Turkey must adopt wise policy on Syria

A political analyst says that Turkish government must adopt a wise and careful policy towards the ongoing unrest in Syria.

Press TV has conducted an interview with Youssef Rahma, Professor of University of Michigan, to further talk over the issue. The following is a rough transcription of the interview:

Press TV: Let’s start with Turkish Syrian relations – they seem to have a strong a alliance. How do you look at the prospect of these relations in light of the current development? And looking at the fact that there seems to be signs of a contradiction when we hear Prime Minister Erdogan saying there will be a strong message and others saying there’s no message from anyone that Syria will prosper in the coming years. How do you look at the relationship at this point?

Youssef Rahma: I think Turkey has to follow a very careful strategy. It has domestic concerns, it has economic concerns, and it has long term political concerns. And I think Turkey realizes, at least under the leadership of Prime Minister Erdogan, that Syria has to be following the path of democracy – it is in its best interests in the long run and it is in the best interest of the Syrian people in the long run.

He realizes he has to finesse this transition so on the one hand it is sending a message that Syria is going to have to change its ways; it cannot follow its current strategy of dealing with its uprising. And this means it cannot follow coercive power to stop this uprising.

Turkey is offering a carrot and a stick – the carrot being it is trying to help Syria find a way out of this impasse; and a stick meaning that the next step, if there is no change in strategy by the Syrian government it will take diplomatic initiatives against the Syrian government meaning it will set in motion a series of diplomatic maneuvers that will really tighten the doubt around the Syrian regime.

Press TV: The fact that the Arab states Saudi Arabia and especially Bahrain and Kuwait have recalled their ambassadors, they have called on the Syrian government to stop their crackdown. Taking into consideration the crackdown in Bahrain with the assistance of Saudi Arabia do you find that the role of the Arab states is consistent?

Youssef Rahma: Of course not. States in general follow their own interests. Sometimes those interests coincide with their own ideals and principles – that’s good, that’s the case in Libya where interests and ideals are fused.

In the case of Saudi Arabia obviously it is a very important Sunni state; it sees Iran as becoming or has become a powerful competitor in the region and it sees Syria as a very important ally of Iran so it’s attempting to put pressure on the Syrian regime realizing that this regime cannot continue if it follows its current means. So yes there is a double standard and yes the Saudis are also genuinely concerned about what’s happing in Syria.

Let me state something important in response to our Syrian guest – We in the Arab world, we should realize what is happening today is the most important event in the last thirty years and probably it will be one of the most important events of this century. We can no longer condone these kinds of methods meaning the use of violence against citizens.

I think we tend to always accuse foreigners or the Zionist state or a whole combination of intervene – foreign intervention in our domestic affairs whether it is Syria or Lebanon or whatever, but there is a very important point to be made. These Arab governments do not respect the sanctity of their citizens’ lives.

I’m talking about all Arab countries no exception; I’m not singling out Syria or Saudi Arabia meaning the entire Arab world from Morocco to Iraq, from Syria to Yemen – we still do not respect the sanctity of human life.

Press TV: So you’re saying we haven’t found true democracy; the true voice of the people even despite the fact that we have this Arab spring. What final comments do you have regarding the observation that there appears to be no leaders emerging in opposition from the side of the people?

Youssef Rahma: I think there is today one leader in particular in Turkey I think Prime Minister Erdogan is taking this leadership role. I think he is one of the most formidable leaders to come out of the Muslim world in the last 30 or 40 years. And I think he is a remarkable person by taking this initiative.

We have yet to see what came out of those talks let’s not forget that Foreign Minister Davutoglu spoke to President Assad for over six hours so we really don’t know what transpired, but I’m certain it was a carrot and a stick meaning there are positive steps that Syria can take to improve relations…

Press TV: But as for Turkey they’re not saying it is time for Assad to leave (like Obama is saying); they’re saying it’s time for reform; it’s time for Syria to become a democratic state…

Youssef Rahma: Well we don’t know, it depends on how Syria reacts in the next week or so and I think Turkey is intent on taking new steps so let’s wait and see what those new steps will be.