We 'took' Syria, but who did we lose it to?!

While meeting with the genocidal Netanyahu a year ago, Trump revealed that he told Erdoğan, "Congratulations, you did what no one else has been able to do for two thousand years. You took Syria. Under different names, but it's the same thing." He then added that he could mediate between Turkey and Israel in Syria.

How did we "take" Syria?.. We "took" it at the cost of ruining not just Turkey's economy but its demographic structure, and handed it over to our "man," HTS leader Jolani. Since January 2025, Jolani has been the President of Syria under the name Shara.

Our biggest expectation from Jolani/Shara was the signing of a "Maritime Jurisdiction Agreement" between Turkey and Syria, which is of close interest to the Eastern Mediterranean.

Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration immediately intervened; they announced that if the agreement were signed, they would veto the 1 billion euros the EU pledged for refugees in Turkey, and that they would also take action to ensure the HTS is not removed from the list of terrorist organizations.

That wasn't all; while our experts and the pro-government media were explaining how the agreement between Turkey and Syria would affect the balances in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, a close friend of Hakan Fidan, rushed to Damascus to meet with Ahmed Shara and Foreign Minister Shaibani, drawing attention to the "importance of adherence to international law and the law of the sea." Ten days after Gerapetritis, the Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos, who went to Damascus, was received by Shara as the "Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus." In other words, our "man" recognized the Greek Cypriot administration, which Turkey does not recognize.

It was around this time last year again; this time, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration's patrons, Israel and the EU, joined forces. While the EU lifted some sanctions on Syria, it added the following conditions to the text:

"Ending the interference of destabilizing foreign actors in the country... Respecting the sovereign rights of EU members within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and international law in maritime jurisdiction agreements that Syria will sign with third countries..."

In plain Turkish, Shara was told: "Do not let Turkey interfere in affairs in Syria... Comply with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which Turkey is not a party... Recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as the owner of all of Cyprus."

Immediately after, something else happened; it was claimed that the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, received assurances from Hakan Fidan that "Turkey does not intend to sign a memorandum with Damascus regarding the determination of the Exclusive Economic Zone"!..

Let us underline that this agreement, which is of vital importance for Turkey, has still not been signed while Israel has settled in the Greek Cypriot administration and the US, UK, Greece, and France have piled into the Eastern Mediterranean, and let us come to the present day.

While Turkey is Declared an "Occupier" and the EU a "Guarantor"

On Thursday and Friday, the EU held an informal meeting with regional countries. The host was the Greek Cypriot administration, which holds the EU presidency, and those invited as regional countries were Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who recently stated that she supports EU enlargement and said, "We must succeed in completing the European continent so that it does not fall under Russian, Turkish, or Chinese influence. We must think bigger and more geopolitically," was also there.

In her speeches to the "dear friends" attending the meeting, Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides explained that they advocate for cooperation between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council, that they attach importance to cooperation between Lebanon and Israel, that they support the inclusive recovery of Syria, that what was discussed at the meeting proves a common understanding regarding risks and taking action, and that they aim for a stronger and more stable region hand-in-hand with a stronger EU, while giving the following messages about Turkey and the TRNC:

"The informal meeting began yesterday in the partially occupied Ammochostos (Famagusta) region, in Ayia Napa. And today, we are together in Nicosia, the last divided capital on the European continent, which serves as a mirror to Europe's greatest challenges as well as its deepest successes. In fact, the experience of living under conditions of occupation fuels our deep belief in the European project and further European integration. And the time requires exactly this: more European integration and a more strategically autonomous, independent union."

"Support for Ukraine in every field is one of the main priorities of our [presidency], because we defend international law wherever it is violated, and Cyprus has personally experienced the devastating consequences of occupation and invasion."

"We all agreed that when the sovereignty of a member state is threatened, the answer should not be 'if' but 'how fast.' Therefore, we cannot continue to rely on temporary arrangements. We must transform the Mutual Defense Clause into a structured operational mechanism and be able to turn political statements into predictable actions. This ensures that the EU acts as a credible security guarantor."

At this EU meeting, a strategic partnership declaration was published between Egyptian President Sisi, whom Erdoğan made a "dear brother" after declaring him a "putschist, murderer, and tyrant" for 10 years, and Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Christodoulides. The declaration emphasized "the common position of Cyprus and Egypt on supporting the reunification of Cyprus in line with UN Security Council resolutions," "the support for peaceful resolution of international disputes and the rejection of the unlawful use of force," and "unwavering commitment to international maritime law and maritime security in the Mediterranean, and respect for international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea."

Jolani/Shara Was Also There

The constant scene of all EU meetings. But this time there was an important difference; Syrian President Jolani/Shara was also there. Thus, our "man" both recognized the Greek Cypriot administration, which Turkey does not recognize, and listened to these speeches against us.

In the press conference he held with Ursula von der Leyen, which made Turkey's hair stand on end, he also said that Syria is a safe and alternative main artery connecting Central Asia and the Gulf to Europe with its "four seas and nine corridors" initiative, that the meeting registers a new geopolitical reality that transcends traditional cooperation frameworks, and that the Euro-Arab Mediterranean partnership has become an "inevitable path." Meanwhile, while the Greek Cypriot administration has become a base for Israel, he called on his "European partners" to take responsibility in the face of Israel's attacks on Syrian territory, can you believe it?!

How much of a "man of ours" is Jolani/Shara; let us continue to explain.

He met with many heads of state and government at that meeting in the Greek Cypriot administration. One of the names he had a private meeting with was French President Macron. It was reported that they discussed regional security, post-war reconstruction, and political stability.

Aside from being the patron and mentor of the Syrian PKK, what did Macron do before and after this meeting?

- He commemorated the so-called Armenian genocide...

- He announced that he would sign a "permanent soldier" agreement with the Greek Cypriot administration to station French soldiers on the Island, contrary to the 1960 Treaties of Guarantee and Alliance...

- After the Greek Cypriot administration, he went to Athens and said that they would stand by Greece in the event of a possible "threat" that might come from Turkey...

Do you see who is with whom?

In short; will Jolani/Shara, who is seeking to consolidate the Syria-EU strategic partnership with the "High-Level Syria-Europe Political Dialogue" to be held in Brussels on May 11, ever sign a maritime jurisdiction agreement with Turkey, or will he be allowed to sign it?!

And furthermore, can Ankara, which decided not to discuss it in public as a "family matter" when the brotherly Turkic Republics appointed an ambassador to the Greek Cypriot administration in exchange for the EU's 12 billion euro fund, ever say "Heyyyyy Shara"?!

Müyesser YILDIZ

April 26, 2026