The Syria and the ignored Hysteria
Nevertheless, the political and diplomatic developments in ‘The Middle East’ is making it carry weight in the new world order, the west and the world are still focused on Russia-Ukraine while completely ignoring a major issue. After the news breakout about restoring diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the world started betting on a peaceful middle-east with turning a blind eye to a “big cheese” that is “Syria”. Being underrated for years and remaining almost unnoticed, Syria is likely to play a predominant role soon by the diplomacy its government is playing at present. A state that lies between two of its biggest adversaries, is carving out a new way to restore its historical dominance in the region and detach the stigma of being a prolonged victim.
Syria, a state that has always been portrayed as a ‘feeble puppet’ to the world, has kicked off a major diplomatic strategy against its adversaries after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Moscow to plan future moves. Assad received a warm welcome at Putin’s doorstep signalling the important role Syria can soon play in the future’s geopolitics.
Throwing light on the ongoing issue with Syria, Turkey and Israel remained the biggest rival of this war-torn country after the Islamic State. Even in February 2023, when the earthquake hit both Syrian and Turkish borders, Syria still suffered heavy firing/shelling by Turkish and Israeli forces pressuring the situation to be on more heat. The damages made in famous Aleppo airport of Syria by Israel, and the deployment of more armed forces in the northern-Syrian region by Turkey have compelled the Syrian President to critically think about a counter-strategy while allying with Russia. Although Russia has always liked to remain a valuator of peace between Turkey and Syria, but since the Turkish state has started escalating its military presence in the northern region of Syria along with Israel, who has resumed bombarding Syrian infrastructure following the disaster, Assad is seeming to plan big with Putin to take more hold of the region’s political control.
Though the latest news is coming out about the possible peace deal between Turkey and Syria as Iran and Russia were making efforts for it, it is least bothered about the issues that will remain un-settle even after hundred rounds of diplomatic talks between the two. Recently, the Syrian President has strongly stated that he will not approve of any dialogue with Turkey until the withdrawal of Turkish forces from northern Syria, and for Turkey, it is unlikely possible to do a military de-escalation as the present Turkish leadership is worried about a probable coup in Turkey by the insurgents (the Kurds) who are fighting against Turkish establishment, currently sheltered in Syria. So, until Syria remains a haven for Kurds fighters, Turkey will not go for a complete military curtail as what Syria wants. And even if the region witnesses any dip in the number of military personnel deployed by Turkey in northern Syria in the name of the so-called ‘peace deal’, it will not last long as the Kurds are never likely seen to drop the weapons that they have picked against Turkish occupation, because for Kurds, it is a never-ending conflict until Turkey pulls itself back from the Kurdish lands. It should be also noted that Turkey has always supported rebels in Syria with whom Assad never had peacetime.
In the Israeli mindset, Syria remained a hotspot for supporting Iranian-backed militants and providing them with a shield in its territory. Iran’s rising pre-eminence in Syria can affect stability and peace in middle east as what Israel thinks, and while countering the Iranian presence, Syria has always become a graveyard between Iran and Israel.
The Syrian land has relentlessly suffered many bullets and rockets fired by Turkey and Israel and hence, the strategy getting planned to overcome Turkish occupation and Israel’s belligerence against Syrian integrity, could bring a change in the geopolitical and diplomatic interest of the region.
