ANALYSIS When Turkey turned on Syria five years ago, Ankara had not bargained on the creation of a KURDISTAN on it’s northern border. Today, that is becoming a reality. France has asked Turkey to stop bombing Kurdish positions. Washington which doesn’t consider YPG rebels to be terrorists is relying on Syrian and Iraqi Kurds for its war against DAESH. Should Syria crumble then the Kurds who have a number of supporters in the West would be in a position to carve out an independent state. That the government of Tayyip Recep Erdogan has failed to see this is all the more puzzling  – and given the waves and waves of desperate people that streamed  across its border almost from the start of the Syrian conflict seriously myopic. Before attempting to overthrow the government of President Bashar Al Assad, Ankara enjoyed cordial  relations with Iran, Syria and Russia. Today, with all that gone and with still no firm promise on joining Europe and growing international pressure to accept a Kurdish presence on it’s border Turkey’s Syria policy is unravelling at a great cost to her interests, identity and security.

TEMPLATE NEWS 2016