ISTANBUL –Journalist Aykan Sever stated that Presiden Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned from his US visit with “specific tasks” assigned by Donald Trump, emphasizing: “Erdogan’s primary mission is to end Gaza and Hamas. Other Muslim countries attending the meeting also supported the goal fo eliminating Hamas.”
As the region witnesses new developments in Syria, particularly with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) consolidation power through violence and repression, Sever linked Erdogan’s Washington visit to broader geopolitical realignments. The meeting between Erdogan and Trump, their first in six years, reportedtly addressed issues such as Israel-Turkey relations, the situation in Syria, and the position of Kurds in the Middle East.
According to Sever, the current process in Turkey, including the so-called Democratic Society initiative, is closely tied to regional power struggles. Sever said. “Every state in the Middle East is pursuing its own expansion. Israel has created a buffer zone in southern Syria, including Druze areas, and is securing international legitimacy for its occupation with US support. Similarly, Turkey’s motivation in launching the current process is not peace with the Kurds but territorial expansion.”
‘ERDOGAN AND TRUMP SHARE THE SAME MINDSET’
Sever described the Erdogan—Trump meeting as a renewal of an “imperial contract” and said: “Noth Trump and Erdogan view Middle Eastern peoples not as human beings but as bargaining chips. They have no concern for democracy or freedom; they only care about maintaining their power. During the press conference, Trump even mocked Erdogan by saying, ‘This man knows all about rigged elections’ and Erdogan did not utter a word.”
‘TRUMP TASKED ERDOGAN WITH DESTROYING HAMAS’
Discussing the behind the scenes aspects of the meeting, Sever stated: “They agreed on the occupation of Palestine. Trump gave Erdogan a mission, he said, ‘We have done a lot for him, and now he must return the favour.’ Erdogan’s first task is to destroy Gaza and Hamas. Other Muslim countries at the table supported this.”
Sever claimed there were also undisclosed understandings regarding Iran and energy policies: “There is an agreement not to buy gas and oil from Russia, but for Turkey, the main issue was Rojava. Erdogan seems to have received certain concessions on North and East Syria. The legitimization of Colani and HTS at the UN is related to this, a tacit approval for operations against Rojava.”
He added that the subsequent attacks on Kurdish neighbourhoods such as Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood Neighbourhoods, Aleppo, Syria were “no coincidence,” asserting that “these assaults were carried out with Turkey’s direct support, under the watchful eyes of the US and with Israel’s consent.”
‘THE INTERLOCUTOR OF PEACE IS SOCIETY ITSELF’
Highlighting the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s role in obstructing the peace process, Sever said: “Erdogan has ruled for 23 years; if he wanted to release the imprisoned Kurdish politicians, he could do it immediately. There’s no need for the ECHR. But both Erdogan and Bahceli must be held accountable, otherwise, neither peace nor democracy is possible.”
He concluded: “Since the beginning of the Peace and Democratic Society Process, the AKP–MHP alliance’s goal has been to subdue Rojava. That’s why they haven’t taken a single concrete step. In Turkey, if you don’t want to act, you refer matters to a commission. Unless there is real social pressure, nothing changes. Ultimately, the interlocutor of peace is society itself, because peace is made by society.”
MA / Esra Solin Dal