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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Neo-Ottoman power: Erdogan positions Turkey as Israel's main Middle East challenge
MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS: As Turkey builds its power and influence, its opposition to – and agitation against – Israel is continuing unabated. It has been a good few weeks for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. All current indications suggest that the Turkish leader is making notable advances in his effort to place Turkey at the center of regional strategic affairs. As Erdogan's Turkey builds its power and influence, its opposition to and agitation against Israel is continuing unabated. Observe: this week, Erdogan hosted Ahmed al-Sharaa, the current interim president of Syria, at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul. This was Sharaa's third visit to Turkey since he assumed power in Syria. The Syrian leader thanked Erdogan for what he called Ankara's 'critical support' in securing the lifting of international sanctions against his country. The US and European decisions to lift sanctions against Syria open the way for Sharaa to acquire critical funds for reconstruction in Syria, and potentially to consolidate his own rule. While US President Donald Trump acknowledged the role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in securing this decision, Erdogan has been arguing consistently for the removal of economic restrictions against Syria in recent weeks, including, according to reports, in his conversations with the US President (with whom he enjoys 'great relations,' in Trump's own words.) The new Syrian leader is clearly keen to maintain good relations with Riyadh and avoid the impression that he and his organization owe their position in its entirety to the Sunni Islamist axis of Turkey and the Emirate of Qatar. At the same time, it would be difficult to exaggerate the centrality of Turkey in recent events in Syria. Crucially, it was the Turkish decision never to entirely abandon the Syrian Sunni Islamist insurgency that provided Sharaa with the territorial incubator in which he could maintain and grow the force that would eventually march to Damascus. In this regard, it is worth remembering that just a year ago, the regional and global consensus was that the Syrian civil war was over and Assad had won it. Erdogan's decision to stand outside this consensus has earned him the central role in determining the direction of Syria. Turkey appears set to develop a military infrastructure in Syria in cooperation with the new regime. This is likely to be framed as part of the ongoing struggle against ISIS. Such a framing is entirely disingenuous, given the former relations of de facto cooperation between Ankara and the Sunni jihadi organization, and the complex relations of ISIS with Sharaa and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Nevertheless, with Sharaa's new regime gaining in legitimacy, it may prove difficult to challenge these claims effectively. Sources I spoke with recently in Washington emphasized the determination of the Trump administration to wind down the American presence in Syria in the course of this year. The US presence formed an effective containment to the ambitions of both Iran and Turkey in Syria. Should it be removed, Erdogan and his allies are likely to be the main beneficiaries. ALONGSIDE DEVELOPMENTS in Syria, things appear to be moving in a positive direction for the Turkish leader on the crucial Kurdish front. According to a report in al-Monitor, the PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) announced earlier this month that it had held a congress in its area of control in the mountains of northern Iraqi Kurdistan, in response to the movement's leader Abdullah Ocalan's call for the end of its 40-year insurgency against Turkey. On May 12, the movement announced its decision to disarm and disband. The details still remain to be settled, and the chance that this process may break down remains. But if it is carried through, as appears possible, the Turkish leader will be able justifiably to present it as a historic achievement. Meanwhile, on the home front, Erdogan has secured the incarceration of his most serious political rival, former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The arrest of Imamoglu appears to be the latest milestone on Turkey's road to undisguised autocracy. Notably, and in a sign of the times, Erdogan's suppression of political opposition at home appears to have been met with indifference in the West. Erdogan also spoke this week with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif thanked Erdogan for Turkey's support during its brief standoff with India after Islamist terrorists, who probably have links with Pakistan, murdered 26 people near Pahalgam, in Kashmir. This stance reflects Turkey's ability to combine strategic and pan-Islamic objectives, and