NATO, Russia scrambling to lead reshaping of Middle East

According to international relations experts, the eagerness of Russia and a US-led international coalition that includes NATO member states to fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria is the outcome of a power struggle among world powers to reshape the map of the Middle East

Experts also believe that Turkey, despite being a member of NATO, will be isolated in this struggle to influence the redesign of the Middle East because of its faulty foreign policy and alleged support of radical Islamic groups in the region, including ISIL.

After Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet on Nov. 24, the first known incident of its kind since the Cold War and one that has strained ties between Turkey and Russia, NATO allies, in a meeting in Brussels on Dec. 2, decided to send patrol aircraft and missiles to boost Ankara’s air defense.

According to diplomats in the Brussels meetings, the measures are likely to include more ships from NATO members in the eastern Mediterranean, more NATO planes based at the Turkish İncirlik air base and more missile defense batteries in addition to those from Spain.

Moscow, which denies violating Turkish airspace, has responded to the incident by announcing it will deploy its advanced S-400 missile defense system that can hit missiles and aircraft up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) away. Russian news agencies also reported that Su-34 fighter jetes were in action in Syria on Dec. 1 for the first time, equipped with air-to-air missiles for self-defense.

The German cabinet approved plans on Tuesday to commit up to 1,200 soldiers to support the international coalition fighting ISIL in Syria. Germany plans to send up to six Tornado reconnaissance planes, tanker aircraft and a frigate to help protect the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the eastern Mediterranean but won’t actively engage in combat.

Experts: NATO and Russia in Syria to take part in remapping the Middle East

However, Associate Professor Mahmut Akpınar from the department of politics and international relations at Turgut Özal University believes that NATO gathering its military forces in the Mediterranean and near Turkey’s border with Syria is not for the sake of supporting its ally, Turkey, against threats from Syria.

Speaking with Today’s Zaman, Akpınar further claims that it is not even to protect the interests of NATO but only to serve the interests of leading world powers in the remapping of the region.

“It looks like major powers, including the UK, Germany and France, are sending their jets and troops to fight against ISIL. However, it is more like them saying ‘We were also there’ when the map of the region is redrawn by leading powers,” Akpınar said.

Associate Professor Savaş Genç from the department of international relations at Fatih University in İstanbul also believes that leading powers in NATO will somehow come to an agreement with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to remap the region after removing ISIL from Syria and Iraq.

Genç told Today’s Zaman that the Turkish government, having had its name associated with ISIL for a long time now, paradoxically had no option but to open İncirlik Air Base to the international alliance forces to bombard ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq.

According to Akpınar, who is also a security analyst at the Ankara-based Center of Law, Ethics and Political Studies (HESA), nobody among the NATO nations cares about Turkey’s interests and security in the region; they are there for their own interests.

Underlining that Turkey is being alienated in the region, where thousands of kilometers of its border lie, Akpınar said the erroneous foreign policy of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government paved way for this alienation.

“Russia came to the region claiming to be targeting ISIL. We don’t know how dedicated Russia is to fighting ISIL, but they have a strong presence in the region. The US, which has used the threat of radical groups to enter wars in foreign lands before, is also in Syria today to fight against ISIL. Finally, European states, as part of NATO, are rushing to the region to fight ISIL and take their seats around the table during the remapping,” Akpınar said.

Turkey’s downing of Russian jet gave opportunity to strengthen Russian presence in Syria

Professor Ertan Efegil from the department of international relations at Sakarya University believes that the downing of the Russian jet by Turkey was a golden opportunity for Russia to strengthen its presence in Syria against the Western powers led by NATO.

Efegil told Today’s Zaman that losing one of its jets and a pilot might have seemed like a loss for Russia, but through the incident it has managed to strengthen its position in any decision over the borders of a possible Syrian confederation.

According to Onur Öymen, a former ambassador who served as Turkey’s permanent representative to NATO and a Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy, Russia has intentionally escalated tensions since its jet was downed by Turkey in order to stockpile more armament in Syria. Speaking with Today’s Zaman, Öymen said he believes Russia is following a cold war strategy against NATO forces in Syria, forcing its presence in the region to be accepted by Western powers.

Underlining that Russia has sacrificed 25 years of bilateral relations with Turkey for the sake of taking part in the power game in the Middle East, Öymen said the crisis between Western powers and Russia is deeper than what is seen in the media.