A lawmaker said Turkey started changing its policies on Syria when Iran demonstrated to Ankara that the real reason behind the foreign-backed militancy in the Arab state was tao break up Iraq, Syria and in the long run Turkey itself.
Mohammad Javad Jamali, a member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said that "the Islamic Republic shed light on the US and Israeli motives, as well as those of their regional ally Saudi Arabia, and demonstrated to Turkey that these countries are seeking the secession of Iraq, Syria and Turkey," ICANA reported on Sunday.
"Their aim was to create another Israel in the region." he said. Jamali cited reasons for Turkey's earlier fierce anti-government positions on Syria, saying Ankara's belief that a Muslim Brotherhood-inspired revolution was taking place in its neighboring country was the foremost reason for supporting opposition groups in Syria.
"As Turkey espouses the thoughts [of the Muslim Brotherhood], they staunchly supported opposition groups and went as far as helping them get armed," he said.
Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Islamic organization founded in Egypt that supports a "model of political activism combined with Islamic charity work". The party has been outlawed in Egypt and many Arab states as its principles go against the western-backed absolute monarchies in the Middle East.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as an elected Muslim leader, claims a deeper affinity with the Muslim Brotherhood. His ruling party sees itself as the product of the same demographic forces that brought the group to power in Egypt for a one-year stint in 2012 at the peak of the Arab Spring.
Assertive Role
Jamali said the second reason for Turkey's support of Syrian opposition was Ankara's policy of seeking a more assertive role in the Middle East
"Turkey wanted to supplant Iran's role in the Middle East and position itself as a decisive player in the region," the parliamentarian said.
As the war progressed, Turkey realized that the Syrian government was there to stay, Jamali said, adding that Iran also played a role in this process by explaining the severity of the Syrian situation and the dangers facing Turkey. The lawmaker noted that the ongoing Turkish operation in Syria's Afrin is the outgrowth of that realization, but added that Iran has is concerns regarding Turkey's military intervention.
"The Syrian Kurds' Democratic Party in northern Syria is trying to establish a country that could be dangerous for Turkey's territorial integrity," Jamali said.
He said Turkey has realized this and that is why it has distanced itself from the US—the main backer of the Kurdish forces in Syria.
Jamali also noted that Turkey has promised to increase coordination with Iran on its actions in Syria after Tehran advised Ankara against any measures that could undermine the Syrian integrity.
