The Devils Game: The Syrian Question?

Turkish forces were given the greenlight by the United States on Monday 7th of October 2019 to enter Syria. Where the US forces have been pulled out for their return to the United States, despite the warnings of genocide that will take place and the resurgence of ISIS due to the retreat. The US and Turkey came to an agreement in August to create a “safe zone” in northern Syria, by which the US-backed Kurdish-led SDF would pull back from the border.[1]

Turkey has now moved forward with its long-planned operation into northern Syria. President Trump despite giving his approval threatened a heavy response to the Turkish operation. Tweeting "I say I will hit Turkey very hard financially & with sanctions if they don’t play by the rules! “I am watching closely." [2]

The United States of America is facing an internal crisis and is also struggling to project its global military preponderance. Due, to free trade, liberalism in economics and in foreign policy, has fashioned into volatile settings for domestic America. For this very reason, President Trump is applying defensive realism and nationalistic policies in order to re stabilize America’s current domestic crisis. The substantial focus on America rather than the world shows that Trump’s main priority is mainland America. Where the old American corporations of oil and coal are continuously providing him with the support he requires.

Trump hasn’t really put forward anything substantial to the people in order to display his worthiness of being the President of United States of America. The economic reforms showed a slight improvement early on during his presidency but, those economic reforms have nor really turned into the lofty claims Trump made Henceforth, in order to win the upcoming elections, gaining the people’s trust is a necessary thing for Trump. The return of the American soldiers will do just that by making him look like hero towards his supporters. What’s more important than saving lives, hence, this decision is good enough to stabilize domestic America and to keep Trump in power.
Due to pulling out of American troops, America still needs to portray a certain magnitude of dominance without spending too many lives, time, effort and resources. This is where the American ally Turkey will enter and maintain America’s northern colony which is rich in oil and gas. The so-called “safe zone” is nothing but a colony being shared between the US superpower and its ally who will receive a piece of the pie in return for its collaboration aligned with US interests.

The transfer of the refugees from Syria (majority being Kurdish in origin) will be transported in the northern safe zone. Under the Turkish public’s perception, the refuges have been nothing but a burden to their homeland. Erdogan too has admitted that the immigrants have miffed the Turkish economy, this demonstrates the hypocrisy of Erdogan, where at one minute he claims to be like the great sultans during Ottoman Khilafah and at the next minute, he betrays the believers by placing them in danger.

Turkey is a geostrategic player of somewhat magnitude hence, its domestic stability is also key in order for it to function abroad for strategic interests, which the US also has an influence on. For America to make Turkey cooperate with its interests the principle “a favour for a favour” takes place in this situation, due to Turkey being a geo-strategic player it’s not always that simple for the US to make Turkey subordinate to American interests. Thus, the diplomatic ambiguity by the Americans have given the Turks a green light to come in northern Syria through which it can achieve its own interests. But America being the devil it is, the world is its chessboard.

Donald Trump’s actions have left the Kurdish people unguarded and has caused division within the republicans and an outrage within the White House. Due to some viewing this as a betrayal of their Kurdish allies. Divisions have always existed within the American government but not of principle, but of uncertainty. Today this division has become so significant that American domestic condition remains instable regardless of Trumps desires and plans. The elites within America have never been this divided, could this just be a transition into the new age of America or something far worse, only time will tell.

America is still in a dominant position like it was back at 1945. As for the Russians they are in a weaker position compared to before, thinking that they are going to be attain the Mediterranean Seas to compensate for their geopolitical anxiety. As for Britain, it does nothing but mere manoeuvres to cling onto its deteriorated power a lot like the past, but today it has become even more pitiable in its attempts. As for Turkey is a lot like France in this case due to it having an existence within the safe zone of America but, it isn’t a great power like France. This leaves America as the winner in Syria and the sole arbiter of affairs. But there is one common interest between all these players, is to prevent the rogue ISIS nation, any future up rises and the last, but most important, the inevitable rightly guided Caliphate (Khilafah Rashidah).

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Adnan Khan

References:
1. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/07/us-to-let-turkish-forces-move-into-syria-abandoning-kurdish- allies
2. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10117932/turkey-bombs-us-forces-kurds-syria/