“National interest”: Erdogan’s increasing ambitions in Northern Syria

In a newly issued report, the renowned US journal „National Interest“ recently elaborated on the expansionist plans of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding Northern Syria. The report highlights that these efforts are viewed as an existential conflict with the Kurds in the region.

Erdogan is apparently seeking to restore the Ottoman’s Empire former size and to regain control of the countries that were once under its rule. The newspaper further reported on Turkey’s cooperation with the “Syrian National Army”, a Turkish-affiliated militia, operating in Syria with the aim of establishing a “security zone” in the Northern and Eastern part of Syria.

September 05, 2023, marked the beginning of an attack in Northeastern Syria, with the Syrian Democratic Forces as the primary targets. This incident precipitated a military campaign that tragically claimed the lives of 44 people, including security personnel and civilians.

Michael Morgan, a renowned US journalist and political analyst, commented on the results of the report towards the Media Platform “Target”. He emphasized that Erdogan is consistently working to revive the Ottoman Empire and regards Northern Syria as s strategic goal. Morgan pointed out that Erdogan has even facilitated the movements of ISIS members, in order to achieve his aims.

Using terrorist organizations for asserting Turkish interests

Despite occasional diplomatic gestures, Erdogan appears to be sticking to his agenda, pursuant to Morgan. Changes in the region could lead to temporary ceasefires, however, they would occur in the context of larger geopolitical upheavals. Morgan further analyzed that Erdogan originally had broader ambitions, including the control of countries such as Egypt and Libya. However, a political blunder in Cairo forced him to re-shift his attention on Northern Syria and the control over Iraqi water supplies.

Morgan further concluded that Erdogan is using terrorist organizations as tools in proxy wars in order to assert Turkish interests without making a personal appearance. His conclusion was: “Erdogan is ready to even ally with the devil for the sake of his own interests”.

Turkey and Al-Qaida: Allegations of alliances causing unrest

In a recent report from the “National Interest”, it is purported that Turkey is supporting the Hayat Tahrir Ash-Sham, an alliance of Sunni Islamist rebel groups, based in Northern Syria that were established as an offshoot of Al-Qaeda’s former branch in Syria. The actual governing body in Idlib confirmed the support for its leader and recently launched retaliatory attacks against the US-led international coalition.

Dr. Tom Harb, the president of the American Middle East Alliance for Democracy, claims that the Turkish President has harbored various terrorist groups in Turkey over years, including those linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. These groups have held regular conferences in Turkey, with Hamas leaders and Iranian regime groups constantly traveling back and forth between Turkish territory and Qatar. This has positioned Turkey as a geographically suitable location for the coordination between terrorist groups, supported by the know-how the Turkish Intelligence Service.

Harb confirmed Erdogan’s position on Northern and Eastern Syria to the Media Platform “Target” and suggested that the Turkish President attempts to exploit the crisis and the perceived weakness of the US role in Northeastern Syria. Given the recent events in Gaza, questions arise on the Turkish ambitions in North and East Syria, which also questions the position of the US government in this evolving scenario.

The US and the cooperation with the Kurds in the terrorism issue

According to the National Interest report, Washington distinguishes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The US created a partnership with the SDF in 2014 in order to confront the threat, posed by the terrorist organization ISIS in Northeastern Syria. Then US President Barack Obama entered into this alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces to counter the growing presence of ISIS.