Deeds not words

From the very beginning of the Astana process, all the final communiques issued at the end of each round stressed commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity, territorial integrity and cooperation until terrorist organizations are totally eradicated. However, Turkey, despite being one of the three guarantor states of the Astana process, has been breaching Astana understandings through training terrorist groups, supporting them and facilitating their movement into Syrian territories.

 The most recent violation of the Astana process took place during the last round of talks recently concluded in the Kazakh capital Nur Sultan. Hours after putting into force the cease-fire agreement in the de-escalation zone in Idleb, terrorist groups fired several rockets from Shahshabou mountain near the Turkish observatory No. 10 toward the Syrian coast claiming one life and injuring three civilians, in addition to causing huge material damage to public and private properties. This means that Turkey is part of the problem and not the solution of the crisis in Syria. Throughout the last eight years, the Turkish regime has been offering unlimited support to the terrorist groups.

Turkey hasn’t ceased to conspire against Syria by supporting terrorists that came from more than 80 countries through Turkey to join ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Cham, and other Al Qaeda-affiliated groups.

The attempts made by the Turkish regime to depict itself as the victim and that it is defending itself against terrorism is misleading.

Everyone is aware of what this regime has done with regard to offering all forms of support to terrorist organizations violating Security Council resolutions pertaining to combatting terrorism.

The Turkish government is directly responsible for the shedding of Syrian blood and the humanitarian suffering of millions of Syrians inside and outside Syria as a result of Erdogan’s support for takfiri terrorism. If Turkey and other neighboring countries had abided by the Security Council’s counter terrorism laws, most elements of the crisis in Syria would have been resolved.

Erdogan has regularly facilitated the entry of the armed terrorist groups into Kassab area in Lattakia countryside. Erdogan’s government, considered, planned, approved and carried out an aggression against Syria, and this aggression was carried out on behalf of terrorism and has nothing to do with Turkish national interests.

The Turkish regime has yet to implement its commitments as per the Sochi agreement and Astana process regarding the removal of terrorist organizations from the de-escalation zone in Idleb.

The Turkish commitment to Astana process should be coupled with actions on the ground, namely halting its military incursions into Syrian territories and supporting terrorist organizations operating in Idleb. What is required from the Turkish regime is deeds not words. It has to pair the beautiful ideas of the final communique with actions on ground as it continues to occupy parts of Syria in violation of Astana understandings stipulating for commitment to Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

K.Q.