Turkish, US political process on Syria ‘illusion’ – Former US ambassador
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – In a recent opinion piece for the Saudi-linked Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Robert Ford, US Ambassador to Syria from 2011 to 2014, criticized the illusory political process in Syria.
His main charge concerns recent rapprochement attempts by the Turkish government towards Damascus.
“This is a political game between Turks in an election year and it also is President Erdogan’s effort to gain a little more advantage for vital Turkish interests in northern Syria,” Ford writes, referring to the unpopularity of Syrian refugees in Turkey and Ankara’s attempts to turn Damascus against the Autonomous Administration in north and east Syria (AANES).
Turkish, Syrian, and Russian defense ministers and intelligence officials held a tripartite meeting in Moscow in late 2022, which was the first of its kind since the beginning of the Syrian civil war. Several sources suggest that another meeting will be held in the coming days in order to speed up the normalization process between the Syrian and Turkish governments.
Yet Ford is cautious. “Only concessions, compromise and hard choices bring lasting rapprochement. Neither Damascus or Ankara offer any real concessions or compromise.”
The US diplomat also doubts that stronger Turkish-Syrian ties will lead to dramatic territorial shifts. “At most we might see a cooperation […] to seize Manbij and Tel Rifaat.” However, “the autonomous administration and therefore the Turkish occupation will stay regardless of Assad’s rejection.”
Ford also addressed US policy in the region, calling its response to recent developments “mild”. “The Americans have nothing to offer Turkey on the Syrian issue,” his opinion piece reads.
“The American mission [in north and east Syria] doesn’t resolve the ISIS problem in Syria or the Syrian conflict. Washington knows this, but domestic politics in America also demand a process in Syria.”