BEIRUT // Turkey on Tuesday called for an international coalition to intervene on the ground in Syria as a planned cessation of hostilities between government and rebel forces in the country looked increasingly doubtful.
“We want a ground operation with our international allies,” said a senior Turkish official. “There is not going to be a unilateral military operation from Turkey to Syria.”
“Without a ground operation it is impossible to stop the fighting in Syria,” the official added.
It came as the United Nations said the Syrian government had agreed to allow access for humanitarian aid to reach seven besieged areas of the war-torn country.
Turkey has been giving mixed messages in recent days over whether it is willing to launch a ground operation inside Syria.
Tuesday’s call for a coalition to send troops to Syria came after Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia and Turkey could launch ground operations in Syria to confront ISIL.
But on Monday, Turkish defence minister Ismet Yilmaz said “there is no thought of Turkish soldiers entering Syria”.
As a Syrian government offensive threatens to cut off the last supply line to rebel-held parts of Aleppo city and as efforts to bring a diplomatic solution to the war falter, there has been increased chatter among international backers of the Syrian opposition about the possibility of putting boots on the ground.
US defence secretary Ash Carter said on Friday that Gulf states were willing to provide special forces that would work with American special forces in eastern Syria to “organise and enable” local rebels to retake Raqqa, ISIL’s self-declared capital.
The following day, Saudi Arabia said it was ready to participate “if the coalition should decide to deploy special forces in the fight against IS in Syria”, while Turkish foreign minister Mr Cavusoglu said Riyadh would be sending fighter jets to Turkey’s Incirlik airbase.
While proposals for on-the-ground military intervention have focused on combating ISIL, the presence of foreign troops in Syria could potentially bolster opposition forces by dissuading Russian and Syrian bombing campaigns.
Is Syrian rebels are allowed to enter areas where foreign troops are active then intervention would also create de facto safe zones for the opposition.
But although Saudi Arabia and Turkey have appeared eager in pushing for an intervention, they have made it clear that they would only intervene as part of a coalition – presumably one with US leadership.
Turkey’s willingness to get more deeply involved in Syria has been highlighted in recent days by their shelling of the Kurdish YPG militia after the group began seizing territory from rebels fleeing the government’s offensive and attacking other rebel groups north of Aleppo.
Ankara accuses the YPG of working in the interest of the Syrian government and Russia. It is also fearful that a stronger YPG presence along its border could embolden Kurdish militants at home.
On Monday, the YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-Arab military coalition, pushed their offensive into the shrinking area rebels north of Aleppo still hold and captured Tal Rifaat, a town about 20 kilometres south of the Turkish border.
Turkey’s attacks on Kurdish forces in Syria puts the United States, which formally backs the YPG, in a difficult position. The US has requested that Turkey halt its attacks on Kurdish forces and has also pushed for calm between Ankara and Russia, which has called Turkish attacks on the YPG “provocative”.
The latest talk of a possible military intervention in the conflict comes as hopes for a cessation of hostilities negotiated by international powers in Munich last week grow dim.
On Monday, Syrian president Bashar Al Assad voiced doubt that the planned cessation of hostilities would be successful.
“They are saying they want a ceasefire in a week. Who is capable of gathering all the conditions and requirements in a week? No one,” he said.
Meanwhile, the main Syrian opposition grouping has still not agreed to a pause in fighting.
UN envoy Staffan de Mistura met with Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem in Damascus on Tuesday in an effort to to kindle the planned cessation of hostilities.
Following the meeting, the Syrian government gave the green light for aid convoys to enter the besieged areas of Deir Ezzour, Fuaa and Kafraya in Idlib, and Madaya, Zabadani, Kafr Batna and Madamiyet Elsham in rural Damascus.
“Humanitarian agencies and partners are preparing convoys for these areas, to depart as soon as possible in the coming days,” said Vanessa Huguenin, spokeswoman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
But despite this, the continuation of the government’s offensive and Russian air strikes is making a temporary truce look unlikely any time soon.
The United Nations said nearly 50 people were killed in the bombings of five medical facilities and two schools in Syria’s Idlib and Aleppo provinces on Monday. One of the medical facilities destroyed was supported by Médecins Sans Frontières.
Russia denied that its planes struck the facility.
International reaction to Monday’s air strikes were strong, with France saying the attacks “could constitute war crimes” and Turkey accusing Russia of an “obvious war crime”. UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said that if the strikes were deliberate and intentional, they would in fact constitute war crimes.
EU president Donald Tusk said Russia’s continued aerial campaign supporting the Syrian government “leaves little hope” for a solution to the conflict.
The US state department, referring to Monday’s air strikes, questioned Moscow’s role in the peace process, saying “that the Assad regime and its supporters continue these attacks ... casts doubts on Russia’s willingness and/or ability to help bring a stop to the continued brutality of the Assad regime against its own people”.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
MATCH INFO
South Africa 66 (Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse; Cons: Jantjies 8)
Canada 7 (Tries: Heaton; Cons: Nelson)
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Full list of Emmy 2020 nominations
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
OUTSTANDING VARIETY/TALK SERIES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Steve Carell, The Morning Show
Brian Cox, Succession
Billy Porter, Pose
Jeremy Strong, Succession
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Zendaya, Euphoria
OUTSTANDING REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Masked Singer
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
Paul Mescal, Normal People
Jeremy Pope, Hollywood
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Regina King, Watchmen
Octavia Spencer, Self Made
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Little Fires Everywhere
Mrs. America
Unbelievable
Unorthodox
Watchmen
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead to Me
The Good Place
Insecure
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Schitt’s Creek
What We Do In The Shadows
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Killing Eve
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Stranger Things
Succession
