Turkey opened space for a solution in Jarabulus

With the Jarablus Operation, a new era has been entered in the crisis in Syria, which has completed its fifth year and in which the world's most important actors are involved. While the demographic transformation attempted on Syrian soil through the seesaw established between the PYD and DAEŞ disregards both the will and the very existence of the Syrian people, the bill for the grave tragedy that emerged was being paid, together with the Syrian people, by Turkey alone. Turkey's new initiative on the Syrian problem from Jarablus declares, above all, that this situation can no longer continue like this.

Because it is a member country, this event has a separate importance in terms of ensuring NATO's security.

So much so that, after a period of almost three years, NATO had been left with no actual border with the terrorist organization DAEŞ.

Although NATO's borders continue to perceive a threat from regions such as Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) and Afrin, which are under the control of terrorist organizations, it should at least be considered important that the borders have been cleared of DAEŞ.

After the AK Parti Congress held on May 22, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said, "We will increase our friends and reduce our enemies." This was perceived as a signal of a strong transformation in foreign policy. Indeed, the 65th government of the Republic of Turkey, under Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, took important steps, under the leadership of President R. Tayyip Erdoğan, toward bringing to a conclusion the normalization talks with Israel that had been going on for quite some time, and toward repairing the relations with Russia that had been damaged after the aircraft crisis.

July 15 was, in one respect, a rather harsh step taken against this foreign policy perspective of Turkey, which had taken on a multi-dimensional character.

The prevention of the July 15 coup attempt, which aimed to leave Turkey out of developments, particularly in crisis areas that directly concern its security such as Syria and Iraq, and which aimed to destroy Turkey's material capacity and its political and social power in the region, also expanded the sphere of influence of this strong dynamic in Turkish foreign policy.

The operation carried out in Jarablus should be read within this framework. Turkey's embarking on the path of normalizing relations with Russia, and the broadening of dialogue channels with Iran on regional issues, have undoubtedly been important factors in the success of the Jarablus operation.

However, the real great factor behind this success is, of course, the Turkish Armed Forces, which became much stronger after being purged of its impurities after July 15, and the resolve of a strong government, defended by its own society against a coup attempt that, on July 15, there is no doubt also had international connections.

In the end, the Jarablus operation strengthened the hand of both Turkey and the moderate opposition groups in Syria, both against attempts to change the maps in practice and in the peace talks planned to be held in Geneva in the coming days. Turkey has shown the world with complete resolve that it will not allow any region in the north of Syria that is controlled by any terrorist organization, that is planned to be separated from Syria, or whose demographic structure is tampered with in order to open the door to demands such as autonomous administration.

This stance of Turkey has in fact created a very important opportunity for Syria as well.

The Jarablus Operation, carried out in full harmony with regional actors, has been directed at securing Syria's territorial integrity. This strengthens the hand of the moderate opposition as well as, in fact, the Damascus administration, should it truly want peace. The Jarablus Operation has once again made possible the prospect of agreeing on a timetable for a transition period in order to achieve a unitary Syria and a democratic transformation in Syria.

So how will Turkish foreign policy be in the period ahead? It can already be said that Turkey will be in a much more active dialogue process with regional actors.

The global axes that took shape over the Syrian Crisis in past years have slowly begun to assume a regional form.

On one side are Turkey, Iran and Russia, who want to end the crisis, and who have agreed on a Syria whose territorial integrity is guaranteed and on opposing every kind of activity that would threaten this territorial integrity.

On the other side is the US and its extensions in the region, who believe that this crisis can be resolved through terrorist organizations such as the PYD/YPG, and who for this reason keep channels of dialogue and cooperation at a minimum.

This situation, which also points to an absolute erosion in the global power of the US, recalls the "selective engagement" thesis that Clinton concocted during the period of crises that broke out in the Balkans after the Cold War. Yet, in giving credit where it is due, it must be noted that even Clinton's thesis had a far more principled side, despite everything.

With the Jarablus Operation, Turkey has updated, very clearly and in a way disappointing to those preparing to impose them, the maps that were being readied to be imposed on it.

Just as it has begun to clear NATO's southern borders of the terrorist elements that NATO perceives as threats, it has also renewed confidence in the regional sense. In other words, it was once again Turkey that saved both NATO and the US from a risk taken without displaying any political vision and by disregarding Turkey's warnings.

If the US and NATO continue to turn a deaf ear even more to what Turkey says, then this time not even Turkey will be able to save the alliance and the US position in the region, let us say it from our side.