, Turkey and Syria held a tripartite session of talks in the Russian capital, Moscow, today, Wednesday, to discuss ways to solve the Syrian crisis, and the need to continue dialogue to achieve stability in Syria.”

She added, "They discussed ways to solve the Syrian crisis, the refugee problem, and joint efforts to combat armed groups in Syria."

And the Russian Ministry of Defense continued: “After the meeting, the parties noted the constructive nature of the dialogue that took place in this way and the need for its continuation in order to increase the stability of the situation in Syria and the region.”

Russia offered mediation

It is noteworthy that the Turkish presidency announced, earlier, that Moscow had offered to mediate in order to hold a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Moscow announced that it was "ready to hold a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad."

It is noteworthy that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed on December 15 that he "wants to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad," noting that "Russian President Vladimir Putin's view is positive on the matter."

This came after the leader of the Justice and Development Party, Orhan Miri Oglu, revealed earlier this month, "Damascus rejected Ankara's request to arrange a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad."

Syria refused Turkey's request to arrange a meeting between Erdogan and Assad

Syria refused Turkey's request to arrange a meeting between Erdogan and Assad

    Tuesday, December 06, 2022   No comments

 The leader of the Justice and Development Party, Orhan Miri Oglu, declared, "Damascus rejected Ankara's request to arrange a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad."

"Damascus intends to postpone the meeting between Erdogan and Assad until after the Turkish elections," Merioglu told Sputnik.

It is noteworthy that Miri Oglu confirmed, earlier, that the Turkish president is ready to meet his Syrian counterpart, and that he did not reject the idea of meeting.

And the Turkish president had assured Al-Mayadeen, earlier, that he was "ready to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad when the time comes," saying: "I may meet al-Assad when the time is right. I am not a politician used to saying that this is not possible or that it is impossible. When the time comes Of course, we may meet with the Syrian president."

Last November, Erdogan hinted at the possibility of reconsidering relations with Damascus after the 2023 elections in Turkey, saying: "We can reconsider our relations with the countries with which we live in problems, after the elections."

It is noteworthy that the Turkish presidency announced, earlier, that Moscow had offered to mediate in order to hold a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The Turkish presidency stated that "there is no political basis for holding a meeting between Erdogan and Assad at the present time, but Ankara does not close the door to diplomacy," adding that Russia offered to mediate and facilitate a meeting between the two leaders.

The Turkish Minister of Interior accuses Kurdish Units of masterminding the Istanbul bombing and criticizes the United States

The Turkish Minister of Interior accuses Kurdish Units of masterminding the Istanbul bombing and criticizes the United States

    Monday, November 14, 2022   No comments

The Turkish authorities continued to reveal the latest details and pictures as part of their investigations into the Istiklal Street bombing in Istanbul. Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu accused the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units of being responsible for the bombing, but they denied it.

And the Turkish Security Directorate in Istanbul announced today, Monday, that the suspect - who was arrested at dawn with more than 40 others - holds Syrian nationality and is called Ahlam Al-Bashir (23 years old).

Soylu accused the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) of being responsible for the bombing, and said that the order to carry it out was issued in the city of Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) in northern Syria, where Turkish forces have carried out operations against those units in recent years.

The Turkish minister criticized the support provided by the United States to these units, and said that his country does not accept the condolences offered by the American embassy.

Soylu likened the American position to "a murderer who is among the first to arrive at the crime scene."

"We do not accept condolences from the US embassy, ​​we know who supports terrorism in northern Syria, and we know the message they wanted to deliver to Turkey through this attack," he said.

He stressed that "those who support terrorist organizations in northern Syria carried out the attack against us."

For its part, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) denied responsibility for the bombing of Istiklal Street, and said in a statement posted on its website today, Monday, "It is not possible for us to target civilians in any way."

The so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, of which the Kurdish units are the main component, also denied any connection to the Istanbul bombing.

UN Report Blasts "Outrageous" US Sanctions Harming Syrian Civilians

UN Report Blasts "Outrageous" US Sanctions Harming Syrian Civilians

    Saturday, November 12, 2022   No comments

A UN special rapporteur called for the removal of Western sanctions on Syria as they are having a devastating impact on the civilian population and preventing the country from rebuilding after 11 years of war.

Alena Douhan, made the comments after a 12-day visit to Syria. There she found that sanctions are harming civilians in many ways, including by causing a shortage of medicine and medical equipment.

“In the current dramatic and still-deteriorating humanitarian situation, as 12MM Syrians grapple with food insecurity…the “catastrophic effects of unilateral sanctions” are impacting people “across all walks of life in the country.” She said that 90% of Syria’s civilian population is living in poverty and have limited access to food, water, electricity, shelter, fuel, healthcare, and transportation.” Douhan told the UN.

“I urge the immediate lifting of all unilateral sanctions that severely harm human rights and prevent any efforts for early recovery, rebuilding and reconstruction,” Douhan said, adding that 12 million Syrians grapple with food insecurity.

Douhan said that 90% of Syria’s population currently lives in poverty, with limited access to food, water, electricity, shelter, cooking and heating and fuel.

For the first time, Russia shows a video of its "Lancet" suicide march attacks in Ukraine

For the first time, Russia shows a video of its "Lancet" suicide march attacks in Ukraine

    Friday, October 14, 2022   No comments

Russian Drones

Increased use of drones by Russian forces operating in Ukraine led to much speculation about Russia's acquisition of Iranian drones. Now, and for the first time, the Russian Ministry of Defense released footage documenting its use of Russia's own superpowered Lancet suicide attack on Ukrainian fighters.

The footage shows drones that pounce on a number of targets on the ground before detonating them.

The Russian statement that accompanied the footage of the drone attacks:

Destruction of armored vehicles and weapons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with high-precision strike UAV systems.

UAV crews of the Airborne Forces in the Nikolaev-Kryvyi Rih direction attacked the positions of self-propelled artillery howitzers, armored personnel carriers manufactured by NATO countries, tanks and other weapons used by the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

As a result of the use of UAVs, several tanks, self-propelled artillery mounts, wheeled vehicles, including those supplied by NATO countries, were destroyed.

Previously, Russian media showed scenes of the use of a copy of the Russian "Lancet", which was developed by the Zala-Aero company, a subsidiary of the Russian "Kalashnikov" company, against opposition factions in Syria.

An official in the Ukrainian President's office said that drones bombed - yesterday, Thursday - vital infrastructure facilities in the Kyiv region, as part of the intensive bombing campaign launched by Russia on Monday in response to the bombing of the Crimean Bridge.

Kirillo Tymoshenko, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian President's Office - stated - in a post via Telegram - that these facilities were targeted by attacks from "kamikaze" drones, a name given to suicide bomber aircraft, originally due to the unit of suicide pilots in the Japanese Air Force during World War II.

The statement by Yury Ushakov, assistant to the Russian president, who denied that President Vladimir Putin had discussed with the Iranian leadership the issue of delivering Iranian drones to Moscow, did not end the controversy in this regard, and the media is still discussing this file.

Irania Drones

The story began when the United States, through its Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ned Price, announced its willingness to impose new sanctions on Iran if it agreed to provide Russia with drones.
Drones have proven effective in modern conflicts. Their use in the zone of the NWO is an urgent need.

Russian leaders seem aware of the fact that Russia has yet to establish a large-scale production of various types of UAVs. At the Special Technology Center LLC enterprise in St. Petersburg, during a visit by Medvedev, drones were shown in production line were technicians conducted a control check of the supply of Orlan drones under the state defense order with the participation of federal executive authorities and law enforcement agencies.