translate these into influence both in the Middle East and beyond. It all appears to be going well for Erdogan: burgeoning relations with the US, central influence in Syria, the apparent eclipse of a major security challenge, the successful repression of internal opposition (met with international indifference), and the casting of influence beyond the region. Clearly, he is remaking Turkey as an Islamic and neo-Ottoman power. But what challenges and adversaries remain? In this regard, it should be noted that success is not serving to moderate Erdogan and his allies, in particular in their enthusiastic support for Hamas, and the near-hysterical tone of much of their opposition to Israel. A headline in the Yeni Safak newspaper this week caught the tone of the Erdogan government's rhetoric in this regard. Yeni Safak is a Turkish language publication known for its close relations to the government. Its headline on Tuesday, May 27, referred to what it claimed were Israeli attacks on children in Gaza. The headline read: 'There will be no peace for humanity until these vile murderers are destroyed.' The headline joins similar utterances by Erdogan in recent months, in which he has variously compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Adolf Hitler, claimed that Israel was planning to invade Turkey, and called for Israel's destruction. Erdogan's commitment to Israel's destruction combines geo-political and Islamic ideological elements in the manner by now familiar. For the Turkish leader, Israel is a symbol of both Turkish and Muslim weakness. Its establishment in a former Ottoman territory is testimony both to imperial retreat, and to Islamic inability to prevent territory held by Muslims from falling back into the hands of its pre-Islamic custodians. At the same time, Israel represents a formidable real-world adversary to Turkey's advance, able to challenge it on the strategic level in the eastern Mediterranean, in Syria, and on the diplomatic front in Washington and other Western capitals. Erdogan also fears the possibility of Israel finding its way to Turkey's other enemies. Halil Karaveli, a Turkish analyst writing in The New York Times this week, noted that 'above all, Turkey fears a Kurdish alliance with Israel.' It's undeniable that the Turkish challenge is set to be central in the period ahead for all those elements, in the region and beyond it, who are opposed to political Islam and its advance. The strategic and diplomatic contest between Israel and Turkey looks set to be one of the central regional dynamics in the period now opening up.
The Citizen
15 hours ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Tambo Memorial Hospital launches specialised HIV clinic to Boost treatment success
The Tambo Memorial Hospital took a significant step in the fight against HIV/Aids by launching a Virological Failure Specialised Clinic to support HIV-positive patients struggling with unsuppressed viral loads and difficulties in adhering to treatment and appointment schedules. This targeted intervention is designed to improve patient outcomes and curb the spread of HIV in surrounding communities. Initially focused on children with high viral loads due to inconsistent treatment and social issues, the clinic quickly expanded its services. 'When we started, we primarily worked with children whose viral loads were not decreasing because of irregular treatment and social challenges,' said Serengwane Lethuba, the HIV, Aids, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Tuberculosis (HAST) manager at the hospital. 'Soon, we identified a rising number of adult patients on first- and second-line antiretroviral therapy regimens who were also failing to achieve viral suppression. Many of them were being escalated to third-line treatment, prompting urgent intervention. ALSO READ: Give Us Wings launches blanket drive to help vulnerable people 'The team did a focused sampling of 89 patients experiencing persistent virological failure to better understand the challenges and adapt their approach.' Operating every Tuesday, the clinic is run by a clinical team including a doctor, a clinical nurse practitioner and an HIV testing services (HTS) counsellor. Lethuba said that together, they provide personalised and comprehensive care. One of the clinic's key findings has been the impact of non-disclosure of HIV status, which often contributes to poor adherence and ongoing virological failure. 'To address this, we incorporated the social work department into the clinic's multidisciplinary team. Social workers assist in overcoming psychological and social barriers to treatment, helping patients navigate issues around disclosure and providing continuous support. 'This integrated approach has already shown positive outcomes, with many patients achieving viral suppression within three months of targeted intervention.' He said they also use a proactive system in which nurses review patient data and follow up telephonically to remind and encourage patients to attend appointments. 