Who had a slip of the tongue; America or Turkey?!

While a large portion of the pro-government media continues to celebrate the "conquest" of Syria, there are also those who are drawing attention to the course of events between the lines.

Three sentences from one of them perfectly describe our situation:

"Imperialism has a strange strategy. It first gives those it wants to make lose a sense of winning. Imperialism is very skilled at popping the balloons it inflates."

When a joint working group was formed regarding de-escalation zones in Syria and an agreement was reached on Idlib at the fifth Astana Summit on July 4-5, 2017, MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli, a partner in the People's Alliance, said the following about Idlib, HTS, and the FSA:

"Ensuring peace in Idlib, right at our borders, will only be possible by rooting out terrorism from there. The issue is not of a scale or level that can be handled solely by Free Syrian Army elements. Even if the Turkish Armed Forces are not going to enter Idlib for combat purposes, it is of vital importance to be prepared and cautious against every possibility and attack... We cannot stand back in Idlib, we cannot remain silent to the sedition and hostilities in Afrin. Turkey must stand against the Byzantine intrigues served in our region and the terrifying clash whose subject is death and brutality with its national power and spirit of unity. The wrath of the Turkish nation and the power of the Turkish state must be shown to murderer and criminal organizations such as HTS, ISIS, FETÖ, PYD-YPG, PKK, and their likes. The Idlib operation will not be easy; it will take time. The course of developments points to this. But one must act patiently, intelligently, and strategically; and not shy away from armed struggle where necessary."

7 years later, it has emerged that not only have we ended up arm-in-arm with HTS, but we have also put their leader in the driver's seat!..

THE SECOND 'CEASEFIRE INCIDENT'

Again, as the pro-government media moved to sweep the PKK/YPG in northern and eastern Syria following the conquest of Damascus, a second "ceasefire" crisis erupted between Ankara and Washington.

You remember the first one; following the Operation Peace Spring in October 2019, then-US President Trump sent that disgraceful letter to Erdoğan saying, "Don't be a fool, be smart... I will destroy your economy," and then sent his Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Pompeo. After the meetings, while the US side announced that a "ceasefire" had been reached between Turkey and the PKK/YPG, Ankara announced that the operation had been "paused." That so-called 5-day "ceasefire" or "pause" has lasted until today!..

As for today's "ceasefire"; a large part of our nation became aware of the issue thanks to the statement made by Ministry of National Defense sources the other day.

Our media reported that in response to the US State Department Spokesperson's words, "A consensus has been reached on a ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK/YPG/SDF," Ministry sources replied, "It is out of the question for us as Turkey to negotiate with any terrorist organization. We believe there was a slip of the tongue regarding the statement made."

IT SEEMS EVERYONE HAD A SLIP OF THE TONGUE

The day before yesterday was December 19. Now let's explain the process day by day.

On December 16, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that they were in contact with Turkey to prevent a new conflict in Rojava, noted that the ceasefire reached between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army around Manbij had been extended until the weekend, and added that Washington wanted the ceasefire to be extended as much as possible. Miller also added, "We continue to discuss a roadmap for the future with the SDF and with Turkey... We do not want any party to take advantage of the current unstable situation to expand their own unilateral interests at the expense of the interests of the Syrian people."

On December 17, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen, addressing the UN Security Council meeting from Damascus for the first time, drew attention to the opportunities and challenges facing the country, then touched upon the clashes between the Syrian National Army (SNA or FSA) and the SDF, saying, "The five-day ceasefire mediated by Turkey and the US has ended," and warned that a possible military escalation could have devastating consequences.

And on the same day, the US State Department announced that "the ceasefire between the FSA and the YPG has been extended until the weekend."

On December 18, Sedat Ergin from Hürriyet wrote the following:

"After the SNA units took Manbij, their arrival at the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates basin in the second half of last week and the clashes that broke out there between the SNA and the YPG created a second pressure zone. A temporary ceasefire agreement was reached shortly before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken set foot in Ankara last Thursday evening."

On the same day, at the daily press briefing at the Pentagon, Spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder stated that the PKK/YPG, appearing as the SDF, "continues to be an important partner" in the fight against ISIS, while merely noting that they were closely following the developments regarding the "ceasefire negotiations."

Let's come to the day before yesterday.

While UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen was saying at a press conference in Damascus that one of the biggest challenges facing the new Syria is "the ongoing clashes in Rojava and the increasing tension between the US-backed SDF and Turkey-backed armed groups," and adding, "We are pleased with the renewal of the ceasefire and hope it will be implemented. However, a permanent political solution to this problem needs to be found," there was a weekly press briefing at the Ministry of National Defense, and the "slip of the tongue" response we mentioned above was given regarding the "ceasefire" claims.

On the same day, a daily press briefing was held at the Pentagon after ours. Journalists asked Spokesperson Major General Ryder to "provide an update on the ceasefire between the SDF and Turkey-backed forces west of the Euphrates" and asked if the Pentagon had any role in its implementation or continuation.

Major General Ryder gave the following response:

"As you know, the State Department is, of course, in consultation with our Turkish partners, our allies. My understanding is, and the State Department can go into more detail, that [the ceasefire] is continuing. It has been extended, it continues to be observed. Again, you know, our forces in Syria are focused on the defeat of ISIS. Of course, we do not want to see conflict between the SDF and Turkey-backed forces in Syria. You know, security and stability are incredibly important, especially during this sensitive period that Syria is in. Therefore, once again, we encourage all parties to support the Syrian people and maintain this peace and stability."

Let's assume the US is conducting a perception operation entirely. Fine, but what about the statements of the UN Special Envoy for Syria; is he also part of this game?

More importantly; the expression by MND sources, "It is out of the question for us as Turkey to negotiate with any terrorist organization."

Anyway, the US is not talking about a "ceasefire" directly between Turkey and the PKK/YPG; it says "between the SDF and the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army."

Well, if Turkey has no relationship with the Syrian National Army or has none left, then there is no problem!.. Let's address this in another article.