İbrahim Karagül: Sochi summit will end Syrian war

Yeni Şafak daily and TVNET Editor-In-Chief İbrahim Karagül assessed developments throughout the Middle East, including the latest incidents in Saudi Arabia, in an online discussion shared on social media platforms, on Thursday.

“The Sochi summit will end the Syrian war. Turkey, Iran and Russia will reach an agreement, and the U.S. has been sidelined,” said Karagül during a program with Yeni Şafak's Digital Publications Manager Ersin Çelik that was posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Iran's Hassan Rouhani met in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on Wednesday to discuss progress in the Astana peace talks as well as changes in de-escalation zones across Syria.

“A map is being formed in Syria’s north. Despite Daesh being eliminated, the U.S. is continuing to conduct military shipments. These weapons will be used against Turkey,” Karagül said.

Despite strong protests from Turkey, the U.S. has armed the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is comprised of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military People’s Protection Units (YPG) wing. The PYD/YPG are Syrian branches of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which has waged war against Turkey for more than 30 years. The PKK itself is widely recognized as a terrorist group, including by the U.S.

“Threats to split Turkey are coming from the U.S. They are trying to implement projects based on various divisions, such as ethnicity and sect. The term ‘strategic alliance’ must be abolished. This does not exist anymore. There are only conjectural alliances,” Karagül said.

“The moment Syria is split, Iraq will also be divided. This would also indicate Turkey’s end. This region must be shut off to western intervention, or it will be the end for us all. Cities of Islamic civilizations are being brought down to ruins as a project to destroy our cultures and values,” he added.

Karagül stated that Saudi Arabia was being used as a testing ground for a new project aimed at causing instability and division in the region.

“When the Arab-Israeli conflict is eliminated, no regional problems remain. Only local conflict remains. Since the 1991 Gulf War, the Arabs have always lost. The more support the west gives the Arab world, the more they lose. The biggest wars of the region are on Arab lands,” Karagül said.

“The new formula being trialed in Saudi Arabia is meant for their destruction. I believe it will cause their downfall. If the project gains speed, Hajj [the holy pilgrimage] may not even happen next year. The occupation of Jerusalem may be legitimized. A huge trap is being set, and if it is successful, Saudi Arabia will be split,” he added.

Saudi authorities on Nov. 4 arrested a number of high-profile figures, including princes and current and former cabinet ministers, for alleged corruption. Eleven princes, four sitting cabinet members and dozens of former government ministers were among those detained.

“The project being implemented by Israel and the U.S. is an effort to Arabize Islam and make it a national identity. What about non-Arab Muslims?” Karagül said.