Robin Fleming
The relationship of Turkish President Erdoğan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been tense since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, when Turkey began providing financial and material support to Syrian rebel groups.
In a game-changing move since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, defence ministers of Turkey and Syria met in Moscow in late December of 2022. The relationship between Turkish President Erdoğan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was close until the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, since then things between them have been tense to say the least, in large part due to Turkey’s financial and material support of many Syrian rebel groups. So, the new rapprochement process between the two countries, aided by Russia, clearly signifies a changing political climate and different priorities for both leaders.
Another meeting is expected to be held in the early spring, though no clear date has been confirmed. Now, as of 31 January, Russian diplomat Sergey Lavrov has hinted that Russia intends to involve Iran in all upcoming meetings on the Turkey-Syria rapprochement process.
Lavrov said:
“Russia, Iran, and Turkey are members of the Astana troika, which has been handling the Syrian settlement. Therefore, I consider it absolutely logical that any further communication on bringing relations between Turkey and Syria back to normal will also involve Russia and Iran.”
Since 2011, Iran has played a prominent role in Syria involving sending fighters to support the Assad regime and lending money and fuel to Damascus to help the regime survive amid western-imposed sanctions that without Iran may have been debilitating for Assad.
The death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini while in custody in Iran has sparked on-going protests and shed a light on the oppressive and violent nature of the Iranian state.
Now Iran is embroiled in its own crisis following the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in September of 2022, who died after being arrested by the morality police for improper wearing of her hijab. This resulted in massive protests, and outcry against ethical and human rights violations in Iran, continuing to this day and receiving global recognition and support.
Turkey has come under fire from numerous state officials for its violations in Syria and its continued threat of attack against the United States’ partner in the war against ISIS, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This week, one United States (US) senator has even proposed economic sanctions on Turkey if they do not cease their attacks. Turkey has also reached levels of corruption not seen in the country for a decade, according to Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). They were ranked 101 out of 180 countries with 36 points.
It is hardly necessary to say that Russia has also been on the receiving end of western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, and been widely condemned for violations including cracking down on its own population as well as killing hundreds of civilians in Ukraine.
And Assad himself is where the entire conflict began, and it was at his hand that peaceful protests escalated into war after his violent attacks against his own civilians. His human-rights track record is almost impossible to summarize without grossly understating the bleak state of affairs under his reign.
But to shine a light on the tip of the iceberg I will quote Amnesty International as saying the following in 2021:
The lives of Syrian people have been bleak under the reign of President Bashar al-Assad. Amnesty International has documented many violations committed by the Syrian government in recent years such as direct attacks on civilians and infrastructure, besieging civilian communities, and subjecting refugees to unlawful detention and torture.
“[Syrian] Government forces carried out direct attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and gas facilities, and indiscriminate attacks through aerial bombing and artillery shelling in Idlib governorate and western Aleppo countryside. They also besieged civilians in southern Syria and restricted and denied civilian access to humanitarian aid across the country. Security forces arbitrarily subjected refugees returning to their homes to unlawful detention, torture and other ill-treatment, and enforced disappearance. Government authorities continued to arbitrarily detain tens of thousands of people, including peaceful activists, humanitarian workers, lawyers and journalists, subjecting many to enforced disappearance.”
Yet, despite all of this, these are the powers that have been given a seat at the table. These are the forces who have been invited to decide what happens to the Syrian people, while the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), who has led the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) and has promoted the values of women’s and minority rights, ecology, and direct democracy within Syria, has been left out of the conversation. This is not surprising, given that none of the countries playing their power games on Syrian land and with Syrian lives have given any indication of sharing these values.
How these talks between Syria, Russia, Iran and Turkey will proceed remains to be seen, but as long as those promoting human rights within Syria are denied a seat at the table, the only possible outcome will be dismal for the Syrian people and for the very values of democracy and women’s rights worldwide.
Robin Fleming is an American Researcher who worked with the Rojava Information Centre and specialises in North and East Syria.
