A stand that might succeed?

Turkey is at loggerhead with both Russia and the US over its military intervention in northern Syria.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has double goals for his military intervention: to prevent Syrian Kurds from establishing a political and military foothold along his country’s borders with Syria, and much more controversial, to establish a safe haven or a no-fly zone over part of north Syria, a dream he has entertained and maintained since the beginning of the civil war in Syria, but for which he found no support from either Washington or Moscow.

What Erdogan is trying to accomplish by creating a safe zone in the north of Syria, not only for the moderate Syrian forces but also for the Syrian people suffering from years of war, is laudable even if the odds are against it.

Ankara sought to create a no-fly zone over part of northern Syria right at the outset of the Syrian conflict, but could not find support in any major capital. 

The Turkish leader must have realised that saving human life in Syria and offering minimal standards of human rights and humanitarian law do not figure highly on the US’ or Russia’s agenda.

Had it been otherwise, about half-a-million Syrian lives could have been saved. 

Erdogan may be faulted for some things, but he should be given credit for what he is trying to do in Syria and its bleeding people. 

Equally impressive is his decision to defy both superpowers through his move in Syria.

If Ankara succeeds in establishing a safe haven in northern Syria, and extends its boundaries to the Aleppo province, there might be better chances for a peaceful resolution to the conflict on fair and legitimate bases for all sides.

The hands-off US policy in Syria has not improved the chances of peace in the country and the Russian military intervention has made it worse by tilting the balance in the war in favour of Damascus, and by so doing effectively pulling the rug from underneath all genuine efforts to bring an end to the more than five years of killings and destruction.

Syria has endured as much suffering and destruction as Europe during World War II without the major powers genuinely trying to bring that to an end. 

Erdogan decided to fill this international vacuum by sending his tanks deep into the north of Syria. He might succeed where all others have failed and set the stage for a resolution to the Syrian armed and political conflict.