Turkey's position on events in Syria has been "ambiguous and hesitant", according to the country's opposition, reflecting limitations in Ankara's strategic role, writes Bassel Oudat in Damascus While Turkey has taken a public stand in support of the Syrian demonstrators in their conflict with the regime of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad, with Turkish officials criticising Syria's policies and the legitimacy of the regime, the Syrian opposition has criticised Turkey for its "ambiguous and hesitant" position on the ongoing protests in the country, asserting that Ankara says much but does little. Turkey's stance has not much changed since the demonstrations broke out in Syria some six months ago, with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly saying that Turkey had "run out of patience" with the Syrian regime and its repression of the protesters. Events in Syria were "a domestic issue for Turkey," Erdogan has said, and Ankara has threatened sanctions against the regime in Damascus, saying that the latter "only understands force." Such responses to the events in Syria have marked a dramatic shift from the previously friendly character of Syrian-Turkish relations, with multi-faceted strategic relations being swiftly replaced by tension and animosity. The relationship between the two countries became even more aggravated after the Syrian army raided the Syrian city of Hama in August, with Erdogan saying that al-Assad would "drown in the blood he is spilling." Earlier this month, Turkey supported the draft UN Security Resolution condemning the Syrian regime for its use of force against the demonstrators, and the country said that it would act jointly with the international community to take steps against Syria. Turkey "cannot remain a bystander on developments in Syria, because killing unarmed civilians cannot be justified by moral or human standards," Erdogan said. Turkey would unveil its own sanctions against Syria after he had visited the Hatay Syrian Refugee Camp in southern Turkey, Erdogan said, the camp being close to the border with Syria and a haven to the thousands of Syrian refugees leaving the country. When Chinese and Russian vetos prevented the Security Council from passing a resolution condemning the Syrian regime, this did not deter Turkey from continuing its hardline position against Damascus, Erdogan reiterating his assertion that Turkey planned to impose sanctions against the Syrian regime. During a recent visit to South Africa, Erdogan said that it was "unfortunate" that a resolution has not been passed, adding that "the regime in Damascus has lost its legitimacy and its people have lost confidence in it. The Syrian people should not tolerate a tyrannical regime that shows no mercy or respect for them and that bombards its own population from the sea." Al-Assad "is continuing the heritage of his father," Erdogan said, referring to previous Syrian president Hafez Al-Assad. The failure to pass a UN resolution "will not deter us, and we will impose sanctions immediately." However, according to Syrian activist Marah Al-Boqaie, who is based in Washington, the Turkish statements may not be all that they seem. In an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly, Al-Boqaie said that "Turkey is selling a strategic product to the Syrian regime, namely time. The Turkish leadership, and the West behind it, is relying on time to bring about the collapse of the Syrian regime, since the world is not ready for military intervention to help the revolution." Bassam Al-Malek, a member of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce and a leading figure in the Coordination Authority of Opposition Parties, told the Weekly that "the steps taken by Turkey barely affect political and economic activities between the two countries. In the next few days, Turkey is expected to announce a series of sanctions, and we hope that these will reflect the Turkish leadership's support for the Syrian revolution." Late last month, Ankara said it had intercepted a vessel transporting arms to Syria and that it would continue to intercept any other such shipments, announcing a ban on arms shipments going to Syria by air and sea. The Turkish military also began an exercise in the southern Turkish governorate of Hatay last week, which is on the border with Syria. The military training would continue until 13 October, the Turkish military said, making it coincide with Erdogan's visit to the Syrian refugee camps in Hatay. Meanwhile, Erdogan has said that he has repeatedly advised al-Assad to implement democratic reforms in Syria and that he has sent the Turkish chief of intelligence to Damascus to talk to Syrian officials and "convey the Turkish experience to them." He has also said that Turkey is concerned that "sectarian clashes could break out in Syria, dividing the country." For its part, though the Syrian opposition has mostly been against any outside intervention, some elements within the opposition groups have called on Turkey to create a "buffer zone" between the two countries and even impose a no-fly zone over some regions of Syria. In mid-June, Turkey gave Syria what it called "a last warning," which seemed to indicate that Ankara was preparing a decisive move in its relationship with Damascus. Turkey also played an important role in convincing the EU and US to take a more hardline stance on events in the country. Turkey has also acted in support of the Syrian opposition by hosting meetings and conferences, as well as supporting them politically. Last week's meeting of the opposition in the Turkish city of Istanbul resulted in the creation of the Syrian National Council (SNC), which includes representatives of all the country's opposition groups, especially those abroad. SNC member Naguib Al-Ghadban said that Turkey "has decided to support the Syrian people after it used all the means that were available to persuade the regime to implement real reforms. Turkey is now convinced that the regime is not willing to do anything other than continuing its brutal suppression." Turkey's position on the crisis is important because it has raised the hopes of the Syrian protesters, making them feel that they have the support of a friendly Muslim neighbour without colonialist ambitions. Turkey's support has also boosted the Islamist trend in the Syrian uprising, since Turkey is currently ruled by an Islamist government. Al-Boqaie, who met with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in August to discuss events in Syria, said that Clinton had asked Turkey "to adopt the same position as Washington and ask the head of the regime to step down. This left the ball in Turkey's court, and Ankara continues to toy with Syria: sometimes it seems favourable to the regime and sometimes it seems to be with the opposition. Turkey, like other neighbouring states and the West, has its own interests in Syria." However, whatever its ambitions, Turkey, though a regional heavyweight, does not have effective influence on Damascus, and it cannot engage in a face-off with the Syrian regime without an international mandate and participation. As a result, Turkey wants to protect its strategic, security and economic interests in Syria. Because of its simultaneous desire to be decisive, but also its fear of the results of any intervention, the Turkish position has been hesitant, highlighting the contradiction between Turkey's words and what actions it is likely to take.
