Strategic Council Online: Former Middle East Director-General of the IRI Foreign Ministry believes that after the recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, the authorities in Riyadh have concluded that the crisis is getting out of control.
Strategic Council Online: The US wants to somehow continue its relative support for Kurdish groups in northern Syria, which is not very pleasing to Turkey, so although at the current juncture it seems that the US support for Turkey’s military presence in Syria would remain within the limits of the agreements between the parties, the trend of these developments in the long-term will depend on the conditions Syria would face.
Siamak Kakai – Turkish Affairs Expert
Strategic Council Online: Under the current circumstances, the US will maintain a presence in Syria, in the form that it will relinquish less important regions either to Turkey or even indirectly to Russia or Damascus central government, but it will still keep sensitive centres like oil wells or strategic points that it thinks could cut off the communication lines between Iran and the Mediterranean under control.
Amir Ali Abolfateh – American Affairs Expert
The Strategic Council Online: Former Middle East Director-General at the IRI Ministry of Foreign Affairs said drafting the Syrian constitution is a very difficult process, adding that an understanding between international and regional powers could help this trend accomplish its goals otherwise each of these players has tools to disrupt the agreement.
Strategic Council Online: A meeting between US delegation led by Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish officials in Ankara ended with the announcement of a 120-hour ceasefire in northern Syria. Following the talks, a joint 13-article statement was issued between Turkey and the United States, which, in addition to sparking harsh criticism by Trump’s opponents to its clauses, the Syrian presidential adviser described it “vague.”
Hamideh Safamanesh – International Relations Researcher
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues said the agreement between Russia and Turkey on northern Syria was in the interest of all parties, adding: “If Russia can persuade armed Kurdish fighters to keep away from Turkish borders, which is very difficult to do, the reducing of the tension will continue.”
Strategic Council Online: Developments in Syria and measures taken by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to fill US military withdrawal from Syria over the past few weeks have further exposed the weakness and desperation of the European governments in pursuit of their political and security goals in the Middle East.
Morteza Makki – European Affairs Expert
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues pointed out that opposition parties in the Turkish government, who account for more than 50% of the people’s vote, are definitely opposed to the government decision to invade northeast Syria. He said: On the social and grassroots level too, the invasion has many opponents.
Strategic Council Online: A Turkish affairs expert says Trump has given the green light to Turkey in invading Syria but President Erdogan must be aware that this is a trap by the US to undermine the Turkish economy, military and government in the interests of the Zionist regime.
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional affairs said that the situation in Turkey is very fragile nowadays, noting that the United States has actually put Turkey into a wasp nest that would be very difficult for Ankara to get rid of.
Strategic Council Online: An expert on Turkish affairs said that criticisms by American statesmen of Turkey’s invasion of Syria are just verbal reactions, adding that in action there was in fact a relative harmony between US interests and Turkish concerns in that regard. By giving the green light to Turkey the United States has proven that it is still pursuing a policy of supporting terrorists, he said.
Strategic Council Online: The United States has announced its withdrawal from Syrian soil at a time that it gives the green light to Turkey to violate the national sovereignty of Syria and occupy 450 square kilometers at a depth of 30 kilometers.
Azam Gol Mohammadi – International Law Researcher
Strategic Council Online: The escalation of Washington’s strict policies against Iran and Turkey over the past year has made the two neighboring countries more resolute in further strengthening their relations.
Siamak Kakaie – Turkey Affairs Expert
Strategic Council Online: An expert on regional issues said that the liberation of Khan Sheikhun shows that the Syrian government has the potential to liberate Idlib as well, stressing: “Turkey exercises double standards in this conflict. In terms of stance-taking, it is opposed to these forces but is associated with and supports the Takfiri forces.”
Strategic Council Online: The West, along with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are behind General Khalifa Haftar in the Libyan unrest while Turkey, Qatar and the United Nations stand against him and support the legal rule of Fayez al-Sarraj.
Jafar Ghanadbashi – African Affairs expert
Strategic Council Online: Turkey, by purchasing S400 missile system, is trying to critically remind the United States of its excessive delay in delivering the Patriot system to Ankara on the one hand, and intends to demonstrate its independence in military decision-making beyond what the US and NATO determine, on the other hand.
Siamak Kakaie – Turkish Affairs expert
Strategic Council Online: Libya has now been turned into a field for the rivalry of the regional and trans-regional powers. The plurality of power centres and domestic actors in the Libyan crisis, the multiplicity of interests in the neighbouring countries and in the international environment have created a complicated situation for the country.
Jafar Ghanadbashi – West Asian Affairs Expert
Strategic Council Online: One of the contingencies and scenarios discussed for the future dialogue between the Kurds and the Syrian government, is for a part of the American troops to stay in the northern regions of Syria, in which case the Kurdish tribes will face a new dilemma: To continue cooperation with the United States or forge new cooperation with the Syrian government. The existence of this dilemma can further create disparities within the Kurdish groups and prevent them from pursuing the right path.
Jafar Ghanadbashi – Middle East expert
Strategic Council Online: The list of countries subjected to the US sanctions is getting longer and to the same extent Donald Trump’s trade war with economic powers is escalating further. The latest example in the list is the arrest of the chief financial officer of tech giant Huawei for allegedly breaking the US sanctions against Iran.
Reza Majidzadeh – Researcher of Political Economy of Development
Strategic Council Online: The annual meeting of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, held in Riyadh on December 9 can be described as the most significant sign of divergence between Arab countries, especially Qatar with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Davoud Ahmadzadeh- Middle East expert
