Turkey condemns Israel – but its plan to take over Syria is underway

According to a report in the Turkish Hurriyat newspaper, Syria is experiencing an accelerated reconstruction process under increasing Turkish influence. Abdul Qader Salabi, a senior commentator in the newspaper, points out that the pace of returning to normal life in Syria is faster than expected, the new government was established quickly and appointed a series of key officials. On the other hand, according to a report in Al-Akhbar, Turkey plans to establish a new Syrian army of 300,000 soldiers and take over the country’s infrastructure.

The vice president of Turkey emphasized the strategic importance of Syria as a transportation and trade corridor. According to him, Syria will be integrated into the logistics corridors of Turkey, including the development corridor planned with Iraq and the corridor planned between Turkey and Azerbaijan through Armenia.

Another significant development is the announcement of the expected signing of an exclusive maritime agreement between Turkey and Syria, a move that provoked protest from Greek Cyprus and the European Union. According to the Turkish press, this agreement is expected to change the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean in favor of Turkey.

The most ambitious project, according to the “Turkey” newspaper, is the establishment of a new Syrian army of 300,000 soldiers with full Turkish support. The plan includes the establishment of five military camps in different regions of Syria, with the initial nucleus consisting of 50,000 pro-Turkish “Syrian National Army” soldiers and 50,000 “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” fighters.

According to reports in the Yeni Spak newspaper, Turkey is planning to establish military bases in Damascus and Homs, alongside naval bases in Tartus or Latakia. Moreover, the possibility of establishing a base in Lebanon is being considered, as part of a strategic concept that sees Syria and Lebanon as part of “one military and economic basin” under Turkish influence. The Turkish involvement reaches up to the level of senior appointments in the new Syrian government.

As I recall, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the US and the West must prevent Israel’s invasion of Syrian territory: “The Americans and the other powers bear the responsibility for stopping the Israeli invasion of Syrian territory.”