Author Archives: Zenonas Tziarras

"Because…we are all human beings"

I returned to England from Cyprus the other day and as I was trying to get my keys for my flat from the building reception, I had a brief conversation with the receptionist. I am going to leave out all the key-related stuff.

– So, where are you from – the receptionist asked?

– I’m a Cypriot, I replied.

– Greek or Turkish?

– Greek-Cypriot, I said.

– The best sort, ha – he said, with an innocent smile on his face. He was trying to make a joke. A joke that would normally boost one’s nationalistic feelings of superiority – even if it was a joke or for a joke.

– That is not true, I replied.

– Oh yeah? And why’s that – he asked, again, cheerfully?

– Because… we are all human beings – I said.

– Oh, OK. That’s nice. [and then we went back to talking about the key-stuff]

And I was like (not out loud), if it was that simple to convince that man that Cypriots – and all other humans beings, for that matter – are the same, why is it so hard to do something like that in Cyprus?

Don’t bother trying to give me an answer; I already know it. I know most of them, anyway.

Zenonas Tziarras 07/10/2012

“Battle For Syria: View from the Frontline” – An Alternative Perspective

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“This is not a revolution. They are terrorists who live in America, France, in Istanbul.” – Syrian civilian[1]

“Battle for Syria: View from the Frontline” is a mini documentary filmed by the Russian POCCИЯ 24 TV channel. What is particularly interesting about this documentary is that it was filmed in the battle fields of Syria, following the forces of the Syrian (regime) army around. Thus, the whole project offers an entirely different perspective on the Syrian conflict from the one the western media present – both in terms of the actual conflict and the not so projected view of the regime. Throughout the documentary one can realize that certain features stand out as they are being emphasized: 1) the military tactics of the Free Syrian Army (i.e. rebels); the struggle of the Syrian Army (i.e. regime) as a counter-terrorism campaign; and the composition of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

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Syrian Crisis: Facts and «Collateral Damages»

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In terms of the Syrian crisis it is already clear that certain issues will keep playing a decisive role in the upcoming developments, or that they could constitute outcomes of the conflict. These issues could be divided into internal and external.

As far as the external issues are concerned, it has become obvious that the al-Assad regime has by its side the undisputable powers of Russia and China. It is noteworthy that these two countries have recently announced that they will not be accepting any western intervention in Syria, thus responding to Obama who said that the use of chemical weapons by the regime would be a “red line” for the US and a reason for the use of military force. In this light, opponents of the Syrian regime remain the western states with leading country the US, while Turkey plays a central regional role against the Assad regime – both as a meeting centre of regional and international actors for the management of the crisis and the organization of the Syrian opposition/resistance, as well as a refugee hosting centre and a (indirect) supporter of the Syrian rebels. Important role in supporting the rebels are also playing Arab countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, while it has been reported that N. Iraq trains and reinforces Syrian Kurds for the armed resistance within Syria. Moreover, Turkey and the US have been discussing along with other western allies the establishment of a partial no-fly zone over Syria for the protection of non-combatants. In the context of the external dynamics of the Syrian crisis, it important to mention Iran which is one of the very few allies of the Syrian regime and one of the reasons why the US (and Israel, among others) want Assad replaced.

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Συριακή Κρίση, Δεδομένα και «Παράπλευρες Απώλειες»

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Όσον αφορά την συριακή κρίση έχει ήδη ξεκαθαρίσει ένας αριθμός ζητημάτων τα οποία είτε θα συνεχίσουν να παίζουν καθοριστικό ρόλο στις εξελίξεις, είτε διαφαίνονται σαν πιθανά αποτελέσματα της έκβασης της σύγκρουσης. Τα ζητήματα αυτά μπορούν να χωριστούν σε εσωτερικά και εξωτερικά.

Ξεκινώντας από τα τελευταία είναι πλέον εμφανές ότι το καθεστώς του αλ-Άσσαντ έχει στο πλευρό του τις αδιμφισβήτητες δυνάμεις της Ρωσίας και της Κίνας. Σημειωτέον πως οι δύο χώρες προσφάτως είχαν δηλώσει ότι δεν θα δεχτούν καμία επέμβαση της Δύσης στη Συρία, απαντώντας έτσι στις δηλώσεις Ομπάμα που έλεγαν ότι η χρήση χημικών όπλων από το καθεστώς αποτελούν «κόκκινη γραμμή» για τις ΗΠΑ. Πολέμιοι λοιπόν του καθεστώτος παραμένουν τα κράτη της Δϋσης με μπροστάρη τις ΗΠΑ, ενώ κεντρικό ρόλο στην περιφέρεια και όχι μόνο κατά του καθεστώτος Άσσαντ παίζει η Τουρκία – τόσο σαν κέντρο συνάντησης περιφερειακών και διεθνών παραγώντων για τη διαχείρηση της κρίσης και την οργάνωση της συριακής αντιπολίτευσης/αντίστασης, όσο και σαν κέντρο φιλοξενίας προσφύγων αλλά και (έμμεσης) στήριξης των Σύρων ανταρτών. Σημαντικό ρόλο στην ένοπλη ή άλλη στήριξη των ανταρτών παίζουν βέβαια και αραβικές χώρες όπως είναι π.χ. το Κατάρ, η Σουδική Αραβία, και η Ιορδανία, ενώ έχει αναφερθεί ότι το Β. Ιράκ εκπαιδεύει και ενισχύει Κούρδους της Συρίας για την αντίσταση. Περαιτέρω, Τουρκία και ΗΠΑ φαίνεται να συζητούν τον τελευταίο καιρό μαζί με άλλους δυτικούς συμμάχους τη δημιουργία ζώνης μερικής απαγόρευσης πτήσεων πάνω από τη Συρία για την προστασία των αμάχων. Στα πλαίσια των εξωτερικών δυναμικών της συριακής κρίσης είναι ζωτικής σημασίας η αναφορά στο Ιράν το οποίο είναι ακόμα ένας από τους πολύ λίγους σύμμαχους του συριακού καθεστώτος και ένας από τους λόγους για τους οποίους οι ΗΠΑ (και το Ισραήλ, μεταξύ άλλων) θέλουν την αντικατάσταση του Άσσαντ.

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Turkey’s Worst Nightmare

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Turkey’s worst insecurity, and thus nightmare, is nothing else but its territorial dismemberment and therefore anything that has to do with Kurdish autonomy regionally or nationally. As the situation in Syria is getting worse, Assad is focusing on securing Damascus and his own self and family, thus leaving the forces of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in charge. The PYD is said to be linked to and have similar goals with the Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has been fighting against the Turkish state for Kurdish autonomy since the early 80s. The fact that Kurdish flags in northern Syria and on border checkpoints with Turkey are becoming more and more can only be alarming for Turkey that is experiencing a déjà vu.

The first negative development for Turkey came with the gradual emergence of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq. Ankara watched its establishment and solidification, during the two Iraq wars, without being able to do something while the Kurdish issue was one of the reasons the Turkish-American relations entered a period of decline, with the 2003 Iraq war notably being the starting point.

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