Op-Ed by Afraa DagherSyria: A source in the Syrian Foreign and Expatriate ministry has declared that Syria condemns the latest invasion by Turkey into Syrian territory and Jarablus city under the air cover of the U.S.-led coalition. The ministry considers the invasion to be a flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty and stated that one does not fight terrorism by replacing ISIS with terrorists backed by Turkey.
It was added by the Syrian Arab Republic that any fight against terrorism in Syria should be coordinated with the Syrian government and the Syrian Arab Army, who has been leading the battle for more than five years.
This statement came after Erdogan announced an operation in the north of Syria allegedly against ISIS and the Kurdish militants in the north of Syria. Erdogan dubbed this operation “Operation Euphrates Shield.” He stated that the goal was to remove the risk posed to Turkey by ISIS, the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in Syria or (KDPU; KDP-S).
Erdogan has already admitted that his policy toward the Syrian people is wrong, saying they have the right to self-determination. He has stated that the operation in the north of Syria is only to remove the dangers posed by the aforementioned organizations on the border with Syria in the wake of the Gaziantep attacks. He has promised to end his operation after the objectives have been met and the risk has been removed.
So how should we read this?
Erdogan is merely following the United States, saying what people want to hear but, at the same time, following the same old track that they have followed since the beginning of the crisis.
Under international law, no country could let its forces and tanks enter another country’s territory without the permission of the country to where the forces are being deployed. Thus, what Turkey is doing is a clear violation of national sovereignty.
Moreover, as Erdogan pretends that he has changed his policy toward Syrians, this is only an illusion. Turkey did not close its borders. It didn’t close its base in Alothmaieh city, which itself is nothing but a base to train terrorists by the CIA for their deployment to Syria.
Turkey has its own dream to annex part of North Syria which it hopes to realize via helping the U.S. create a buffer zone in the same area.
Turkey cares about gaining territory and eliminating Kurds, not terrorists.
The United States, as always, will help the Kurds and Erdogan to weaken Syria. After that, however, is anyone’s guess.
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Afraa Dagher is a political analyst currently residing in Syria. She has made numerous media appearances commenting on the current state of affairs inside Syria as well as the nature of the current crisis. She has appeared on RT, PRESS TV, and is a regular guest on Activist Post writer Brandon Turbeville’s Truth on the Tracks radio program. Her website is www.SyrianaAfrona.wordpress.com.
