Turkish bloggers discuss Syrian sanctions

Southeast European Times ^ | Saturday, December 10, 2011 | Alakbar Raufoglu

[SunkenCiv]

Last week, Turkey, along with the EU and the Arab League, slapped tough economic sanctions on Syria, freezing assets of officials involved in the government's crackdown on an eight-month-old uprising, suspending ties with the nation's central bank and banning all military sales.

In response, the regime of Bashar al-Assad suspended the free trade agreement with Turkey and closed one of its border gates.

On December 8th, Ankara announced a new set of sanctions imposing 30% tax on goods from its neighbour.

Even before the sanctions, Turkish exports to Syria had dropped to $138 million in October, from $144 million in September, notes blogger Aynur Yilmaz... "When the events started in Egypt, trade dropped and then recovered again," she writes.

Without waiting for further sanctions, some Turkish companies have already left Syria, or limited their ongoing projects there due to recent developments, Yilmaz adds.

Iqrahaber19 wonders what Ankara's next step will be.... believes that by setting its sanctions Turkey has already made a choice between the al-Assad regime and the Syrian people...

Others, such as Yusuf Gezgin, worry that Turkey will find itself isolated in the region... In case of military intervations... "they should be implemented under the UN and NATO, and Tukey should not play the main role, even stay aside".

Another blogger, Cesuryorum has doubts that Iran and Russia will give up on al-Assad...

For blogger-analyst Yasin Atlioglu, who just recently returned from Damascus, the situation is becoming more unstable in Syria, and it is the people who suffer the most... adding that a police regime is in charge in Damascus.

Although many want Assad to leave, some are concerned that Syria could descend into chaos and internal conflict, as in Iraq, Atlioglu writes.

[SunkenCiv]

The uprising in Syria has been in progress since the spring. [Reuters]

[SunkenCiv]

One of the consequences of stabbing allies in the back is finding out one *has* no allies just when the fertilizer hits the ventilator.

[momincombatboots]

Turkey against Syria? Hard to keep track of the ME. Sounds suspicious or insane. Either way, maybe all the infighting will buy some time. Someone is working on a Reagan-Thatcher DNA recombination, aren’t they?

[WilliamofCarmichael]

"Iran continues threatening Turkey, while our Western allies leave us face-to-face with the Arabs," he writes, adding that Kurdish militants are receiving support from Damascus.

Though Iran and Turkey do cooperate on things like defense against the "Kurdish militants" attacking their respective countries nevertheless Iran is Shi'a and Turkey is Sunni.

Also those "Kurdish militants" are various Kurdish Workers Party Marxist terrorists (PKK) who have all been condemned by our own government and by European countries.

As for Syria and Turkey they almost went to war in 1998 over Damascus providing aid for the PKK. Now Damascus is once again threatening to help the PKK against Turkey.

I thought Shi'a Iran was backing Syria's government so I guess Damascus will not aid the "Kurdish militants" attacking Iran.

To the best of my knowledge (based solely on Internet news sources) the "Kurdish militants" PKK have no connection or support from the Kurdish regional government in Iraq.