Turkey seeks closer alliance with Russia in Syria

• Author: SETH J. FRANTZMAN
• Published date: 30 September 2021

This may have some ramifications for Israel because Turkey's ruling party has been hostile to Israel in recent years, and Russia has expressed increasing criticism of Israeli airstrikes in Syria, according to reports in July. Recent talks between Israel and Russia in early September and calls with Turkey have shown a desire for some engagement on the Syria issue, meaning it is unclear if the close Ankara-Moscow ties, which are aimed at removing the US from Syria, will be an near-term problem for Israel. In the long term, a weakened US stance has negative ramifications for Israel. Iran uses Syria to threaten Israel.

Russia and Turkey are today working together against the US, and this was clear in a summit in Sochi in which Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that peace in Syria depends on relations between Ankara and Moscow. He was speaking in Sochi in southern Russia alongside Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, according to reports. "President Erdogan underlined the importance of his country's joint actions with Moscow in the context of the Syrian conflict," says TRT, a government channel in Turkey that is linked to the ruling AKP party. Turkey has no real opposition media and so the statements in Turkish media can broadly reflect the AKP party's views.

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"For his part, Putin said that though his meetings with Erdogan were not always without problems, the institutions of their countries are able to reach resolutions," TRT said. Other TRT reports appeared to indicate that Turkey wants a "conflict" in northeast Syria, where US forces are present and where the Syrian Democratic Forces have defeated ISIS and are trying to keep the peace. Turkey views the SDF as "terrorists" because the SDF are backed by the US and Turkey has been shelling SDF positions and using drones and pro-Turkish Syrian extremist groups to harass Christian, Kurdish and Yazidi minorities in eastern Syria.

Under the Trump administration, Turkey enjoyed a free rein to attack minorities in Syria and seize areas. In October 2019 Turkey was even allowed to threaten US forces, carry out an offensive against the SDF and ethnically cleanse Kurds as the US retreated in the face of Ankara's demands. High-level members of the Trump administration had close ties to Turkey and often worked at think tanks prior to working with the Trump administration, where they...