'Once at the clinic, patients receive co-ordinated care from the full team, which includes medical assessments, counselling and psychosocial support. ALSO READ: Residents tackle overgrown grass at Protea Park amid safety concerns 'The initiative supports the national Close the Gap campaign launched by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko. The campaign seeks to trace patients who defaulted on treatment, those newly diagnosed but not yet on therapy, and individuals failing to suppress the virus.' The Tambo Memorial Hospital has localised this campaign to create a dignified, supportive environment for patients to re-engage with their treatment. HIV-positive individuals in Boksburg, Benoni and nearby areas facing challenges with treatment or viral load suppression are encouraged to visit the Virological Failure Clinic every Tuesday. 'Our specialised clinic is a safe space where patients are empowered and supported to fight HIV effectively,' concluded Lethuba. The clinic is located inside the Tambo Memorial Hospital. For more information, call 011 898 8331. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Sucks Up to Bin Laden's ‘Attractive' Ex-Henchman
President Donald Trump has heaped praise on Syria's president, a former al Qaeda fighter, calling him an 'attractive' and 'tough guy.' Speaking aboard Air Force One on his way to Qatar, Trump continued his charm offensive in the Middle East by speaking highly of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, 42, after the pair met earlier that day in Saudi Arabia. 'Young, attractive guy, tough guy. Strong past, very strong past—fighter,' Trump said. 'He's got a real shot at pulling it together.' Trump met with Sharaa on Wednesday after announcing he would lift sanctions on Syria, which were originally imposed to pressure the since-overthrown Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad. It was the first time an American president had met a Syrian leader in 25 years; the previous was Bill Clinton, who met with Assad's father Hafez al-Assad. Sharaa formerly led the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the effort to oust Assad in Dec. 2024. The U.S., the European Union, and the United Nations all designate HTS as a terrorist organization. Sharaa has urged the removal of the terrorist designation as he attempts to reshape Syria's image following the brutal regime of his predecessor. After taking power and declaring himself Syria's president, Sharaa began wearing shirts and ties, rather than his usual military attire, in an effort to legitimize his leadership. HTS was originally established in 2012 as the al-Nusra Front, which soon became the official Syrian affiliate of al Qaeda while fighting Assad. In 2016, the group rebranded as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and announced it was distancing itself from al Qaeda. Sharaa, then known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, was slapped with a $10 million U.S. bounty in 2017 after being accused of multiple terrorist offenses during the Syrian civil war. The U.S. removed bounty soon after Sharaa took charge in Syria. But his involvement in Islamic terrorism goes back to 2003 when he joined al Qaeda in Iraq to fight against U.S. troops in the aftermath of George W. Bush's disastrous invasion. In 2005, Sharaa was held at the U.S.-run detention center Camp Bucca. During his imprisonment, he met future ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who convinced him to go to Syria to set up what would become the al-Nusra Front. He later split from al-Baghdadi, who himself set up ISIS, presided over an horrific regime in parts of Syria and Iraq which beheaded hostages on social media, threw gay people to their deaths from roofs and sponsored terror attacks around the world. Al-Baghdadi was finally killed by U.S. special forces in 2019 in Syria, close to ISIS' former capital of Raqqah, in a raid which Trump watched from the White House situation room. During his meeting with Sharaa on Wednesday, Trump urged Syria to normalize ties with Israel by signing the Abraham Accords. The landmark deal, which Trump helped broker during his first term, was originally signed between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates in Sept. 2020 as part of efforts to normalize relations and reduce tensions in the Middle East between Arab countries and Israel. Trump also called for 'all foreign terrorists' to leave Syria, the deportation of 'Palestinian terrorists,' assistance in stopping the 'resurgence' of ISIS, and for Syria to 'assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in Northeast Syria,' according to a readout from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump will appear in Doha, Qatar, next as part of his four-day diplomatic tour, where the issue of his gifted $400 million jet from the country's royal family is expected to take center stage.
