Turkey’s Syrian Dilemma
Turkey is struggling with a Syria policy that has served only to prolong the conflict, as Ankara finds itself at odds with Paris over both Mali and Syria, writes Semih Idiz.
As the Syrian crisis rolls on with no apparent end in sight, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu have little left in their diplomatic pouch to put Ankara at the forefront of efforts to solve this seemingly intractable problem.
Their frustration is showing, too, as both continue to rail against the inactivity of the international community, and are unable to suggest anything new to end the deadlock.
Meanwhile, developments are moving in a direction that neither can be too pleased about, given their grand vision which places Turkey at the center of everything to do with the region. One such development was the meeting in Paris on Jan. 28 that brought together senior members of the Syrian National Coalition and officials from 50 countries, including Turkey, in new push to solve the crisis.
While the meeting produced little concrete results, it still put the limelight on France at a time when Erdogan and Davutoglu are annoyed over the French intervention in Mali.
