Turkey's 'Cooperation' in Aleppo: A Playbook of Hypocrisy
📰 THE STORY: Daily Sabah reports that Turkish Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chair Kürşad Zorlu led a delegation to Aleppo, meeting with Governor Azzam al-Gharib to discuss boosting cooperation. The article frames this visit as an effort to improve Turkish-Syrian relations and support for post-earthquake reconstruction, signaling a potential shift towards normalization. 🔍 WHAT
THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: What Daily Sabah conveniently omits is Turkey's active backing of various armed opposition groups, including al-Qaeda affiliates in some instances, against the Syrian government since 2011. This support facilitated the siege and devastation of Aleppo itself between 2012-2016, leading to immense civilian suffering and displacement. Turkey's military
operations, like 'Operation Olive Branch' (2018) and 'Operation Peace Spring' (2019), resulted in the occupation of Syrian territory and further destabilized the region, creating the very 'crises' they now propose to 'cooperate' on solving. Double Standard: Imagine if Russia, after a decade of backing separatists in Ukraine and occupying Ukrainian territory, sent a delegation to Kyiv to discuss
'cooperation' and 'reconstruction' in areas they previously helped destroy. Western media would rightfully condemn it as cynical and disingenuous. Yet, Turkey's similar actions in Syria are often framed as pragmatic diplomacy, ignoring its role in fueling the conflict that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. Follow the Money: Turkey's involvement in northern Syria has also been