Earlier at the summit on Saturday, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, had been questioned onstage about Syria’s future, an increasingly uncomfortable encounter as he was asked to explain Russia’s role in the country over the past decade. At one point he was reduced by his interlocutor, James Bays from Al Jazeera, to blurting out: “If you want me to say: ‘yes we lost in Syria, we are so desperate,’ if this is what you need, let’s continue”.
By contrast the Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, also a former head of Turkish intelligence, surrounded by a vast entourage, said little in public, sensing his country may be the biggest external beneficiary of Assad’s fall. Turkey has at its disposal the umbrella group of Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army and a relationship of sorts with HTS. But with power comes responsibility. More than any other country in the region it has the power to help Syrians form the independent consensus government their long struggle for liberation deserves.
Turkey-backed Syrian forces entered the northern Syrian city of Manbij after taking control of most of the surrounding area from US-allied Kurdish forces there, a Turkish security source said on Sunday.
In their call Sunday, Austin and Guler agreed that coordination was necessary “to prevent further escalation of an already volatile situation, as well as to avoid any risk to US forces and partners,” according a readout of the conversation released b…
“The other part of Syria is liberated from the tyranny of Assad,” said Sinam Mohamad, who represents the Kurdish autonomous region in its dealings with the United States. Turkey and its proxies, he said, “want to create another conflict,” adding, “W…
Turkey and its proxies, he said, “want to create another conflict,” adding, “We don’t want to have conflict in the region.”
https://www.deccanherald.com/world/with-syria-in-flux-turkey-attacks-us-backed-forces-3309265