Turkey seeks economic normalization with Syria after political failure
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Both Turkey and Syria ruled out, in separate statements, the possibility of any political normalization between the two countries for the time being. However, Turkey has another option that could bore fruits; the economic normalization.
This follows the applause by Russia’s Foreign Ministry that it supports holding a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries, and expressed readiness to render help to host it if necessary.
Turkish Presidency Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said contacts with the Syrian government were limited to security meetings.
In a statement made to Turkish channel NTV published on September 22, Kalin denied any plans by his country to contact Syrian government, for the time being.
Kalin said Turkey’s position towards Syria is clear that the Astana format process and the Constitutional Committee [talks] continue.
On September 24, Mekdad denied the existence of any negotiations with Turkey.
Mekdad said, in a press statement to the Russian Sputnik, “There are no negotiations, there are no contacts, there is nothing at least on the level of foreign ministers.”
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly 77th session recently wrapped up in New York, Mekdad told Sputnik “Syria supports the Astana process. Why? Because it is the only viable format in which real results have been achieved. Many achievements have been made possible through the Astana process.”
Mekdad called on Ankara to take its commitments made within the Astana format more seriously, “This is the only problem we face.”
Economy gate
Turkish endeavor to approach Syria did not stop here. Its efforts could bore fruits economically where Turkey, as observers say, seriously takes that trend with Syria. Ankara believes economy could create common grounds between the two neighboring countries.
The idea was first raised on July 19 when Turkish officers met notables and representatives of Zawiya Mountain in Idlib and gave assurances to locals to improve the situation in the region.
According to reports, “Turkish officers discussed the probability of opening three economic crossings with the Syrian government in the fourth de-escalation zone in the period to come. The Turkish officers called on the notables and representatives to have their say on the idea.”
However, all invitees “rejected the idea of opening economic crossings with the government which would be the most profiteer in the process,” according to the reports.
In 2020, the Syrian Interim Government of the Syrian Opposition National Coalition issued a circular hereby all border crossings with the Syrian government in northern Syria were closed down.
The officers also asked the notables to help them working out to return IDPs to the area.
Goodwill gesture
As a goodwill gesture seen as the first step for an economic normalization, Turkey pushed on September 24 Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) that controls northern Syria to remove berms and open a road linking the town of Sarmin with the city of Saraqib east of Idlib, paving the way to open a new crossing with areas under the government control.
On September 20, “Sultan Murad faction” affiliated with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), opened Abu Zindin crossing that connects Aleppo northern countryside with areas under the government control.
However, the procedure lasted just hours where two tracks loaded with bulgur crossed into the government areas.
A source from the area told North Press that the crossing is likely have been closed down due to lack of coordination with the government forces.
Days ago, pro-government al-Watan newspaper quoted sources from the opposition as saying, “Opening the crossing with areas of the government is an eventual routine procedure within the Russian sponsorship of the Syrian-Turkish normalization and Turkish efforts of the reconciliation with the Syrian leadership.”
“It is only a question of time no more. It could be opened at any time with no advance notice in case positive results of intelligence talks between two countries continue,” they added.
However, on September 24, al-Watan reported quoting other sources affiliated with Turkish-backed factions as saying that Ankara encourages Damascus for openness via “economic normalization” through crossings issue.
They added, “The economic normalization the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would adopt could be one of the most important approaches to the Syrian issue and a main shift by Turkey towards the Syrian leadership in the coming period.”
“The economic normalization and it allurements is a guarantee to give more positive impetus to the Syrian-Turkish security negotiation truck and to normalization to bore fruits on the political arena,” according to al-Watan.
“The Turkish regime seeks on the ground to launch a new initiative to re-integrate its mercenaries of the so-called [Syrian] National Army (SNA) in the areas it occupies by creating a unified military council and an economic body to administer its economic resources,” it noted.
Crossings that link the opposition areas with the government ones are “The SNA factions’ main sources for financial support and their monetary funds, and to open an economic gate with it [government] since that serves both parties in their direct dealing and an introduction to the economic normalization between them,” al-Watan added.
Reconciliation preparations
“This procedure is a step to open the humanitarian window that was opened by the governorate of Idlib formerly,” al-Watan quoted local sources in Saraqib as saying.
“Such a step could not take place without obtaining a green light by the Turkish regime,” it added.
“That could help Idlib civilians willing to settle their military statuses in the settlement center that was set up by competent Syrian bodies on September 5 in the town of Khan Shaykhun, south of Idlib, as a Syrian-Turkish joint goodwill gesture to push the reconciliation [process] forward,” the paper made it clear.
Expectations indicate that the Tronba crossing east of Idlib could be opened in line with putting into application that of Abu- Al-Zindin in al-Bab, in far east of Aleppo, soon before that of Miznaz, in southwestern of Aleppo, follows suit.