Hüsnü Mahalli, guest on Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu’s '12'den' program, explains: Why Putin cannot give up on Erdoğan

Veteran journalist Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu’s “12’den” program hosted Middle East expert and journalist-author Hüsnü Mahalli this week.

Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu, who prepared this week's episode of 12'den from Bodrum, shared important insights with Hüsnü Mahalli regarding the relations between Syria and Turkey. 

Hüsnü Mahalli, who began his journalism career in 1977, first spoke about his 47 years in the profession. 

In response to Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu’s question, “Hüsni Abi, 47 years... You have been a very close witness to both Turkey and the Middle East geography for nearly 50 years, partly due to your journalism. You have written, drawn, and told these stories. I want to look at the big picture at the point we have reached today. What kind of a landscape do you see, Hüsni Abi? In other words, what has changed when you look at the region?” Hüsnü Mahalli replied as follows: 

“To be honest, not much has changed. Why? In my opinion, of course, there is a tremendous betrayal across this entire geography, including Turkey. I mean, there is a tremendous genetic, in my view, genetic decay, and a betrayal on an individual, social, group, and societal level caused by this decay. Everyone has some reason, which is usually interest—individual interest and group interest. The most important thing, and secondly... If we are to speak more ideologically; you are a leftist, an Islamist, a rightist, a nationalist...

You are not making your own individual decisions there. Someone tells you, 'march,' and you march. 'Shoot,' and you shoot. 'Run,' and you run. I say this based on the stories we lived through during our student years. It is not just Turkey; it is like this in the region as well. Because, unlike the friends here, I do not interpret any event in Turkey solely through Turkey's internal dynamics. That is not how it works. More accurately, I usually look at the external dimension of any event, no matter what it is, and I look at its regional dimensions. Because, for example, everything happening in Turkey today, in my opinion, stems from the foreign policy of the AKP government over the last 10 years.”

‘PUTIN NEEDS ERDOĞAN’

Hüsnü Mahalli also made important assessments regarding Turkey-Syria relations. 

Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu noted that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seems inclined to “turn a new page” with Syria and asked, “His approach was in that direction, at least, but it is clear that he has not seen a response from the Assad side. So, what would be the effect of Russia here, Hüsni Abi? Because Russia wants to bring the two states together.” Hüsnü Mahalli responded as follows: 

“Russia needs both sides. It needs Erdoğan, no matter what he does, it needs him. Because today, due to the embargo and sanctions, Russia is meeting everything it can think of—look, everything it can think of and things it cannot—from Turkey. Everything it can think of and things it cannot, from Turkey. In other words, the annual legal and illegal trade between Turkey and Russia is at least 400 billion dollars. At least, and there are those who put this figure at 600 billion. Therefore, no matter what Russia does, and no matter what happens, it will not give up on Turkey.

Now, in return for this, it is putting pressure on Assad. It says, 'make peace, make peace, make peace,' but there is something Putin does not know, or perhaps he knows but it does not suit his interests. Assad is stubborn. He probably knows, but I know that he is even more stubborn in this sense. Therefore, it is a habit inherited from his father. His father, when the Russians were with the Americans... Oh, the offers the Americans brought to his father, Hafez Assad. He did not accept any of them. He had one condition: 'Let Israel withdraw from the Golan, and we will make peace,' he said. Now, this one is even more stubborn. The son is even more stubborn.

Therefore, he says, 'do not pressure me.' In my opinion, the only reason he suddenly jumped and went to Moscow 15-20 days ago was to give Putin a dressing down. Because Putin had sent his special advisor, Lavrov. They were applying pressure, and that is how it was reflected in the media. 'Assad, my brother, no, you have to make peace.' I have my conditions. What are those conditions? Do we know? He says, 'let the Turkish military withdraw.' That is, 10 percent of Syria right now. 'Let the Turkish military withdraw. Let Turkey stop its support for the armed groups that are declared terrorists according to Syria. Let the Syrian army conduct an operation in Idlib, and let the Turkish military not interfere. Then let us sit at the table. Let us talk about the PYD and YPG.'”

To watch the full episode of veteran journalist Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu’s “12’den” program, click on the video below: