Syria Analysis: Turkey Adjusts Its Strategy Amid Kurdish and Russian Complications
Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 9:40
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu meets members of the opposition Syrian National Council on Monday
Ankara is now heavily investing its political, economic, logistical, and public-relations capacity in the effort to boost the opposition agains the regime. In return, Turkey wants a guarantee that there will be no autonomous region in the new Syria.
That seems a logical strategy, but how it will work in practice ---- given that Kurds hold a significant amount of bargaining power for "democratic autonomy" --- is unclear. Given that the Syrian Kurds are already pursuing and obtaining self-governance in some areas as they fight regime forces, how can they be ignored in the transitional period?
A conclusion? Ankara must face reality and talk to Syrian Kurds if it wants to finish Assad as soon as possible.
But then another queston: how does Turkey talks to its own Kurds in these circumstances?