Turkish held observation posts in Idlib (Northwestern Syria) were targeted with heavy artillery fire by the Syrian army, causing five Turkish soldier casualties and five injuries, just a week after eight other soldiers had been killed in a similar attack. The Turkish military quickly responded by opening fire on Syrian military bases and targets in the region, and the Defense Ministry claimed the Syrian attack to be an “
intense assault that targeted our elements sent as reinforcement to the region with an aim to prevent clashes in Idlib, ensure our border security and stop migration and human tragedy." Turkey currently having nearly four million Syrian refugees, wants to stop migration into their home, and find a better way to stabilize Syria so that it’s people can live there. The Turkish military is now demanding that it’s military posts stationed in Northern Syria act as a barrier to the Syrian army and pro-government groups, instructing them to move back behind this “line” by the end of February, or violence should erupt and Turkey will use its army to directly push the Syrian forces back. Syria claims that this demand and Turkey's entire presence is an “illegal and a flagrant act of aggression," and over 600,000 Syrian people have now fled from the disputed zone of Idlib. With the extreme tensions between the Syrian army and the Turkish due to the ongoing civil war, peace seems far from possible.
Discussion questions:
What is the most effective way to retaliate to an attack such as the one the Syrians launched?
Is it fair for countries such as Turkey to accept millions of refugees and is it reasonable for them to demand that refugee flow stops?
What are the beneficial and potentially dangerous outcomes which can arise from making demands on another country?
I personally think that Turkey responded in the way I would have. I feel that they had every right to attack the Syrians after being attacked by them. I feel that they were completely justified. I think that any country has the right to do what they want, and if they want to close their borders, they can. The overflow of refugees could also negatively impact the economy of Turkey. Some beneficial things could be that the other country knows what you want and what your goals are. Some negative possibilities could be that they feel threatened or disrespected and then become hostile.
ReplyDeleteI think that turkey is justified in placing its forces in such a way as to stop the flow of refugees into their country. Because the Syrian War has spilled into and affected other countries, these countries should have the right to retaliate or try and affect the conflict. This isn't just true for Turkey, but also nations that are opposed to the terrorist groups that have fought for land in Syria in the past. While making these demands could escalate into a larger war with Syria, given the violent turmoil Syria is currently in, such things might be ultimately inevitable.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the Turkish Retaliation was the perfect response to what Syria attack and that they were completely justified for attacking. Syria has not taken responsibilities for many of their problems, including the Syrian refugee problem. I'm not sure if there have been refugee camps on the edge of Turkey or not but that should be the first action much like the refugee camps in Israel/Palestine. Then negotiations shall start to solve several of the issues including refugees and military actions. Also Hey Amitai
ReplyDeleteI believe that this issue must be addressed. Turkey can't just take all of the migrants but they can't go back to Syria. Turkey's actions are justified because if they take all these migrants the economy will plummet, and there will be an increase in poverty. Syria can be a very dangerous place. A possible solution is to help Syria to strengthen their government.Tensions in the Middle East have gotten higher due to the lack of strong governments and terrorist groups. Countries need to band together to get these problems solved before the issue goes too far.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a dangerous and delicate situation in which the outcomes, if not handled properly, could be quite catastrophic. Even if the region weren't as unstable as it already is, this event would cause much concern for international safety at the possible outbreak of a further conflict, but taking into consideration the surrounding instability, this could escalate to even more devastating consequences.
ReplyDeleteThis problem should be addressed due to Turkey not being able to take most immigrants back to Syria. Turkeys actions can be known to be just due to the plummet of the economy. Countries should work together to communicate on ways to avoid problems like these.
ReplyDelete1. I believe that the actions of the Turkish government made sense in the circumstances which they were faced with. While responding to the Syrian Military's threat is bound to increase tensions, it was a necessary step in order for the Turks to ensure the protection of their troops. In addition, their desire to maintain influence in Northern Syria is clear, as is Assad's tendency towards brutality. Therefore, keeping soldiers in the region gives Turkey a buffer against the atrocities of Assad's regime.
ReplyDelete2. The dilemma surrounding refugee traffic is one which plagues nations across the world. As such, it is a complicated and very subjective matter which varies from country to country. It is understandable that Turkey doesn't wish to accept millions of stateless people into it's borders, as a solution for the care of these people remains unreached. Because of this, I believe that the United Nations should make an effort alongside Turkey to reach a temporary resolution. Hundreds of thousands of people have died already and while the Turkish government will feel frustrated at the lack of retribution payed to them, this is a humanitarian issue.