In the messy aftermath of the autumn of the Assad regime in Syria, many questions stay in regards to the nation’s future, however one factor is obvious: Turkey has emerged as a winner, with extra affect than ever over the rebels who now management most of Syria.
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had lengthy labored with and supported the Syrian rebels who marched on Damascus this month and compelled President Bashar al-Assad to flee.
That rigorously cultivated relationship opens up “an extremely huge area for financial and political affect,” stated Asli Aydintasbas, a visiting fellow at Brookings Institution in Washington with a selected deal with Turkey.
“Syria could not have a clean transition, and there could also be renewed preventing between factions,” she added. “But what’s uncontestable is that Turkey’s affect will solely develop, economically and politically.”
In the method, Turkey seems to have additionally weakened the regional affect of Russia, which together with Iran was a key backer of the Syrian president, she stated. It is unclear whether or not Russia will be capable to retain the army bases it has on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
Initially, Turkey didn’t say a lot when the rebels swept throughout northern Syria, seizing two essential cities in just a few days. But when Mr. Erdogan lastly did converse, he was quietly assured.
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