Turkey has resolved to halt support to National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces in the embattled Syria.
According to analyst and journalist Musa Özuğurlu, this decision is likely contribute to normalization between Ankara and Damascus.
Turkey has decided to end its support for the Syrian National Coalition which encompasses various opposition groups fighting in the Syrian conflict.
The Syrian news outlet Zaman el-Vasl reported citing a source in the coalition.
Founded in November 2012, the Syrian National Coalition received $320,000 in annual support from Turkey.
According to Turkish political analyst and journalist Musa Özuğurlu, the decision to stop this support was prompted by Ankara’s unwillingness to give funds to an opposition organization “capable only of talking at press conferences and useless in combat actions on the ground.”
The journalist pointed to the fact that currently the coalition does not have the instruments to influence the course of events in Syria.
The experts pointed out that Turkey is focused on neutralizing the security threats coming from Kurdish units involved in the Syrian conflict.
“While the US decided to cut off support for Syrian opposition fighters in order to focus on military assistance for Kurdish forces, Turkey’s decision to end support for the Syrian National Coalition is a signal that Ankara will focus on countering Kurdish forces in Syria,” he said.
At the same time, Özuğurlu underscored that the move would be very important in the future because it is a positive step in the relations between Ankara and Damascus.
“By abandoning support for the Syrian opposition, Turkey is making a goodwill gesture towards the Syrian government. This decision may help break the ice between Damascus and Ankara,” he said.
According to Özuğurlu, the possible cooperation between Turkey and the Syrian government would be mutually beneficial.
“Kurdish forces are the key problem on the ground for Turkey.
Özuğurlu, however, assumed that there will be no quick normalization between the two sides.
Source: Sputnik
