Turkey reopened a main crossing with Syria on Wednesday to defuse unrest in areas under its control which has threatened to undermine its position as an outside player in the civil war, sources in the Syrian opposition aligned with Ankara said.
The move eases a blockade Turkey imposed after its interests in the area were attacked and four Syrians were killed in violence this week.
“The movement of passengers and lorries have returned to normal, starting today,” the administration of the Syrian side of the Bab Al Hawa crossing said.
The crossing is situated between the Turkish province of Hatay and the Syrian province of Idlib.
The Turkish government is one of four outside powers that have carved out territory in Syria during the course of the 13-year civil war. It has formed proxy forces and built up channels with Sunni extremist groups to counter secular Kurdish militias backed by the US, and Shiite militants aligned with Iran, as well as groups supported by Russia.
The unrest in the Turkish zone in Syria, comprising parts of the northern Idlib and Aleppo provinces, occurred as Syrian refugees in Turkey came under renewed mass attacks.
The outrage against Ankara was also in reaction to Turkish authorities mulling a rapprochement with President Bashar Al Assad, after years of supporting the mainly Sunni opposition to the Alawite dominated rule in Syria.
Turkey is the main supplier of goods to the northern opposition areas outside the control of Damascus, which border regime areas, and areas taken over by Kurdish militias supported by Washington.
A member of the Syrian opposition said that Turkey appears to be realising that its foes in Syria, particularly Kurdish militants, stand to gain if it “keeps pressuring people in the north”.
Bab Al Hawa is one of four border crossings between Turkey and areas controlled by its allies in Syria that have been shut this week. Other crossings have been closed for years because they border regime areas, or areas under Kurdish militia rule.
Bab Al Hawa is run by the Salvation Government, which is controlled by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, an offshoot of Al Nusra Front which has links to Turkey.
About four million people live in areas under Turkish influence in northern Syria. The region comprises mainly areas controlled by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, and the Syrian National Army, a militia set up by Ankara in 2017. A large component of the Syrian National Army are former rebels who had been defeated since the Russian intervention on the side of the Syrian regime in 2015.
Another three million Syrians refugees live in Turkey. Most of them had fled a crackdown on the 2011 revolt against the Assad rule in Damascus, and the ensuing civil war.
Turkish authorities said on Tuesday that security forces have detained almost 500 people in connection with attacks on Syrian citizens in Turkey.
Videos posted online last night showed more attacks on Syrians and Syrian shops in the city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria, as Turkish officials tried to defuse tensions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his vow to return more Syrian refugees back across the border, with Turkish authorities having forced thousands to resettle in areas under Ankara's control in Syria. Ankara insists the returns are voluntary.
About 670,000 Syrians have been resettled in those area, according to the government.
“One million more people will be added to this,” Mr Erdogan said on Tuesday.
“We will resolve the issue of refugees within a rational and conscientious framework, not on the basis of prejudices and fears,” he said.
Amid reports of the Turkish government considering peace talks with Mr Assad, Syrians in Turkey remain fearful of the prospect of returning, afraid of his iron fisted rule.
“If we are sent back, and if we go to the Syrian regime areas, we are returning to death,” one refugee in Gaziantep said.
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
From exhibitions to the battlefield
In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.
It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.
It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.
It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Pathaan
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