Commenting on the recent accusations of Recep Tayyip Erdogan of a “shameful cooperation” between Russia, US and UN on settling the Syrian crisis, Lebanese news station Al Mayadeen said the Turkish leader is running a high risk of being completely isolated by the world’s top powers and high-profile institutions.
“An actual situation within Syria, both politically and on a battle field, seems to be far from what Recep Tayyip Erdogan would like to observe,” the TV channel reported on Thursday.
“And if not for his formal announcement that he “welcomes” Russian-American agreements, his overall address comes against the suggested peace deal,” the report adds.
The comment comes after the Wednesday address of the Turkish leader to local officials in Ankara, which was broadcast live on television. The major focus and subject of his speech was the US-Russian plan to stop fighting in Syria, which, he said, will provide an advantage to government forces and their backers while being unclear on the terms for the Syrian opposition.
Erdogan leveled severe criticism against the US, the EU and also the UN, Iran and Russia for directly or indirectly supporting President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian Kurds, which Turkey sees as a hostile force.
"The West, the US, Russia, Iran, the EU and the UN have unfortunately not managed to stand tall by the honor of humanity," Erdogan claimed in his speech.
Erdogan slammed his allies for leaving the cease-fire “up to the mercy of Russia, which has brutally attacked the moderate opposition and aligned with Assad under the pretext of fighting ISIL (Daesh).”
Al Mayadeen noted that it looks like the agreement, set between Russia and the US, does not detail the steps Erdogan would like to see included into the document. The Turkish leader seems to have realized this only too well.
This, the outlet says, has led to his demand to expel the Syrian Kurds from the ceasefire agreement, which might see Ankara completely isolated.
And his further comments regarding the Syrian Kurds, whom the West sees as one of the key forces in the region, only reveal his concealed disappointment.
Which, in turn, might also suggest his forthcoming isolation.
“Insurgency in Syria would have never made it this far without Turkey’s direct assistance.”
Turkey tends to capitalize on the weakness of its neighbors and Syria won’t be an exception, political commentator Alaa Ibrahim also commented on Erdogan’s address in an interview with RT news channel.
Ankara has no right to mount a military operation in the country, but countries backing rebels haven’t respected international law, he added.
“We have to remember that insurgency in Syria would have never made it this far, or would have never gained the momentum it had in the past four years, without the direct assistance, support and facilities granted to them by the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” Ibrahim said.
Commenting on Erdogan’s recent claims that Ankara has the right to conduct any operation it deems necessary in Syria, and on any soil, the political commentator noted that international law and the UN Charter strictly prohibit any intervention in the domestic affairs of any other sovereign and independent states. However, international law has not always been followed throughout the five years of the war in Syria.
