If
this is genuine and true it is highly significant
Turkey
Ending Support for Syrian Rebels 'Goodwill Gesture Towards Damascus'
Turkey
has stopped supporting the Syrian coalition of opposition forces.
According to analyst and journalist Musa Özuğurlu, this decision is
likely to contribute to normalization between Ankara and Damascus.
13
August, 2017
Turkey
has decided to end its support for the National Coalition
for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (aka the Syrian
National Coalition), which encompasses various opposition groups
fighting in the Syrian conflict, the Syrian news outlet Zaman
el-Vasl reported citing a source in the coalition.
Founded
in November 2012, the Syrian National Coalition received
$320,000 in annual support from Turkey.
According
to Turkish political analyst and journalist Musa Özuğurlu, the
decision to stop this support was prompted by Ankara’s
unwillingness to give funds to an opposition organization
"capable only of talking at press conferences and
useless in combat actions on the ground."
The
journalist pointed to the fact that currently the coalition does
not have the instruments to influence the course of events
in Syria.
"This
organization now is rather symbolic. It can operate only under the
aegis of its leaders based in Ankara and Istanbul. After
five years, everyone sees that the Syrian National Coalition has no
future. The Turkish government realized that funding the group made
no sense and decided to end its support," Özuğurlu
told Sputnik
Turkey.
The
expert pointed out that Turkey is focused on neutralizing
the security threats coming from Kurdish units involved in the
Syrian conflict.
"While
the US decided to cut off support for Syrian
opposition fighters in order to focus on military
assistance for Kurdish forces, Turkey’s decision [to end
support for the Syrian National Coalition] is a signal that
Ankara will focus on countering Kurdish forces in Syria,"
he said.
At
the same time, Özuğurlu underscored that the move would be very
important in the future since it is a positive step
in relations between Ankara and Damascus.
"By
abandoning support for the Syrian opposition, Turkey is making a
goodwill gesture towards the Syrian government. This decision
may help break the ice between Damascus and Ankara," he
said.
According
to Özuğurlu, the possible cooperation between Turkey and the
Syrian government would be mutually beneficial.
"Kurdish
forces are the key problem on the ground for Turkey.
Possibly, the decision was prompted by Ankara’s intention
to coordinate actions [on the Kurdish problem] with Damascus.
When it comes to the Kurdish problem, Ankara and Damascus have
common interests," the expert said.
Özuğurlu,
however, assumed that there would be no quick normalization
between the two sides.
"They
are likely to continue attacking each other with harsh
statements. However, the fact that Turkey has ended support for the
Syrian National Coalition means that Ankara doesn’t recognize the
opposition forces anymore. This may lead to a new phase
in Ankara-Damascus relations," he concluded.
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