The Current Conflict in Syria Involvement of Turkey - Literature review Example

The Current conflict in Syria – involvement of Turkey Political science Introduction Approximately 200,000 civilians in Syria have died as a result of fight between Syria government forces and forces against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad rule. Millions of people have run out of their homes for fear of the conflict. Properties have been brought down and homes destroyed forcing civilians to flee to neighboring countries and other safe places. Turkey, one of the neighboring countries to Syria, which has hosted many refugees fleeing from Syria is said to have played or plays a big role in Syrian conflict. The paper explains Syrian conflict and involvement of Turkish Government. According to Rodgers et al. (2014), nearly 200,000 people have died due to serious conflict in Syrian between forces opposing Bashar Al-Assad rule and forces supporting the Syrian president. The conflict started in March 2011 in one of the Syrian southern cities after a group of teenagers were arrested by the police in Syrian. The teenagers were accused of painting their school walls with catchphrases calling for revolution. The torture of the kids led to serious protest, but the government forces took down the protestors killing a few. In July 2011, more and more people came out to protest despite the killings by the security forces1. The rising number of civilians at hands of the security forces forced the opposition to acquire arms to secure themselves. They also acquired weapons to fight the government security forces that were killing the civilians. The conflict when on and by 2012 the whole of Syrian state was in a civil war. Rebel groups were formed by the opposition to counter the government forces. The rebels took over a number of cities and towns. Rodgers et al. (2014) reveal that the war between the forces loyal to Syrian president and the rebels reached the city of Damascus on 2012. According to the report by the UN, nearly 90,000 had lost their lives by the year 2013. A year later the number doubled, a UN reports states that 191,000 people had died during the war by year 2014. Rodgers et al. (2014) point out that the current conflict in Syria has moved to another level. Previously, the war was between people against Al –Assad rule and Basher Al-Assad forces. However, things have changed; the war is now between the Sunni majority group and the Shia group. More groups are also flowing into Syria to join the war. Other militia groups such as Islamic states have raised leading to serious conflict in Syria2. According to Erimtan (2013), Turkish government is directly involved in Syrian war. The author argues that the Turkish state is involved because of support of the regime against Assad government. Turkey supported Muslim Brotherhood that has had a difference with the Assad rule. The protest by the Syrian civilians against Basher Al-Assad rule was a beginning to the end of Assad’s rule. The conflict led to amnesty of a large number of political prisoners, but this would have not without help from other states. Erimtan (2013) notes that the reality of the U.S. support to the Syrian opposition came out after it was revealed by Sibel Edmonds. The whistleblower claimed that the U.S. and the Turkish government were working together to support the Assad opposing group. The U.S. government was using their military airbase in Turkey as a training ground for militia groups interested in toppling down Bashar Al-Assad. The groups trained at the U.S. base are the free Syrian army and other small groups that were in April 20113. Later on July 2011, the Syrian president claimed that significant numbers of the Syrian security forces were killed near the border of Turkish as Syria. The government forces were murdered in Jisr Al-Shughour town, the north-western part of Syrian. In response to the killings, Bashar Al-Assad forces moved to the town and took over the town displacing close to 10,000 people. Previously, Turkey had played a huge role in assisting Syrian state come to terms with international countries. They have been the strongest Allies for quite some time. However, Turkish government currently is playing secret war with Syrian state; this includes the provision of military training to rebels and the provision of logistic aid to Syrian rebels4. Turkish government worked closely with Assad’s government. For example, in 2007, Turkish and Syrian states signed free trade agreement that saw increase in bilateral trade from $796 million to $2.5 billion by the year 2010. Additionally, Turkish state worked as mediator between Syrian government and Israel. The talks mediated by Turkish led to peace between Israel and Syria. Sidki (2014) points out that the Turkish government is one of the countries that faced serious threats of Arab revolution. The threats against Turkish resulted from civil conflict in Syria. Turkish government failed miserably to quell the civil war in Syrian between the state and the rebels. Before the uprising, Turkish state was to talk with the Syrian government about the political reforms that could have assisted improve livelihood in Syrian, but they could not. However, the uprising that led to significant numbers of dead civilians in Syrian saw the Turkish government supporting Syrian people and opposition. During the month of Ramadan in 2011, Basher Al-Assad government faced serious difficulties after his government was declared illegitimate by western countries. Demonstrations turned from weekly to daily, more soldiers deserted and joined the protestors. The government decided to bring in tanks and wage war with the rebels. This led to a series of massacres in towns like, Rastan, Boukamal, Talbeesa and Jisr Al-Shughour. The soldiers who deserted from the army formed a group known as Free Syrian Army (Sidki, 2014)5. Increasing number of death people from the war and the involvement of the Army led to end of good relation between Syrian and Turkish government. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Basher Al-Assad to step down. The Syrian forces brutalized significant number of Syrians who were protesting across the country. Syrian people fled to Turkey for safety reasons against the Striking Al-Assad forces. Turkish government assisted the Syrians refugees; they also attempted to create demilitarized zones near the border of Syria and turkey to protect fleeing civilians6. Sidki (2014) explains that there has been a number of reasons that saw Turkish state involve in the Syrian conflict. Studies reveal that Turkish forces killed a large number of Kurdish Alevi in 1925. Kurdish Alevis reside in the city of Dersim, however, Turkish government recently apologised to the public about the atrocities made by the previous government. Turkish government accepted the fleeing refugees from Syria. But the Kurdish Alevis in Turkey are not happy with the Turkish support of the revolution in Syria. Sidki (2014) argues that the Syrian revolution is a fight between the Sunnis and the Alawite Basher Al-Assad. It is because the Alevi people in Turkey are worried of the Syrian regime. As mentioned above, the Alevi’s view of the Syrian war is that it is a clash between Sunnis and Alawite regime7. Erimtan (2014) shows that Syrian forces have attacked the Turkish population near the borders forcing the Turkish government to respond. For example, Turkish forces responded to attack on civilians by the Syrian forces in late 2012 at the town of Akçakale8. Bibliography Erimtan, Can. “As time goes by: Turkey’s role in Syria’s unfolding crisis.” RT, Dec. 26, 2013. Rodgers, Lucy, Gritten, David, Offer James and Asare, Patrick. “Syria: The story of conflict.” BBC News Middle East, Nov. 11, 2014. Sidki, Bakr.“The Syrian Revolution and the Role of Turkey - Statehood & Participation.” Heinrich Boell Foundation, Mar. 03, 2014. Read More