Turkey is wielding cultural influence all over Syria: German media
BERLIN, Germany (North Press) – A German website reported on Sunday that Turkey was practicing its influence in Syria by imposing its culture and currency.
Turkish language and Islam religion in Turkish are taught at schools in Syria, and the Turkish currency is also imposed as a local currency, Germany-based Merkur website reported.
“Features of the regions controlled by Turkey in northern Syria changed, by using banners of institutions in Turkish, in addition to posting pictures of the Turkish President Erdogan next to the founder of the Ottoman Empire Ataturk everywhere in the Turkish-controlled areas in Syria ,” the website reported.
The German website revealed the plans of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to expand his influence, as Erdogan sees Syria and Libya in particular as important countries.
Merkur said that Turkey is currently expanding its influence in the Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean region.
The website also pointed out that because the European countries don’t play their role effectively, Turkey is expanding and supporting the Turkish-backed militias in Syria.
As for the European Union, Erdogan uses 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey as a pressure card in favor of his interests.
Several months ago, the Turkish president brought tens of thousands of Syrians to the Greek border to spark a new refugee crisis.
In order to expand his influence, Erdogan is also conducting strategic campaigns in other countries, where the Turkish army has been deployed against Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, and in Africa, Turkey has taken a stand in Somalia and Sudan, there is some talks about delivering Turkish weapons to Nigeria to the Boko Haram terrorist militia, a branch of ISIS, according to the website.
In addition, the former Syrian parliamentarian, Sharif Shehadeh, said, “Turkey is an occupying and colonial country, and that it deliberately practicing Turkification and it also divided the country.”
“Turkey is doing what Israel used to do in Syria,” he said.
During the Turkish incursion in northern Syria in October, Human Rights Watch accused the Turkish-backed armed opposition of murdering civilians who tried to return to their homes in addition to looting houses and using them as military headquarters or giving it to the militias families by expelling thousands of the local people from their homes.
(Editing by Hisham Arafat)