Answer to Question

Turkish Russian Summit

Question:

The Turkish president Erdogan visited Russia on 09/08/2016 and the "repercussions" of the failed coup attempt in Turkey have yet to be over, so why the haste? Thus what is the purpose of it, especially that the foreign, military and intelligence representatives have also visited Russia? Is this visit related to the Syrian crisis? Or is it for the "restoration" of the Syrian-Turkish relations after the crisis of shooting down the Russian aircraft? Jazaka Allahu Khairan.

Answer:

To find out the reasons for the haste and its purpose, we shall examine the following matters:

1. There had been talk regarding the visit before the attempted coup on 15/07/2016, where a summit between the two presidents, was originally set to be held during the G20 Summit convened in China on September 2016. But the convening of the summit between the two presidents, Putin of Russia and Erdogan of Turkey, was hastened during August because America was interested to hastily involve Turkey in the settlement plan as an effective tool, after the other tools (Iran, Russia, etc.) have failed. The Turkish foreign minister announced that the summit between the two presidents will take place earlier and that it could be held during August in Russia. “Interfax news agency attributed to the minister – the Turkish Foreign Minister – the statement that Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkish president Recep Erdogan will meet during August in Sochi....” (Al-Arabiya.net, 02/07/2016). The subject of the visit was discussed within the “reconciliation” atmosphere, so that Turkey is to play a role in solving the Syrian crisis according to the US policy. And we have explained this in the Answer to Question that we issued on 14/7/2016 CE, where we said:

“America wants the current Turkish role to apply pressure forcefully upon the Syrian opposition to bring it back to the Geneva path and peaceful solution… And accompanied by the threat to abandon the Syrian opposition if they refuse to fall in line with the negotiating path through manifesting the Turkish-Russian cooperation: “The Russian foreign minister said: We hope for communications to be undertaken between the Russian and Turkish armies in respect to Syria.” (Al-Arabiyah.net, 02/07/2016) … And that Turkey will no longer oppose the Russian intervention in Syria … And it is not inconceivable for Turkey, within its pressurising styles, to go beyond the political means to utilise military means under the pretext that it is fighting the terrorism of the IS organisation whilst it is not separated and distinguishable from the other armed opposition groups i.e. the very same argument and pretext utilised by Russia when it bombs the opposition! The statement of the Russian foreign minister about communications between the Russian and Turkish armies indicates to this potential possibility…” Furthermore, “Obama wants to act just as his Democrat predecessor Clinton acted when he expended his effort in the last year of his tenure to gather the PLO and the Jews for a decisive negotiated solution for the Palestinian issue. Even though he failed in that he was nevertheless able to bring together Abu Ammar and Ehud Barack… And now Obama is expending effort to bring together the opposition and the regime for a negotiated solution with the regime so it can be said that he accomplished something worthwhile at the end of his tenure. The difference between Clinton’s attempt and Obama’s is that in the first his efforts were manifest ahead of his agents whilst Obama works with his agents and tools whilst his efforts are concealed behind them! America, in his time in office has shown more of a reliance upon its subordinates; and so after Iran and its followers and after Russia…. So after the Iranian and Russian interventions led to its dilemma in respect to Syria, America rushed to push Turkey towards the Iranian and Russian side in order to preserve and safeguard the American intrigue and influence in Syria in addition to eliminating the Islamic nature of the Syrian revolution… And in this way, Russia which bombs Syria night and day has come to be in cooperation with Turkey in “The war against terrorism” and discussions are now taking place within “extremely warm (friendly) atmospheres”. Indeed, the Russian foreign minister has requested communications between the Russian and Turkish armies in respect to Syria!!” End of the quote from our previous answer dated 14/7/2016.…

1. It was expected that the Turkish role to start rapidly, but the coup attempt perpetrated by Kemalists officers, loyal to the British, froze the Turkish role and preoccupied the regime with internal problems. It was possible to continue the freeze of this role pending Turkey is over from the after effects of the failed coup earthquake, as Erdogan said. But what happened at the beginning of August 2016, of the militants campaign to lift the siege of Aleppo (Halab), and their success to some extent, made America to exploit this campaign to hasten the Turkish role. Hence the visit to Russia and the normalization of relations with it, and the departure for the American political solution with an active Turkish role... America wanted this powerful campaign to lose its fruit. Therefore, instead of being a prelude to victory it wants to make it a prelude to negotiation. It made it a matter of importance carried by Turkey to promote the balanced negotiation as mentioned by Erdogan; thinking that Turkey, through its different means, can make parties to meet for the US negotiating solution, during the few remaining days of Obama, utilizing a balanced negotiation!! “Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan called today to hold a regional meeting for Syria, his statement came during a lengthy interview with the Qatari channel Al Jazeera, aired on Saturday evening ... Erdogan added that the situation in Aleppo is sad but the opposition has restored the balance recently.” (Syrian Net, the New Gulf, 06/08/2016).

