Türkiye: key to resolving the crisis?

(Baonghean) - Never before has Türkiye played such an important role in dealing with many regional issues as it does today, from the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) to the refugee crisis in Europe. Turkey not only plays the role of a "bridge" but also an important factor in helping to resolve the deadlocked issues not only in the Middle East but also in Europe.

The “Wall” to Prevent Immigrants from Entering Europe…

More than ever, Europe is paying special attention to Türkiye. Most European Union (EU) leaders are now ready to put Ankara on the list of "safe countries". The EU has even postponed the publication of a report that is said to be critical of Turkey's democracy. Why is that? Simply because Turkey could be a "wall" blocking the massive flow of migrants pouring into the Old Continent, causing the continent to "lose its appetite and sleep" for the past few months.

Many Syrian refugees pass through Türkiye before reaching Europe. Photo: AP

Türkiye is a country that shares a direct border with Syria and is also Europe's first stop for refugees. There are currently 2.2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, so if Turkey does not cooperate well with the country, Europe will face countless difficulties. According to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2015, at least 700,000 Syrian refugees will flood into Europe, and 2016 will see a similar number.

That was also the main topic of the EU-Türkiye Summit, in which the agenda was also a “bargain” for Turkey to solve the refugee problem. As a result, Europe agreed to provide financial support, along with speeding up the process of simplifying visa procedures for Turkish citizens and opening new chapters in Turkey’s EU accession negotiations.

In return, Türkiye will have to “hold” migrants from Syria, preventing them from crossing into Europe. According to the agreement, the aid will be used to set up refugee camps on Turkish soil and support children of migrant families to go to school and receive medical treatment. However, Türkiye complained that the 3 billion euros proposed by the European Union is “meaningless”, while Türkiye has spent 8 billion euros (about more than 9 billion dollars) to support refugees in the past.

According to analysts, if Europe and Türkiye do not reach an agreement, there will be no other alternative solution, and the flow of migrants from Syria and the Middle East and North Africa will continue to pour into the European Union. Therefore, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Istanbul on Sunday (October 18) is not outside the purpose of negotiating with Türkiye. Although no detailed agreement has been announced, the leaders of Germany and Türkiye both affirmed that "progress has been made on the issue of immigration".

…and fight IS

Besides the migration crisis, Türkiye is also an important force in the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS). Analysts say that if Turkey had participated from the beginning, the US and the coalition would have had a better chance of quickly changing the situation of the war against this dangerous terrorist organization. Because Turkey is a country with a border close to Syria, is a NATO member, and is considered to have a strong military potential. Currently, Türkiye has about 612,000 active soldiers and 429,000 reserve soldiers. The annual military budget is about 25 billion USD.

A US C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft takes off from Incirlik air base in Adana, Türkiye on August 10. Photo: Reuters

After a long period of hesitation, Türkiye began conducting its first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria in July. A month later, US warplanes began using Incirlik air base in Adana province, southern Turkey, to conduct airstrikes against IS militants. The US has called Türkiye’s participation a “game changer” in the fight against IS.

Not only the US, when Russia carried out airstrikes against IS in Syria, Moscow also called for closer cooperation with NATO and Türkiye in the fight against the common enemy. That shows that Türkiye has not only become an effective force against IS but also a "wall" preventing the expansion of this extremist Islamic force to other regions.

By becoming an important factor in resolving the migration crisis from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe, plus becoming an effective force in the fight against IS, Turkey is demonstrating its role and position in the region and could very well be the "key" to helping resolve instability in one of the hottest spots on the planet.

Thanh Huyen