Who did Erdogan mean by saying “He who rides a horse [that is not his own]”? Are we facing a “Greater Kurdistan”? And what of Netanyahu’s visit to Syria’s “bedroom” before Erdogan, who boasts of his Turkish language there? An American inquiry about Al-Sharaa’s “scent”—did “centralization” evaporate with it?!
Rai Al Youm – By Khaled Al-Juyousi:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to be seeking a strong pretext to justify direct military intervention in Syria. That pretext is the failure of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate into the "New Syrian Army." Indeed, the Turkish President went so far as to say that Syria’s security is directly linked to Turkey’s, while emphasizing his country’s readiness to contribute to Syria's reconstruction.
The SDF is maneuvering—or perhaps seeking to "complete" the March 10 agreement concluded between the "Autonomous Administration" and the transitional Syrian government (led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa), which mandates their integration with Al-Sharaa’s forces before the end of this year. However, the Commander-in-Chief of the SDF, General Mazloum Abdi, confirmed that Syria will not return to the "centralized state" model that prevailed under the previous Syrian regime.
In a message to Turkey, Abdi emphasized that the SDF poses no threat to Turkey but is rather a "stability factor within Syria," calling on Ankara to deal with the "Autonomous Administration" as institutions aiming for peace and security, not as a regional threat.
President Erdogan does not seem to place much trust in the SDF’s integration with the forces of his transitional ally, Ahmed Al-Sharaa. Consequently, he affirms his adherence to the implementation of the March 10 agreement between Damascus and the SDF, viewing it as a guarantee of the country's unity and territorial integrity.
However, President Erdogan warns the SDF, stating that everyone must realize that projects built on foreign interventions and ambitions will not endure, and that "he who rides a horse that is not his own will soon dismount."
Erdogan boasted that the Turkish language is now circulated in Syrian cities as a second language after Arabic, noting that Ankara will continue its efforts to ensure Syria enjoys permanent stability and security.
The Turkish President insists he does not seek to colonize Syria, stating: "We extend our hand to help... We are not like others; we are not seekers of colonization. We are not those who always take without giving anything. We do not engage in inhumane or unethical calculations. We are the grandchildren of the Seljuks and Ottomans."
While President Erdogan shows interest in preventing Syria’s division and re-colonization—threatening the SDF for defying centralization—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on Thursday to state that Israel prevented Turkey from entering central and southern Syria, despite Erdogan’s claim that the latter’s security is tied directly to Turkey’s!
While President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not yet ventured to visit Damascus or pray in the Umayyad Mosque to "celebrate" the victory of his transitional ally following the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime—amid questions about why he has not done so yet—Netanyahu, accompanied by several ministers from his extremist government, visited the buffer zone in southern Syria.
During the tour, Netanyahu appeared wearing a protective vest and helmet, reiterating his pledges to protect the Druze minority in Syria along the border strip extending to the north of the occupied territories.
Notably, Egyptian media was present to criticize the transitional regime of Al-Sharaa, noting that Damascus merely issued a condemnation. Egyptian journalist Osama Kamal expressed his "astonishment" at the transitional government's comment on Netanyahu's tour inside Syrian territory on Wednesday.
Journalist Kamal asked indignantly: "Netanyahu, along with his Minister of Defense and senior officials, are sitting and walking around inside southern Syria! It’s as if I want to sign an agreement with you, so I enter your living room, the bathroom, and the kitchen, and sit looking at your world inside, while you are neither here nor there!... I want to sign an agreement with you, so I enter your bedroom?!"
The Jerusalem Post commented that Netanyahu’s visit to Syria, accompanied by the Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, and the Director of the Shin Bet, aims to send a message to the United States and Al-Sharaa that Israel will not concede the security belt in the Syrian Golan Heights.
While southern Syria was being violated by the Israeli Prime Minister, American media was busy analyzing the reasons behind the US President "spraying" perfume on former Jihadist Ahmed Al-Sharaa. In the "Pod Force One" podcast, a question was raised in a seemingly sarcastic context, accompanied by mocking laughter, to the White House spokeswoman: "The Syrian President came, and Trump sprayed perfume on him. Did he smell a scent?"
Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt replied, laughing as well: "This happens all the time. Not just with the Syrian President, but I've seen it with other foreign leaders. I've seen it myself with cabinet members. He has a special perfume. He brags about its pleasant scent."
All this is happening while Russia quietly benefits from the situation. The website The Cradle reported that the Russian repositioning operation involves establishing 9 military sites in Quneitra governorate.
Furthermore, a Russian and Syrian delegation conducted a tour days ago covering a number of sites where Russia deployed military police forces in 2018. The most prominent site inspected was Talul al-Humr in the Quneitra countryside, near the 1973 ceasefire line.
Likud party member Ayoob Kara stated: "There is an unprecedented intersection of interests between Israel, the United States, and Russia regarding southern Syria, based on pushing for a demilitarized zone, parallel to cementing a type of autonomy or special administration for Druze, Kurdish, and Alawite areas."
The scene in Syria is complex and does not appear likely to end quickly according to Ankara’s rhythms, the Turkish President's desires for a Neo-Ottoman return, or the transitional leader’s dream of centralization before the end of the current year. As of this Friday, clashes have renewed between the New Syrian Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Raqqa governorate, northeastern Syria.
Syria TV reported that clashes renewed between the New Syrian Army and the SDF on the axis of the city of Maadan Jadid in eastern Raqqa, adding that Division 66 targeted SDF positions with rocket launchers!
All of this imposes a major question: Are we facing the reality of the establishment of a "Greater Kurdish State" spanning Iraq, Syria, and later Turkey? Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli, for instance, says: "Turkey is the most dangerous threat to Israel." However, in contrast, a new report published by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at Tel Aviv University views this as a problematic assertion, "as it downplays the Iranian threat which still exists." Furthermore, the report notes that "diplomatic relations and intelligence cooperation exist between Israel and Turkey, despite their limitations; Turkey is a NATO member with close ties to the West; and there are no indications that it is attempting to establish a network of organizations against Israel"!