Hassan Hanizadeh

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu proposed yesterday that Syrian Vice-President Farouqal-Shar’a could head an interim government if Bashar al-Assad steps down as a method for resolving Syrian crisis.
The top diplomat of Turkey believes Farouq Al Shar’a is the most suited figure for the job because “he is a man of reason“, an official “whose hands are not contaminated in blood” and therefore approved by the Syrian opposition groups.
Despite the fact that the approach of Turkish political figures to the Syrian regime is in contrast with international conventions and political criteria, it seems that they are under illusion because they have mistaken the legal president of Syria with the governor of their Antakya province!
If disputes between the countries are supposed to be resolved in the method Mr. Davutoğlu proposed, elsewhere in Turkey the best way for ending the crisis of its minority Kurds would be the appointment of Kurdistan workers’ party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalanas the Turkey's president to replace the incumbent president Abdullah Gül.
Such appointment could end the eighty-year conflict between Turkish government and 20 million Kurds of that country and establishsolidarity in the multiethnic Turkish society. The Turkish Kurds should be authorized to participate in major political decision-makings as they cannot fall into silence as the second rate citizens suffering from discrimination in that country.
The leader of the combatant Kurds Abdullah Öcalan could be the best choice for the post of Turkish president, because based on the approved principles of democracy; the political power must not be monopolized by an ethnicity or a political faction.
But the latest resolution of Turkey’s Foreign Minister for Syrian crisis looks as if Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu is still living in the age of Ottoman Empire. Turkish officials are not to establish democracy in Syria, but they make attempts to diminish the influence of Alavids in the Arabian republic and put in the power to some religious Syrian ethnicities which are more in harmony with the policies of Ankara.
It seems that the triangle of Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia which have played a damaging role in Syrian crisis are trying to achieve their own share of power in the political structure of Syria in future. Saudi Arabia attempts to empower former Syrian Foreign Minister and Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam who was provoked by Saudi Arabia and separated from the framework of Syrian regime in 2006. Qatar also plans to hand over power to former Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab.
On the other hand,Turkey has hope on Farouq Al Shar’abut due to his old age (73) and his physical condition after two strokes, he would not possibly be able to lead the interim Syrian government. As a matter of fact Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabiahave a religious approach to Syrian crisis since the top officials of these three countries are against the rule of Alavids in Syria which has 18 ethnicity and religion. The Alavids have constituted the biggest religious ethnicity in the country.
The Alavid family of al-Assad has run Syria for more than 42 years, but due to ethnic and religious sensitivity in the country, Beshar’s father, Hafiz al-Assad, the architect of the new Syria preferred to run the country based on secular methods. His approach encouraged minority religions and ethnicities including Kurds, Christians, Darzis, and Ismaelite to back the regime of Beshar al-Assad, because the empowerment of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis would cause the destruction of such minorities.
During the Syrian crisis which has lasted for more than 18 months, the Syrian people have realized that Wahabis and Salafis are not appropriate candidates to run their country. On the other hand, vice president Farouq al-Shar’ahas been involved in both positive and negative actions taken by the Syrian regime and does not enjoy popularity even among the Syrian Sunnis. Therefore, the Turkish foreign minister is better at first to resolve the problems of12 million Alavids and 20 million Turkish Kurds who are not approved of the Turkish government.

News ID 183032