The terrible earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria brought with it an incredible burden of death and desperation. The consequences could go far beyond two separate countries: this tragedy could have consequences for the entire Middle East, some positive, due to aid, repercussions on upcoming elections, and convergence between governments.
As pointed out by the Jerusalem Post, in a relevant analysis, Israel was one of the first countries to mobilize for Turkey. Tel Aviv has decades of experience in providing relief, mobilizing search and rescue teams, and providing humanitarian aid after natural disasters. Diplomatic ties between the two countries have greatly improved over the past year, again thanks to high-level visits, and things can only get better now, given that a sense of gratitude, which will help at least in part, can also spread among the public. to overcome old distrust.
The destruction caused by the earthquake in Syria added to the destruction caused by the terrible civil war that has continued for 10 years. It turns out that getting aid there is much more difficult, not only because Bashar Assad requested it two days after the earthquake, but also because large areas of the country are still the epicenter of violent conflict or under Assad’s control. militia Islamists or anti-Damascus militias backed by Ankara. Russia and the United States play a vital role in eastern Syria. The Washington-backed SDF operates in key cities not far from the affected areas.
Will these militias be able to provide the necessary assistance on their own, or will they have to turn outward? Will Turkey stop attacking Kurds operating inside the country, as it has done for months? Or will you at least let them come to areas under their control, even if they don’t provide assistance? The earthquake could be a turning point for Syria and various governments in the region and around the world, helping to at least partially restore deteriorated relations. In particular, Damascus can improve relations with Turkey, but it can also improve relations with other governments or government blocs such as the European Union. This may give Assad an opportunity to make progress in at least some, if not normalize, geopolitical relations.
But for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, this earthquake could turn political if the government does not show that it can effectively and quickly deal with the consequences of the earthquake. National elections are scheduled for June 18, and the government’s work will be subject to serious scrutiny by the public, who, according to various polls, are already very critical of Ankara. But tragedy can also turn into an opportunity. In the past, Erdogan’s AKP used the elections as an excuse to start a conflict or claim “fight against terrorism” and arrest political opponents. Under the pretext of an emergency, he could do something like this, even delaying his appointment with the ballot boxes, thus gaining time to reverse the negative trend of the polls.
Finally, the devastation caused by the earthquake can be a lesson for all countries to learn how to better manage such events in the future. Questions will be asked about how best to construct buildings, whether guidelines are correct for emergencies, and whether services are prepared. In this sense, the countries of the region will be able to take advantage of this to cooperate and discuss how they can be better prepared to work together in the event of future natural disasters.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
