The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) held an “International Syria Conference” in Istanbul and unfortunately it did not surprise. Had Syria’s despotic leader Bashar Assad, who slaughtered millions of his own people in the most brutal manner without batting an eye, who destroyed his people’s homes, burned down their cities, used nuclear weapons, and forced half of the population to flee the country he rendered unlivable, organized a meeting in Damascus, he probably could not have done any better for himself.
Had we hoped to be surprised as a result of this meeting? To be honest, the CHP and its leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s policies concerning Syria and Syrians were doomed since the very beginning. However, when a decision was made to finally discuss the Syria issue at a conference for the first time – and especially when this was announced as “a meeting to which all sides would be called” – one hopes and wants to be surprised.
Assad and his supporters were the only ones invited to the conference, where Turkey was held responsible for almost all the problems in Syria. Additionally, the message given through the conference was that if a solution is wanted, everything should continue where it left off, as if nothing happened with Assad.
There was no criticism whatsoever about Iran, Assad himself, the U.S., the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) or the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which has been involved in systematic massacres and deportations as an instrument of ethnic cleansing in Syria. Criticism was solely aimed at Turkey’s support of the fighters there. The humanitarian corridor Turkey will be forming is considered as “building housing on another country’s land,” in other words, a sort of occupation. The U.S. and PYD are already invaders there. This doesn’t disturb you, but your sole objection is with respect to the formation of a safe zone created by Turkey to which Syrians, who have taken shelter in its country, can return? Obviously, if you ask Assad and all dictators, there is no opposition in their countries, nobody who objects to facing injustice – there are terrorists only.
If this is the case, then why have 10 million of his people fled? Is the entire Syrian population composed of terrorists? There is fundamental and indisputable data in the event of such disputes: Refugees bring along with them the legitimacy of their own country. If the CHP wants to remember social democracy, human rights, human dignity, it should first ponder upon this a little.
Every individual who has taken shelter in Turkey has at least one or a few relatives massacred by the Assad regime.
A cliche statement such as, "Ending the clashes in our neighboring country Syria and instituting peace, calm and stability, and solving the issue of Syrian refugees within the scope of international law and human rights should be a fundamental and primary goal for Turkey," was made, followed by criticisms about Turkey's policies with the same reasons.
It is obvious that they have no idea what Turkey has done in this regard. What is Turkey pursuing in Sochi, Astana, Geneva? Its primary aim is to stop the war and achieve stability in Syria, enough for all Syrians to return.
Is this question not a little too much for the leader of a political party who cries out, "Russia, Greece and Israel are all in the Mediterranean. The U.S. is also there. Why is Turkey the only one not there?"
Let us put it this way: It is easy to organize such a conference in Turkey that criticizes the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). What if you tried to hold a similar conference in Damascus, along with writers and politicians in opposition to Assad? Also, try to make a couple of suggestions from time to time about how Assad should treat his own people.
The outcome of the conference is tied to the suggestion of normalizing relations between Turkey and the Assad regime in the name of ensuring stability in Syria. What will this normalization provide? To what extent will it save Assad? How will it save the Syrian people who fled Assad's oppression and took shelter in surrounding countries or on the other side of the world? What kind of a guarantee will it provide for their return to their own country?
Even if Assad gave all the guarantees in the world, how, after this hour, will the Syrians trust him again and return to their homelands, where there is no guarantee other than Assad's mercy? If the issue is going to be resolved by Turkey normalizing relations with Assad, we too can suggest this, but why do you not try making this suggestion to the refugees who were exposed to the tortures of the savage shabihas, whose homes were destroyed, friends and family members slaughtered, who were raped, and finally had no choice but to flee? Can they return to their homes by relying on Assad's word or your mediation?
How can you possibly convince them with the pain of "xenophobia" that you instilled in their minds in Turkey as a social democrat party, with the hostility you provoked against them in each election period?