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
US to remove Syria's terrorism designation, special envoy says
Washington will remove Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, a senior US diplomat said in Damascus on Thursday, clearing another major hurdle to the country's international rehabilitation. "President Trump will soon announce Syria's removal from the list,' Thomas Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, who was recently also appointed special envoy to Syria, said after a flag-raising ceremony at the US ambassador's residence in the Syrian capital. President Donald Trump's decision this month to remove US sanctions on Syria, followed by a meeting with Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara in Saudi Arabia, have dramatically improved the strategic position of the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) government in Damascus. The US President's decision came with the urging of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, two major backers of Mr Al Shara, who also heads HTS, a group formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda. HTS led a rebel offensive that ended more than 50 years of Assad family rule in December. The EU followed suit and decided to remove its own sanctions on Syria's economy, while maintaining the individual sanctions imposed mostly on former dictator Bashar Al Assad and his associates. Mr Al Shara took over a fragmented country with a shambolic economy after nearly 14 years of civil war. American officials have said one of the main reasons for the decision to lift the sanctions was the desire to improve living conditions quickly enough to prevent another civil war. Washington imposed the terror designation on Syria in the late 1970s, when it was under the rule of Mr Al Assad's father Hafez Al Assad, over his support of militant groups in the Middle East. Flanked by Syrian Foreign Minister Ahmad Al Shibani, Mr Barrack raised the US flag on the grounds of the US ambassador's residence in Damascus. The move precedes the reopening of the US embassy, which Mr Trump has said is coming. During their meeting in Riyadh, he asked Mr Al Shara to join the Abraham Accords, which have established relations between Israel and several Arab states. Mr Barrack said Israel and Syria should start working towards a peace deal, starting with a non-aggression pact and delineation of their borders.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's gamble in normalizing relations with Syria in the face of Iran: ‘high-risk, high-reward'
President Donald Trump last week announced he would normalize U.S. relations with Syria by lifting decades-old sanctions, and he became the first American president to meet with the leader of the Middle Eastern nation in 25 years – a move that some have seen as an indirect hit on Iran. The news was a surprising shift from Trump's prior position in which he said in a December post that "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT." Trump's change of posture is a gamble that could see serious gains regarding regional stability and securing U.S. interests by deterring Iranian influence, explained Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran expert and senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Us Ambassador Barrack Named Special Envoy To Syria Amid Sanctions Relief Plan "This is what I call a high-risk, high-reward gamble, but one that, if achieved successfully, can actually prevent Syria from being a launching pad for more Iranian malign activity," Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. "But if it fails, . . . Washington would have ended up empowering a jihadist government in Damascus [that] does not have full control over its own territory." The December collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime following the takeover by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate, not only signified an end to a decades-long oppressive regime, it also effectively dismantled years of Iranian investment in a major setback to its regional influence. Read On The Fox News App Trump emphasized that this sanctions relief, which he argued will give the country a chance to recover and was soon followed by an EU order to lift sanctions, is a move to encourage Syria to normalize diplomatic ties with Israel. But Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is also the leader of HTS, which is still a designated terrorist group under the U.S. and the UN, has not officially agreed to pursue diplomatic ties with Jerusalem – a push several Middle Eastern nations have flatly rejected amid its aggressive military operations in the Gaza Strip. Trump also emphasized that the new Syrian government needs to suppress the rise of Islamic extremist groups, which Ben Taleblu pointed out is going to be one of the nation's chief vulnerabilities as it looks to completely re-establish itself in the world order as trade, business and diplomacy have been reopened to Damascus. Iran's Khamenei Launches Blistering Attack On Trump After Middle East Visit "Tehran traditionally responds to these sorts of things with patience. The Islamic Republic has an ideological view of the way the region should be oriented, and has put time, money, resources, blood and treasure towards that," Ben Taleblu said. The Iran-expert explained that Tehran is waiting for the U.S. and Israel to loosen its pressure on the regime and its proxies, "and for Washington and Jerusalem to make mistakes in the region as they try to push towards bigger-picture things – like flipping Syria or regional peace and stability." "And it is there that in the interim, while Washington focuses up on building up states that Tehran will focus on building up proxies and partners," he added. Syria is not a united nation as conflict persists across the country between varying minority groups, former regime loyalists and terrorist organizations like ISIS. Secretary of State Macro Rubio also warned lawmakers on Tuesday that Syria could be just "weeks" away from a "potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions." These fractures pose a significant vulnerability for the new Syrian government. "Whenever there is a downtrodden or dispossessed person in a war zone or in a conflict zone, that is Tehran's angle of entry back into a conflict," Ben Taleblu said. "This has been Iran's strategy, sitting and waiting and looking to exploit opportunities across the entire northern tier of the Middle East, from Iraq to Syria to Lebanon. "Exploiting disarray is a specialty of the Islamic Republic," he warned. The expert explained that if the Trump administration wants to ensure that Iran is unable to exploit vulnerable populations in Syria, then it will need to press Damascus to address the sweeping concerns facing various groups across the country. Though the president, and his constituents, notoriously opposed nation-building, which could spell trouble for the long-term security of Syria as it sits in Iran's shadow. "Tehran is going to be playing the long game. It's going to be running the clock when it comes to American and Israeli patience for what the future regional order could look like," Ben Taleblu article source: Trump's gamble in normalizing relations with Syria in the face of Iran: 'high-risk, high-reward'
