The US must give up supporting terror

The cooperation developing between Turkey and Russia on Syria continues to create new possibilities for resolving the crisis. The understanding reached between Turkey and Russia had prevented the deepening of the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and further civilian casualties. Iran's beginning to contribute to this cooperation resulted in the Moscow Declaration. A Syria Summit is being held in Astana with the participation of Turkey, Iran and Russia. With the bankruptcy of Geneva and of Western initiatives, the regional countries that took the initiative have come this close to a solution of the crisis for the first time since its beginning.

After the cooperation among the regional countries began to increase, that familiar song has begun to be played again in Western circles. The claim that Turkey is shifting its axis and will burn all bridges with the West is being voiced once more. As will be recalled, this claim was also voiced very loudly before, when Turkey, together with Brazil, became the means to a compromise over Iran's nuclear program, and the implementation of the agreement was blocked.

It is known that on Syria Turkey thinks differently from the US and its European allies on some very critical points. Turkey has a long border with Syria and ties of kinship. More than three million Syrians are being hosted in Turkey.

Thus, in the Syrian tragedy to which the whole world remained insensitive, the dignity of both the UN and the Western alliance, which claims to stand on values such as human rights, is preserved. Turkey is the country most seriously affected by the Syrian crisis and, in return, apart from a few hollow words of praise, very few countries have put their hand under the stone.

On the other hand, Turkey is the target of terror attacks originating in Syria. Moreover, these terror attacks are carried out to a large extent by the Syrian extension of another terrorist organization that gives the appearance of fighting a terrorist organization, and this terrorist organization is openly supported by the US and our Western allies.

Yes, some states that are our allies in the US and NATO alliance support the PYD-YPG terrorist organization in various ways. In other words, the equipment used in the terror attacks carried out in Turkey and the training received by those who carried out the attacks are provided by our allies. Therefore the damage to alliance relations and to the law of alliance is done not by Turkey but by the other members of the alliance, and thus the spirit of the alliance is betrayed.

It is also remarkable that in every period in which Turkey develops its relations with Russia, claims are raised that it is damaging the spirit of the alliance. Western circles that argue that Turkey attributes to itself an imaginary strategic, geopolitical importance suddenly start shouting and screaming when Turkey moves to develop and deepen cooperation in Eurasia. The same circles do not open the alliance to debate when the US and Russia act together on certain issues, but Turkey's position is debated. At this point we must underline once more: what needs to be debated is the position of the US. Unfortunately it gives the impression that our ally stands in the same ranks as terrorist organizations.

Turkey aims at stability in Syria. Turkey's goal is the preservation of Syria's territorial integrity and that no terrorist organization live in the north of Syria. We agree with our allies on this, but in practice, by supporting terrorist organizations like the YPG-PYD, our allies are putting Syria's territorial integrity at risk and are openly trampling the UN Charter. Turkey wants whatever international law requires to be. Syria's territorial integrity is under the guarantee of UN law, and Turkey is the greatest supporter of this guarantee.

We also observe that in every period in which steps toward a solution begin to be taken, the future of Bashar al-Assad is brought up in order to squeeze the government in Turkey. This is an artificial, synthetic debate. It is not right to index what is happening in Syria to one person. Turkey has set out its stance and thinking on this clearly, and its interlocutors have received this stance with understanding. Insisting on debating the matter through a single person prevents the process from being understood and a solution from being found.

At this moment the most fundamental issue in Syria is that Syrians decide Syria's future, that Syria's territorial integrity is ensured, and that the terrorist organizations here are destroyed. Anything other than these fundamental issues is secondary, and is kept on the agenda insistently by those who do not want the process to end in a solution. The greatest obstacle to reaching this goal is the support given to terrorist organizations such as the PYD-YPG-DAEŞ. This support leaves Syria open to terrorist organizations.

At this point it is a matter of curiosity whether Trump's presidency in the US will bring solutions to the problems. The answer to this question can only be given after Trump's actions. Unfortunately the Obama administration failed to understand and manage the crisis in Syria. Moreover, by giving the appearance of standing in the same ranks as one terrorist organization against another, it damaged the US's credibility and prestige in the region. From the Trump administration we expect that it abandon this policy of supporting these terrorist organizations and act in accordance with the law of alliance. Our expectation and our demand of the US are in fact very clear: it must stop supporting terrorist organizations.