The coming of the unavoidable: the friction between Turkey and Syria

The conflict between Turkish and Syrian troops which began on Monday is not something new. From 2012 when the Turkish leader Erdogan started to have claims over Syria and supported the ousting of Bashar al- Assad, the two armies are in a state of war. Though, that state was of low intensity. Several times

the Turkish artillery opened fire against the outposts of the Syrian army making easier the domination of the FSA. In addition, the Turkish Air Force conducted raids against the bases of the Syrian Arab Army. During one of the raids, the Syrian Antiaircraft Defense hit a Turkish plane killing the two pilots (summer 2012). Till 2016, the situation was characterized by clashes in the two sides of the borders.

In summer 2016 Turkey invaded Syria. The reason was the growing power of the Syrian Kurds and the target was to conquer a part of the Syrian territory in order to create a “buffer zone”. So, it would be extremely difficult for the Kurds to help their nationals in Turkey. The Assad’s army didn’t react for two reasons- the vanishing of the ISIS armed men was a priority and Russia urged Assad to be calm towards Erdogan due to the good relationship between the two countries. In 2018 for a second time, the Turkish Armed Forces invaded and extended the Turkish sector. The Syrian government reacted, but it didn’t manage to change the situation. However, because of the winning march of the regime’s forces, the Russian president Vladimir Putin mediated and the two armies didn’t clash. The region of Idlib was the “bone of contention” for Ankara and Damascus. In 2019, a third invasion was conducted. The reason was the Kurdish forces again. Turkey conquered another part of Syria causing strong reactions. Moreover, it trained and sent to the battleground mercenaries who staffed the FSA. The Syrian president warned that he will not be silent this time. Mr Putin calmed the situation, but it was a matter of time the wide confrontation.

Turkey not only helped and helps the enemies of Bashar al- Assad, but also has conducted an aggressive war which is banned by the international law and the UN. As well as, a lot of Turkish soldiers are stationed in northern Syria. On the other side, the Syrian Arab Army is victorious and it arrived very close to the Turkish positions. This is the situation now. It is obvious that one of the two competitors would attack. It is not clear which side attacked first, but on Monday, an artillery barrage from the Turkish and the Syrian forces signaled the beginning of the war. On Tuesday, already, over 20 soldiers from both sides were dead.  At the same time, the relations between Ankara and Moscow were deteriorated; the Turkish president declared that he will revenge for the dead soldiers, while the Syrian president seems ready to command his army to fight against the Turkish one.

In a nutshell, what happens right now in Syria between Turkey and the Arab country is not weird. There is a historical background and logically the tension would be culminated. The interests are vital in northern Syria and the two sides are ready for war. Don’t forget that the Syrian Arab Army fights, among others, for the liberation of its country. Let’s wish this crisis to be eased and a peaceful solution to be found in the warring Arab state.

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