GLOBALO spoke with Daniel Gerlach, publisher of the famous German zenith-magazin for the Orient, and author of a recent book about Syria.
- Even the Islamic State and other jihadi groups are good enough for Turkey to stop the autonomy of the Kurds in Syria or Iraq. There are now several Kurdish projects in the region, Ankara wants to stop these efforts for good.
- Erdogan and his inner circle want to contain Shia power in the region at any price. They see Iran and Assad as acting against Turkish interests. For Turkey, the Middle East is and has to stay their own, Sunni dominated, past-Ottoman backyard.