Middle East Peace Pact…Urgent

For centuries, the Middle East has been one of the focal points of world politics due to its geopolitical position, energy resources and cultural diversity. The popular uprisings that began in Syria in 2011 quickly turned into a civil war that took on regional and global dimensions. At this point, the Syrian crisis is affecting not only the future of that country, but the entire Middle East. The humanitarian tragedy, security issues, sectarian conflicts and weakening of state authority caused by the internal turmoil have made the region fragile.

Syria has been under the authoritarian rule of the Assad family since 13 November 1970. This regime has remained in power through harsh security policies, oppression of minority groups and methods of suppressing dissent. However, when the Arab Spring wave reached Syria in 2011, this authoritarian order began to crumble. The Assad family's failure to transition to democracy and prevent the ongoing civil war led to their departure from the country, whetting the appetite of separatist terrorist organisations that had long dreamed of seceding from Syria and establishing an independent state.

These organisations sought to replicate the model of autonomy achieved in Iraq after 2003 in Syria. During this process, the cantons established by the PKK/PYD/YPG in northern Syria built a de facto autonomous system. This situation has posed a risk to Syria's territorial integrity and has also created security concerns by terrorising separatist Kurdish groups living in countries with large Kurdish populations, such as Turkey, Iraq and Iran. It is therefore clear that the Syrian crisis is not limited to internal dynamics but directly affects the regional balance of power.

The rich oil and natural gas reserves in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Iraq, have placed the region at the centre of global power struggles. Major powers such as the US, Russia, the UK and France are pursuing their interests in the region through ‘proxy wars’ rather than direct intervention. In this context, minority groups such as the Kurds, Assyrians and Druze in Syria have been used as tools against the central government.

In particular, the military and logistical support provided by the US to the YPG has weakened the authority of the central government and created mistrust among regional actors. Russia, on the other hand, has aimed to increase its influence in the Mediterranean by supporting the Assad regime from the outset. This picture shows that the conflicts in Syria are not only a civil war but also a reflection of the clash of interests between major powers.

The greatest damage from proxy wars is suffered by innocent civilians. Millions of Syrians have been forced to flee their country due to internal unrest, leaving Lebanon and Jordan, as well as our country, facing huge waves of migration. This situation has brought with it not only security issues but also serious socio-economic problems and cultural integration issues in our country and other countries receiving migrants.

No development in the Middle East is beyond Israel's interest. Historically, Israel has viewed instability in the surrounding Arab countries as advantageous to its own security. In this context, the chaotic environment in Syria has created new strategic opportunities for Israel. Israel particularly desires fragmented, weak, and internally conflicted structures along its northern border rather than a strong, centralised Syria. To this end, it openly supports minority groups, enabling them to arm themselves. This situation affects the security balances not only of Syria, but also of Turkey, Lebanon and Palestine. Israel's approach in the region poses a significant obstacle to lasting peace. This is because the existence of a state that thrives on chaos serves to perpetuate conflicts rather than resolve them.

Can the Syrian Crisis be Overcome? Is Peace Possible in the Middle East?

Overcoming the crisis in Syria and bringing peace to the Middle East is an extremely complex process. However, it is not impossible. A solution is possible. For this, several fundamental conditions must be met:

A Middle East Peace Pact (MEP) must be established.

Regional actors such as Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar must establish the “Middle East Peace Pact” (MEP) with the aim of providing administrative and technical assistance to establish a democratic structure that will bring true democracy to Syria and to carry out work that will put an end to the dreams of the separatist groups in Syria, which are being fed by the imperial Western countries through arms and economic aid for their own economic interests.(MEP).

Ending the Intervention of Global Powers

The MEP, once established, should act immediately to hold the necessary talks with the US, Russia, European countries and Israel, among others, to establish structures and control mechanisms that will address their relatively debatable concerns and remove Syria from being an area of conflict of interest. Imperialist rich countries should be directed towards providing humanitarian aid, reconstruction projects and contributing to the political solution process, and deterrent common policies should be developed to discourage Israel from its aggressive policies.

Full democracy

Instead of granting rights and powers that suggest division under the guise of recognising the rights of groups such as Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs and Yazidis residing in Syria, a transparent democratic structure should be established through full democracy to ensure the fair representation of all Syrian citizens in parliament, and regional divisions based on ethnicity should be ended.

It should not be forgotten that the privileges presented today as minority rights will become traps for societies in the coming centuries.

Conclusion

The chaos in Syria threatens not only the security and stability of this country but also the entire Middle East and its future. As at the beginning of every century, separatist groups, fuelled by the incitement and support of Western imperial powers, seeking statehood, Israel's occupation moves feeding on chaos, and the instrumentalisation of minority groups are deepening the crisis.

However, history has shown us that even the most hopeless-looking crises can be overcome with strong leadership, sound diplomacy and the will of sensible people. The Syrian crisis can also be resolved through cooperation between regional and global actors. This cooperation must be made concrete by immediately establishing an OBP organisation and commencing work. This solution has the potential to bring lasting peace not only to Syria but to the entire Middle East.