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July 11th, 2016 
Awake Goy Alwaght- An Italian delegation has visited Damascus to prepare the ground for resumption of diplomatic ties between the EU and the Syrian government— a development indicating that the shifts in policy of major players of the Syrian crisis are seeing an intensification.
The American sources are talking about a partial agreement on Syria soon to be reached between the White House and the Kremlin, as the Syrian army has tightened the encirclement on the terrorists existing in Aleppo.
Amid such conditions, sources in Turkish ministry of foreign affairs have noted that Ankara could accede to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad remaining in power, though for a short term after political settlement.
Some other sources suggested that a collection of these developments would result in isolation of Saudi Arabia, a staunch supporter of anti-Damascus militant groups.
At the beginning of Syria crisis, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that he would soon perform his prayer at the famous Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, after fall of the Syrian government. However, after four years, Erdogan not only failed to make his dream coming true on Syria but also reviewed his policy in dealing with the Syrian conflict. He even reportedly expressed willingness to see President Assad staying in power. A source from inside the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs revealed on Saturday that Turkey could approve of stay of the Syrian President in his post during the short-term transitional period which would not exceed six months.
The same source added that this agreement could come in line with international superpowers such as Russia and the US. Talking to the London-based Arab language daily Asharq Al-Awsat, the Turkish foreign ministry source said that the steps that Turkey could take towards Syria were different from those it took to restore diplomatic relations with Russia and Israeli regime, and perhaps those it could take soon for rapprochement with Egypt.
The Turkish source continued that Turkey’s moves to recalibrate policies towards Syria came as a result of the threats Ankara was grappling with and the damage the Turkish interests received during the past five years due to extremist reaction of the Turkish government to the stay of President Assad in power.
These remarks come while within a year ISIS’ terrorists conducted several attacks at the different Turkish cities, killing hundreds of civilians. Such assaults worked as a push for Ankara officials to prepare for diplomatic rapprochement with Moscow and also reshuffle policies in Syria.
On the other side, the leader of the Turkish leftist Motherland Party has predicted that the Turkish President would take steps to improve relations with President Bashar al-Assad, and “soon the two would perform prayer at Damascus’ Umayyad Mosque.” It appears that the transformation in Turkish policy towards the Syrian crisis has taken place after Ankara normalized ties with Moscow.
Maintaining that Turkey would keep getting closer and closer to Russia, the German daily Der Spiegel wrote on Saturday that Moscow and Ankara were getting closer further, and the two countries’ presidents must meet soon, although they are exchanging phone calls currently. Der Spiegel added that Russia’s next step would be focusing on getting Turkey out of NATO.
Erdogan warns against removing Syria from map
In time with sensible change in Turkey’s stance against Syria crisis, the Turkish president cautioned against removal of Syria from the world’s map. According to a report by the Turkish daily Zaman, Erdogan yesterday referred to nearly six years of devastating war in Syria in his speech, warning against elimination of Syria from the global map.
“We never accept to see Syria eliminated from the world’s map,” Zaman quoted Erdogan as saying.
Erdogan’s expression of concerns over Syria’s future comes while Turkey the major corridor of foreign terrorist transportation into Syria, and during the over-five-year crisis in Syria Erdogan spared no efforts to provide the terrorists with financial aids, arms and logistics to bring down Syria’s Assad.
The analysts suggest that Turkey’s recent steps come to assure the US and Russia that Ankara is not backing the terrorist groups, on top of them ISIS and al-Nusra Front, fighting the Syrian government, and that it is taking measures to secure and control the borders with Syria.
Last week, upon rapprochement with Russia, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey could close down borders with Syria. The Russian officials frequently said that as long as Turkish borders are not shut in the face of the takfiris, the war against terrorism remains strenuous. On the other hand, Turkey which for three years has been striving after establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria to easily support the takfiri groups, in recent months backtracked on its earlier stances.
The West changes positions
The Western countries which just a couple of months ago were in favor of escalation of war in Syria, insisting that President Assad must go, changed course after five over years and decided to normalize diplomatic ties with Damascus.
On Saturday, the media reported about an Italian delegation visit to Damascus that was headed by chief of Italy’s foreign Intelligence service.
According to Al Mayadeen news channel, the informed sources noted that the discussions of Italian delegation and Syrian officials focused on normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and also lifting of EU sanctions on Syria. The report added that sanctions relief was precondition of Damascus for the onset of any negotiations or security collaboration. During the talks, the Italians promised to work to pave the way for EU-Syria rapprochement in near future.
Last week, a high-ranking Syrian military and intelligence delegation visited Rome, Italy.
Recently, the Syrian President Assad has talked about European and Western attempts for opening contact channels and launching covert security cooperation with Damascus.
The Syrian crisis which is now turning a six-year-old tragedy has claimed lives of about 500,000 Syrian and injured 1.9 million more people. The war-torn country’s infrastructures were razed to the ground.
While life expectancy has dropped from 70 in 2010 to 55.4 in 2015, the consumer prices rose 53% only in 2015.
Overall economic losses are estimated at $255 billion and about 13.8 million Syrians have lost their source of livelihood.
Should westerners and their regional allies come to an agreement upon Syria’s future, would Syrian nation forget all pains and wounds it suffered during these hellish years?
By Alwaght
Source Article from http://theiranproject.com/blog/2016/07/11/erdogan-eases-stances-syria-west-eyes-resuming-ties-damascus/
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