And so it was, and thus the visit ensued. Therefore this haste from Obama for Erdogan in order to take action to bring the parties in a new "fourth" round of negotiations, for Obama to end his term with it. This round is what the Turkish Foreign Minister referred to: “Reuters Istanbul - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday negotiations over the future of Syria should resume and he called for a fourth round of peace talks in Geneva. (Reuters Arabic 05/08/2016) ... And so this was the visit, and the summit...

1. This summit is considered the final step in the process of normalization of relations between Russia and Turkey, after the great dilemma in relations between them following the downing of the Russian fighter. The march to normalization has been directed in a humiliating way for Turkey. In submission to Putin’s conditions, Erdogan apologized for the shooting down of the Russian aircraft on 27/6/2016. Erdogan initiated immediately on 29/06/2016 contact with Russian President in an atmosphere described as friendly. He was followed by his Foreign Minister, who held a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister, Lavrov, on 01/07/2016 in the Russian city of Sochi. That meeting in which the two ministers also discussed the date for the Putin-Erdogan summit, in Petersburg. Then the hint of Turkey's foreign minister of the possibility of giving Russia military bases in Turkey to carry out strikes in Syria. That decay in the positions of Turkey on the Russian side was not because Turkey was suffering from the economic sanctions imposed by Russia on Ankara, but exclusively due to the depth of the American dilemma in Syria, and that America also wants to push Turkey besides Russia and Iran to resolve the Syrian crisis. For all this was the humiliating picture of Turkish concessions to the Russians, i.e. because of Turkey’s link with America and its implementation of US policy, and so was this Turkish impulsivity ...
2. Erdogan insisted on the accomplishment of his visit to Russia, scheduled before the failed coup attempt on 15/07/2016, in spite of his preoccupation with the severe domestic situation in Turkey, his treatment of what he described as “earthquake”, and his fear of what he described as “its aftershocks”. In spite of his request of the masses in Turkey during the massive rally in Istanbul, on Sunday 7/8/2016, to stay in the public squares until Wednesday, that is after his return from Russia for fear of new moves by the military loyal to the English, and despite the escalation of Russian brutal crimes in Aleppo (Halab) ... Despite all that, he insisted on holding a meeting with Putin and not to postpone it, due to his intense desire to turn the page on the past with Russia, as well as the strength of the American push to Turkey towards the Russian direction. Putin hinted at this insistence by saying “The Turkish president found the opportunity to visit Russia despite the difficult situation in Turkey after the failed coup attempt of the night of 15 and 16 July.” (Russia Today, 8/9/2016).
3. It was clear that the Syrian crisis is the central subject in the Erdogan Putin summit. The two Presidents did not discuss the subject of the Syrian crisis through talks with the participation of delegates, but delayed the meeting on Syria to the evening with the participation of foreign ministers and representatives of the intelligence services to discuss ways for the Syrian settlement. Putin said, commenting on the upcoming meeting: “We will exchange information and we will look for a solution”. The postponement of the meeting regarding Syria into the evening, and the exclusion of members of the delegations from it except the foreign affairs and the intelligence indicates the secrecy and the great importance attached by the two parties to the issue of Syria. Consequently, after removing the previous obstacles, the issue of the issues for both sides, and that what is required from America is to gather the parties; the regime and the opposition, at the negotiating table as the conclusion to the Obama era!
4. During the summit, and afterwards, the Turkish role began to show effectively:

a. Reuters Istanbul - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday negotiations over the future of Syria should resume and he called for a fourth round of peace talks in Geneva. (Reuters Arabic, 05/08/2016)

b. Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan called today to hold a regional meeting for Syria, his statement came during a lengthy interview with the Qatari channel Al Jazeera, aired on Saturday evening ... Erdogan added that the situation in Aleppo is sad but the opposition has restored the balance recently.” (Syrian Net, the New Gulf, 06/08/2016).

c. RIA news agency reported Umit Yardim, Turkey's ambassador to Russia, yesterday as saying that the Turkish government believes that the current Syrian leadership could potentially take part in talks aimed at resolving the Syria crisis.

