Month: February 2015

Two Turkish guards at the entrance of the tomb. (Click the picture to access my Diigo account)

The fighting in Syria has yet to stop and with many different nations included in its fighting, Turkey seems to be one of the most affected. The Turkish government had a tomb of a major historical figure, Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, in the midst of the fighting and while at first the war posed little to no threat to the tomb, recently the war had been creeping closer and closer. In a recent article in the New York Times author Sebnem Arsu stated that the Turkish government saw the tomb as a “point of vulnerability for Turkey” but with the removal of the tomb, and the guards, it see’s that threat as being eliminated. Tensions between Syria, its rebel groups, and Turkey have been tight since the fighting started and the removal of this tomb marks a major turning point in their relations. The Syrians were not happy about this mission calling it a “flagrant aggression” because Turkey did not wait for permission from Damascus to mount it.

In related news, when the tomb was moved, the Turks retreated to a safer location still within Syrian borders. Whilst stationed there, the Turks raised the Turkish flag which was seen as a threat by local rebel groups, as stated in an article in the Daily News Egypt by Mahmoud Mostafa. This again just raises tensions between the two countries who are dangerously close to each other. For now Turkey only seems to be concerned with the removal of the tomb and really does not want to get involved, more than it already has, in the civil war that has been tearing at Syria for nearly 4 years.

Turkey has assisted in various UN missions to try and end the civil war in Syria but nothing to the extent that would disrupt the delicate relationship between these two countries. Since these two countries border each other, and they have long-term connections to each other, any super aggressive notion could very well disrupt the delicate balance between the two. It is difficult to say wether Turkey will get anymore involved in this conflict than it already it.

This shows the flow of foreign fighters to Syria. (Click the picture to access my Diigo account)

The month of February is usually associated with love and compassion but that is not the case in Syria where fighting between the Syrian government, and rebel groups continue. While these two groups may not be getting along, there has been some collaboration between the rebel groups in Syria and foreign fighters from all over the world. According to an article by Reuters, reported by Mark Hosenball and editing by David Storey and Andrew Hay, it is estimated that “20,000 foreign fighters from more than 90 countries have gone to Syria.” These fighters have joined the rebel groups, for the most part, in their effort to remove the Syrian government currently in command. While most of these foreign fighters stay to fight, there have been instances of abandonment.

These instances are not treated lightly by the rebel groups and often end in cruel punishments. Most recently, these rebel groups ‘killed three Chinese militants who joined its ranks in Syria and Iraq and later attempted to flee,” according to an article by Reuters, reported by Michael Martina and Sui-Lee Wee and editing by Clarence Fernandez. This event has lead China to express concern about the rise of the rebel groups in Syria but they have yet to shown any sign of wanting to take part in the U.S.-led coalition effort to use military force against the rebel groups. These three Chinese militants were a few of hundreds of Chinese militants who flocked to Syria in order to fight along side the rebel groups.

Collaboration between different ethnic groups is quite common in this day and age where people from all over the world can meet and work together, but it is a bit unusual to see it in this context. These foreign fighters are only adding to the bled shed in Syria and allowing for the fighting to continue. While the foreign fighters allow for fighting to continue in Syria, the execution of the three Chinese militants may bring other groups into the action. For now China has chosen not to pursue any military action, but with thousands of other foreign fighters in Syria who is to say the next fighters who are executed will not bring other nations into this war. The war in Syria will stay within its borders for now, but it cannot be certain as to wether or not in will stay that way for long.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (L) is greeted by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping before the opening ceremony of the fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Shanghai, May 21, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Mark Ralston)

Conflicts in the Middle East have recently been escalating and with the recent vetoing by China and Russia for a resolution to Syrian conflicts, it raises the question; why is China and Russia protecting, in a sense, the current Syrian government? In an article posted by Holly Yan on August 29, 2013 on CNN’s website, which can also be found on my Diigo account, titled, “Syria allies: Why Russia, Iran and China are standing by the regime” Yan examines just this. While there are many reasons to why every country is standing by the regime such as Russia’s ideologies, which could be threatened if the Syrian government fails, Iran’s strategy as Syria being a Shiite government and thus more supportive of Iran, or China’s trading which goes back to the silk road.

Another article by Vitaly Naumkin titled, “Putin brings China into Middle Eastern strategy” highlights more specific reasons as to why Russia and China are involved in Syrian conflicts. China again goes back to trading relations. They see Syria as  a part of one of China’s main strategic regional projects. The economic region (or belt) of the 21st century Great Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road, which intends to create a wide area of Chinese economic presence from China’s western borders to Europe. Russia on the other hand would prefer Syria’s current government to stay in power so that Western Power’s do not influence Syria to their ways of democracy which will of course harm Russia’s government and leave them with even less allies.

All of these reasons, China’s silk road and Russia’s anti-demotractic stance, came into play when both China and Russia veto’d the most current resolution to Syrian conflicts which would allow the U.N. (United Nations) to convict war criminals in Syria. The Syrian conflicts continue with China and Russia sticking close by.