Defying Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continue to supply arms-and-cash to Syrian rebels. Now in it’s eighth year, the Saudi, U.S. and Turkey-backed proxy war in Syria has cost some 400,000 lives, untold injuries and laid most of Syria to waste, driving some 15 million Syrians into neighboring countries and Europe. Once Putin joined the fight to save al-Assad in 2015, the war turned to Syria, where most of the country is back in al-Assad’s hands. While pretending to partner with Russia, Turkey can’t stop backing Syrian rebels to one day topple al-Assad’s Shiite government. Erdogan can’t figure out who to support, backing anti-al-Assad forces, at the same time, going after the Kurds with whom the U.S. partnered to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS], once controlling 30% of Iraq and Syria.
Erdogan’s decision to continue backing Wahhabi group trying to topple al-Assad, shows that Erdogan accepts no responsibility, like Saudi Arabia, the U.S. under former President Barack Obama and the European Union to keep the Syrian War going for eight years. When you consider the death, destruction and terrorism, you’d think that Erdogan would cease-and-desist supplying cash-and-arms to Syrian rebels. Obama backed the Free Syrian Army [FSA] before it morphed into Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF], loosely knit band of Sunni Arabs, some with ties to ISIS and al-Qaueda, to put Damascus in its crosshairs. Obama never admitted that his failed Syrian policy caused thousands of Syrian deaths, displacing millions more to neighboring countries and Europe. Erdogan receives billions in aid from the EU to warehouse Syrian refugees, whose homes were destroyed in the conflict.
News that Erdogan continues to give arms-and-cash to Syrian rebels to keep the Saudi proxy war going shows that Wahhabi [Saudi] and Salafist [Turkish] Sunnis want to topple al-Assad’s Shiite regime. Only Iran and its Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia have done everything possible to save al-Assad’s regime. Turkey’s military traveled to rebel-held Jabal al Zawiya to supply rebels TWO missiles and other lethal arms to resist the Syrian and Russian Army’s onslaught. Russia and Syria have been bombarding remaining pockets of rebel resistance in Hama and Idlib province, trying eliminate remaining rebel safe havens. Turkey hopes to keep a foothold in Northwestern Syria, using rebels as proxy forces to seize control of Syrian territory, after telling Russia it was setting up military bases to stabilize the region. Feeding Syrian rebels, Putin won’t ignore Erdogan’s latest moves.
Delivering dozens of armored personnel carriers, Grad rocket launchers, anti-tank guided missiles and TOW missiles, Turkey means business trying to resist Russian and Syrian forces. Defying Putin, Erdogan finds himself in a difficult position justifying his arms shipments to Syrian rebels. Putin trusted Erdogan’s stated goal of going after U.S.-backed Kurdish YPG militia, seeking a homeland in Northwestern Syria. If Putin and al-Assad were sharp, they’d let the YPG clear out Saudi, U.S. and Turkish-backed rebel forces, looking for permanent basing to continue their proxy war against Damascus. Putin’s played both sides against he middle, letting Erdogan seize more Syrian territory under the pretence of going after the YPG militia. Turkey’s National Liberation Front [NLF] Captain Naji Mustafa denied knowing anything about Erdogan’s reinforcements in the Hama region.
Turkey denies that it’s supporting the proxy war to topple al-Assad but can’t explain the massive arms transfer to anti-al-Assad rebels. Mustafa admitted that he’s received “alongside material and logistical support by our Turkish brothers,” knowing that it defies Russian and Syrian military objectives. Anti-al-Assad rebels have moved from one location-to-another, escaping almost certain annihilation if they stayed in past safe havens. Syria’s vast desert areas make clearing out rebel nests difficult for Russian and Syrian military forces. Syrian army forces continued the aerial bombardment of what they call terrorist nests in the area. Turkey refers to rebels as “mainstream” fighters seeking to complete the Saudi, U.S. and Turkish-backed proxy war to drive al-Assad from Damascus. Russia has foiled the Saudi proxy war, leaving al-Assad back in control of Syria.
Joining the NLF and other rebel groups, Erdogan continues to supply arms-and-cash to anti-al-Assad rebels. “Large number of our fighters have joined with all their weapons to repel the assault,” said Maj. Youssef Hamoud, spokesman for the National Army, stationed near the Northwestern border. Hamoud admits that he’s receiving military reinforcements from Turkey to continue the proxy war against al-Assad, defying the Russian Army. Rebels have joined forces with al-Qaeda and remnants of ISIS to battle al-Assad for control of Damascus. Hamoud confirms that his Turkey-backed rebel forces have now joined with ISIS and al-Qaeda to topple al-Assad’s Shiite regime. Before it’s too late, Russia should put Erdogan on notice that all anti-al-Assad rebels forces will not be spared. Erdogan exposed for all to see his agenda of annexing parts of Northwestern Syria.
