The Assad Curse affecting Erdogan: opinion

More than a year ago, last March, recordings of the Turkey’s national security tops leaked into the internet, specifically YouTube and Twitter.

The last leaked recording was of a meeting between the head of the National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Undersecretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Feridun Sinirlioglu and Deputy Chief of Turkish General Staff, General Yashar Guler. The meeting was to discuss military intervention in Syria against the backdrop of the threat of "the organization of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)" the attack on the shrine Suleiman Shah northern Syria, which has been under Turkish army protection until now.

In the recording (then-Foreign Minister) Ahmet Davutoglu said: “We can’t wage a war without a justification consistent with the international law.” However, Fidan said that it was possible to “create” that justification under international law to implement the launch of rockets from Syria to a certain area in Turkey.

After this recording was leaked, YouTube and Twitter were blocked in Turkey which caused uproar amongst both activists and civilians alike.

Then-Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that the reason for blocking these sites was that they were “affecting the national security.”

Fast forward to 2015, Erdogan’s government and political party are losing the elections and the opposition party is demanding to isolate Erdogan’s government. On July 20, 2015, the town of Suruc near the Syrian border is attacked by a suicide bomber who is later identified as an ISIS member. So, is the ISIS behind the attack?

ISIS, the terrorist organization, secretly supported and partially funded by the Turkish government conveniently attacks a border-town with Syria, where the majority of population are Kurds! Yes, Kurds the people who have been fighting against ISIS since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the same people who are being bombed by the Turkish government in northern Syria and winning actually which is very upsetting for the Turkish government.

So what are the repercussions of this attack on the town of Suruc?

Well, first, this attack gave the Turkish government that “legal justification” they’ve been looking for. It also allowed Turkey doing what they have been trying to do since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, which is directly interfere in Syria instead of just funding and supporting terrorist groups against the Syrian regime .

The American base Incirlik in Turkey is now active and U.S. Air Force is now leading so-called attacks on ISIS from there allegedly accompanied by Turkish air forces.

When in reality since the bombing in Suruc, Turkish Air Forces have not execute a single attack on ISIS forces, while record shows that they have been very active in the northern Syrian region attacking Kurdish forces.

Erdogan stated: “We will attack ISIS, but our main focus remain Assad and his regime.” This comes at a time when a U.S State Department spokesman states that “Assad regime is root of all evil.”

The US and Turkey have come to a tentative agreement in Syria, whereby Ankara is opening its territories to American troops in an attempt to “defeat terror.” Or, is it that terror needs military backing to depose Syrian President Bashar Assad? It is difficult to tell these days. The U.S has now deployed extra six F16 fighter jets.

Meanwhile, on August 10, a number of attacks and explosions took place in southern Turkey near the Iraqi-Syrian border and number of casualties in police and army forces have been recorded.

One might think that Erdogan is reaping what he sow. Has Erdogan and his government’s policy towards the Syrian situation led to what is going on in Turkey right now?

And why Erdogan and his government are willing to sacrifice Turkey’s interests to serve Washington’s agenda?

Or, is it just that Erdogan is scared that Assad maybe here to stay, and Erdogan may be leaving before Assad? Just like the president of Qatar, Saudi Arabia’s king, Egypt’s president and the US president are all also leaving soon. Is it the Assad Curse?

So far, almost every president, king, prince, or prime minister who said Assad is leaving soon all are now gone and he is still where he is..

Well, one thing is for sure: if Turkey continues its current policy towards the Syrian situation, things are going to get even worse for Erdogan and his party and, of course, for the Turkish people.

Mohammad Bilal, Latakia, specially for EADaily