September 18, 2019
Turkey, Russia, Iran agree on steps to restore peace in Syria
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Turkey, Iran and Russia have announced the formation of a committee to draft a new Syrian constitution as first step in a political solution to 8-year war in Syria and condemned the U.S. decision to recognize Syria’s occupied Golan Heights as Israeli territory.
The formulation of the committee came after a meeting in Ankara of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday (Sept 16) hosted his Russian and Iranian counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani, which was the fifth such summit since the trio launched the Astana talks nearly three years ago.
The meeting was billed as a chance to focus on Idlib, the final rebel stronghold where an offensive by Syrian Govt forces, backed by Russian airpower, has killed hundreds of civilians and threatened Turkey with a fresh exodus of refugees, according to Al Jazeera.
“During the summit, we made important decisions that will create hope for a political resolution in Syria. We have once more declared that all of us have the same sensitivity when it comes to the territorial integrity and political unity of Syria. We have underlined the rejection of giving support to terrorist organizations on the grounds of the fight against Daesh,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a press conference.
“We have displayed a constructive and flexible approach regarding the procedural rules and members of the constitutional committee. We have shown effort to advance the political process. Henceforth, problems about the establishment of the committee have been eliminated with our joint efforts,” Erdoğan said.
The formation of the constitutional committee is to be kicked off as soon as possible, in accordance with the United Nations, after the meetings, Erdoğan underlined.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s remarks on the constitutional committee, saying they hope work will start immediately. “We hope that it will overhaul the constitution,” he said.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the list for the committee has been approved, and the work should begin right away.
“As a result of this convention, the decision to form the constitutional committee has been made. The said committee should start work in Geneva as soon as possible,” Putin said.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
Ankara is also concerned about the threat to its troops based at 12 observation posts set up around Idlib as well as the enclave of Syrian Kurdish-controlled territory along its border, according to Al Jazeera.
Turkey has agreed, along with the United States, to set up a corridor along the border with the northeastern area under the sway of the US-backed Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Ankara considers the SDF a terrorist group with ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a 35-year armed actions inside Turkey.
Rouhani and Putin stressed the need to combat "terrorism" in Idlib and in other parts of Syria, suggesting alignment with Ankara's view of the SDF.
"It's not a good day to be an SDF member," said Selim Sazak, a researcher at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs in the US.
He told Al Jazeera that Erdogan's warning that Turkey would act unilaterally against the SDF if the US did not accept its demands in Syria's northeast within two weeks indicated it had Russian backing.
"It leaves Turkey, Assad, Russia and Iran to have a four-power resolution in Syria," Sazak said. "Turkey, by giving the US a two-week deadline is turning up the heat and if the Americans drag their feet, they'll go with Russia."
'A win for Moscow and Assad' Al Jazeera
Ahmet Evin, professor emeritus at Istanbul's Sabanci University, was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying the committee would benefit al-Assad.
"It's clearly a two-to-one majority and writing a constitution essentially does two things - it internationally democratises the regime and also legitimises it," he said. "I think Moscow is right on target and it's a win for Moscow and [al-]Assad."
"There won't be any reaction to this in the US because it used to have a bad Middle East policy and now it has no Middle East policy," Evin said.
The leaders also suggested the Astana talks could now be used as a template for other conflicts in the region, such as Yemen. "This gives the opportunity for Russia to make itself an important power and conflict resolution agent in a region in which the US has failed," Evin added.
Kamal Alam, a London-based military analyst specializing in Syria and Turkey, told Al Jazeera the creation of a constitutional committee "doesn't change anything on the ground". "Out of the three countries, Russia is the loud and clear winner here. Iran is a pariah at the moment while Turkey is stuck in the middle of Europe, America and Russia," Alam said. "Russia is in the driving seat and that means al-Assad and the Syrian government are in a better position."
Syrian Negotiation Commission Al Jazeera
Yahya al-Aridi, spokesman for the Syrian Negotiation Commission - the main political opposition bloc – was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying, all parties involved in the long-running conflict view the constitutional committee as the "gate" through which a political solution can be achieved.
While the committee for the al-Assad government and ally Russia is considered "the crowning of their military efforts", al-Aridi noted that for the opposition, it is the first step towards implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions that safeguard the rights of Syrians.
"It is the only game in town," he said of the committee. "It will not grant the opposition or Syrians full rights … but at least it puts Syria back on track on issues related to freedom and democracy," Aridi added.
Golan Heights
The leaders also condemned the U.S. decision to recognize Syria’s occupied Golan Heights as Israeli territory, which in addition to violating international law, also threatens regional peace and security, according to a joint statement.
US President Donald Trump on Monday March 25, 2019 formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Israel-occupied Golan Heights, reversing decades of United State's policy.
The announcement came as Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House in a trip the Israeli prime minister said he cut short after an early morning rocket, allegedly fired from the besieged Gaza Strip, struck a home in central Israel, wounding seven people.
Monday's decree formalized Trump's statement last week, saying it was time for the US "to fully recognize" Israeli sovereignty over the Golan. The move appeared to give Netanyahu a boost before the closely contested April 9 Israeli elections.
"This was a long time in the making," Trump said alongside Netanyahu in the White House.
"Today, aggressive action by Iran and terrorist groups in southern Syria, including Hezbollah, continue to make the Golan Heights a potential launching ground for attacks against Israel - very violent attacks," Trump said. "This should have been done numerous presidents ago."
Israel seized much of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and then effectively annexed it in 1981, a move that was never recognized by the international community.
Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Cief Editor of the Journal of America (www.journalofamerica.net) email: asghazali2011 (@) gmail.com
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
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