Ankara Blames Damascus for Northern Battles, Revealing Its Role in Nusra’s Attack /  Erdogan to Trump After Putin’s Refusal: Ready to Push for Internationalising the Syrian-Lebanese Border


 November 30, 2024

The political editor wrote

Turkey has unveiled its role in the attack by Jabhat al-Nusra on Syrian army positions in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib, subtly blaming the Syrian state for igniting the conflict. By doing so, Ankara effectively acknowledged its support for the offensive, likely seeking leverage in negotiations with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump before any agreements are solidified between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine and Syria.
Reports attributed to Trump suggest that he sees no justification for maintaining U.S. forces in Syria, preferring that Damascus handle the fight against terrorism given its historical presence and sovereignty. He also reportedly expressed willingness to let Moscow lead Syria’s political process, while dismissing further support for the Kurdish SDF, questioning the risk to American troops for their ambitions of oil theft and a separatist enclave.
Before Trump’s arrival in office, Erdogan seized the opportunity to open negotiations with Kurdish factions, leveraging this to launch the northern offensive. Erdogan sought to signal to Trump his readiness to take on the role that Putin refused – securing the occupying entity’s safety from Syria after its failure in Lebanon. This involved pressuring for the internationalisation of the Syrian-Lebanese border, a move aligned with both Israeli and U.S. interests. Israel’s earlier attempts to persuade Moscow to enforce this policy had failed, with Russian envoy Alexander Lavrentiev reaffirming that Moscow would not interfere in Syria’s sovereign affairs.
On the ground, while the Turkish-backed Nusra attack initially achieved gains, fierce resistance from the Syrian army and its allies began yesterday, with anticipated battlefield results expected soon.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem addressed the public for the first time since the ceasefire, emphasising the party’s focus on completing Lebanon’s constitutional institutions, particularly the presidential election scheduled for January 9. After which he aims to coordinate with the Lebanese people the extensive undertaking for reconstruction efforts.
He added that the ceasefire agreement was achieved under the umbrella of Lebanese sovereignty, stating “we emerged with our heads held high, with our resistance power in the battlefield, affirming our right to defend ourselves”.
Qassem stressed the strong coordination between the resistance and the Lebanese army in implementing the agreement, dismissing any speculation of discord. He described the agreement as an extension of Resolution 1701, ensuring the withdrawal of the entity’s forces from all the areas they occupy and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south.
He further declared that the outcome of the “Men Endowed with Might” battle marks a historic victory surpassing that of 2006, due to the prolonged nature of the conflict, its intensity, and the significant sacrifices made.