Tass news agency attributed to Yardim as saying that Ankara was not opposed to the current Syrian leadership playing some kind of a role in a possible political transition.” (Al-Sabah, 12/08/2016).

d. Whereas the Prime Minister was in the forefront of the issue for a political solution with the Syrian regime since the start of the reconciliation with Russia ahead of the coup. Al-Arabia.net reported on 13/07/2016 under the title: “Surprise ... Turkey speaks of normalization “with the Syrian regime”: Turkish Prime Minister Ben Ali Yildirim stated that: “Ankara, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Ben Ali Yildirim said on Wednesday that he was confident that his country will restore normal relations with Syria.” (Arabia.net, 13/07/2016), as well as BBC quoted: “Turkish prime minister, Ben Ali Yildirim said that Turkey try to develop good relations with Syria, in its latest stage of its quest to improve its relations with its neighbors”. (BBC Arabic 13/07/2016).

1. Thus, Turkey has entered the midst of the Syrian crisis effectively, but not to support the people of Syria and save them from the brutality of Russia and Iran, but to be with Russia and Iran in a satanic triangle that facilitates for them their crimes and assists them to implement the American submissive solution via negotiation with the Ash-Sham tyrant regime ... This summit, which brought together Putin and Erdogan is all evil; the result was that Turkey has openly backed away from everything that it used to claim in support of the revolution in Syria. Rather, the decline reached the point that Turkey's Foreign Minister says that Russia asks Turkey to provide it with "coordinates" in Syria, which means sites of the revolutionaries that were compiled by the Turkish intelligence, in order for Russia to strike them. And because of the American insistence to give Russia what it wants, it was decided after the summit that a senior intelligence delegation travels from Turkey to Moscow the next day of the summit, which means immediately.

The Turkish foreign minister told Anadolu agency on 10/09/2016, “Turkey and Russia have similar views on the need for a ceasefire in Syria, the provision of humanitarian aid, and a political solution to end the crisis, and that Moscow and Ankara are building mechanisms of close cooperation on Syria settlement. Adding that the intelligence chief and a representative of the foreign affairs and another of the Turkish army will discuss these files in St. Petersburg the same evening”. (AlJazeera.net, 11/08/2016).

What is mentioned by the Turkish Foreign Minister of a “ceasefire in Syria, the provision of humanitarian aid, and a political solution” is essentially the US position, which is also what is advocated by Russia and is fighting for it. The haste of sending intelligence, military and foreign affairs officials to Moscow soon after Erdogan left, indicates that Turkey has completed the sides of the Iranian Turkish Russian triangle! “Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister has confirmed that the area needs good relations between his country and Russia and Turkey. Ibrahim Rahimpur called for new cooperation under the formula of “Turkey-Russia-Iran” and stressed that his country is ready to move in this direction”. (AlJazeera.net, 08/08/2016). On Friday, 12/08/2016, Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister met in Ankara with Turkish officials, who confirmed the agreement to intensify joint efforts with Iran over the Syrian crisis. Erdogan met the Iranian minister, Javad Zarif, at the presidential palace in a closed meeting for three hours and nothing was announced after that, which indicates the urgency and insistency of the American arrangements to engage Turkey in the Syrian theater and help Russia and Iran in the implementation of the US missions.

1. All this shows that Turkey has entered strongly in creating a political solution in Syria on the American way in a startling haste, despite the fact that Turkey is not yet reassured of its domestic situation after the coup attempt. All of which indicates the severity of urgency from Washington. And it seems that Turkey will proceed in accordance with this American plan along with Iran and Russia, as follows:

- Politically: it will unequivocally show the revolutionaries that Turkey has changed its policy, and is orienting towards the Syrian regime, Iran and Russia. And that it is calling for the revolutionaries and pushing them to accept the U.S. formula for the solution in Geneva, which is to negotiate with the regime and agree with it on the future of Syria, and to engage into a joint government between the revolutionaries and the regime. As well as it will be pressing the revolutionaries under the pretext of humanitarian aspects to prevent the revolutionaries from sieging regime-controlled areas in Aleppo. And promoting negotiating balance on the grounds that the revolutionaries have achieved victories in Aleppo which makes their negotiation from a position of strength, and combining this with the methods of pressure and then ceasefire preceding management of a political process that achieves something of “victory” for Obama before the end of his term in late January next year. Perhaps this is what is referred to by the Turkish prime minister when he said “coming six months” in his statement “Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Friday, that very important developments are expected in Syria within next 6 months. Yildirim's remarks came after a joint press conference gathering on Friday, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, for his part, said his country was happy with Russian-Turkish rapprochement, stressing that a solution to the dispute with Turkey over Syria is possible through intensive dialogue. He pointed out that cooperation of Iran and Turkey on Syria strongly supports the chances for a peaceful solution.” (Arabiya.net, 13/08/2016).

- Militarily: Under the name, fight against ISIS, Turkey will enter battles in Syria in alliance with Russia, which soon will be transformed into a joint force to enforce the ceasefire. And that includes providing all facilities to Russia for bombarding the revolutionaries such as “coordinates of sites” that Russia does not know of and are owned by