[The Jerusalem Post]Turkey, Iran and Russia unite to slam US oil deal in Syria

Turkey, Russia and Iran reaffirmed their commitment to Syrian “sovereignty” on August 26 and slammed an oil deal that a US company allegedly has with American-backed partners in eastern Syria. Turkey, Iran and Russia all agree that the US should leave Syria. Iranian-backed cells are trying to infiltrate tribal groups near Deir Ezzor to pressure the US while a Russian patrol collided with a US patrol this week and Turkey continues to threaten the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. 

The US has worked with the SDF since 2015. However Turkey claims the SDF is linked to a group called the People’s Protection Units and both are linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party. Therefore Turkey calls them all “terrorists” even though there is no evidence of any terror attacks on Turkey by the SDF.

Then Turkey attacked Tel Abyad and Turkish-backed groups murdered Syrian Kurdish activists such as Hevrin Khalaf. Since then Turkish-backed groups have terrorized women and minorities, kidnapping and killing numerous women and forcing Yazidis and Christians to flee. 

Now Turkey, Iran and Russia are working closely to pressure the US. While the Trump administration wants to secure the oil in Syria and the Pentagon wants to continue to keep ISIS defeated, Ankara and its Iranian and Russian ally seek to undermine the US. Iran has agreed to take the Deir Ezzor file and pressure the US along the Euphrates while Turkey does the same in Tel Abyad by cutting off water to SDF-controlled areas and Russia uses patrols to harass the US. 

Turkey cuts off the water at the Allouk water station and carries out drone strikes to harass areas where the SDF is. Meanwhile Turkey also sends intelligence agents to try to smuggle people out of Al-Hol camp where some ISIS affiliate families live.  

The Iranian role in Deir Ezzor, seeking to use tribes to undermine the SDF, was reported by Asharq al-Awsat on August 27. Iran has bases from Albukamal to Al-Mayadeen in Syria where its affiliates, including Shi’ites from Pakistan and also local recruits, operate. 

It can uses these to stir up trouble across the Euphrates. Russian backed mercenaries also operated here, attacking the SDF in February 2018. A Russian officer was recently killed by ISIS on the Syrian regime side of the river. The entire area thus appears to be insecure and unstable. Iran exploits this.  

Slamming the US oil deal is just the latest way that Iran, Turkey and Russia seek to work together. They don’t agree on other issues in Syria. For instance Russia and Turkey conduct joint patrols in Idlib but Russia backs the Syrian regime and Turkey backs Syrian rebels. Turkey has sent Syrian rebels to fight in Libya in the last six months to keep them from focusing on Syria and Turkey’s work with Russia in Syria.