Does the Arab League have an Arab policy?

The first outcome of the peace corridor in northern Syria, agreed upon between Turkey and the U.S., is expected to be the formation of a safe zone for the people of Syria.

By: Yasin AKTAY*

Yasin AKTAY

This safe zone will provide protection for the Syrian people against the massacres committed by Bashar Assad without differentiating between civilians and those armed and offer a zone where he will not be able the threaten Syrians.

In the current situation, the terrorist Democratic Union Party (PYD), spoiled and backed by the U.S., is carrying out ethnic cleansing aimed at Arabs, as well as political cleansing aimed at the Kurds that refuse to go under their control. As a matter of fact, in the face of Arabs in the region being the primary victims of this ethnic cleansing, we can repeat the question we asked the other day in another way.

We had asked whether the Arab League has an immigrant policy concerning migrants – predominantly Arab – that have had to migrate from regions such as Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen.

Today, we repeat the same question, taking it a step further: Does the Arab League show any concern for the ethnic cleansing Arab peoples – especially in Syria and Iraq – are exposed to, any policy based on this concern?

The PYD terrorist organization spoiled and empowered in Syria under U.S. support, is in pursuit of founding an ethnic state in areas where the Arab population is over 90 per cent.

Let there be no misunderstanding, this state is not a Kurdish state. A state that is far from Islam, customs, humanity having nothing to do with being Kurdish aside, we already know from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) experience that efforts are being made to bring forth a freak ethnic state with the claim of a made-up Kurdish language that has nothing to do with Kurdish, and a made-up Kurdish culture, and to deport everybody who opposes it.

Of course, there could be those who receive this practice with joy in the name of the “Kurdish State.” Before anything, those rejoicing in the name of being Kurdish an invasion on peoples in the region by the U.S. and registering as a legionary for such a formation that is brought in like a Trojan horse, have nothing left of their Kurdish identity. There could be no greater Kurdish assimilation than such treachery. Those who receive this with pleasure on behalf of being Kurdish could have nothing left of their Kurdish identity.

However, this is not our topic. The real topic is that there is no objection, no voice rising from the Arab League, an umbrella organization that brings together Arab countries in particular in the name of the value of being Arab, while Arabs are the primary victims of the demographic operation being conducted.

We see Arab countries recently steering towards secularism. Yet, it was no secret that political preferences that were guided by religiosity until now were all motivated by secularism. In other words, these countries did not just convert to secularism, they only recently started to match their appearances with their essence. In other words, the sole difference is that they have openly assumed a secular appearance, no longer needing the religious guise and its legitimizing power. Now, they have no concern such as Jerusalem, no problem such as Palestine, and no care or concern about Muslims being oppressed and pressured in the world.

Forget about being Muslim, should they at least not have any concern about being Arab? Currently, millions of Arabs in Syria are being deported from the region directly for being Arab, and thus are exposed to an ethnic cleansing operation. They make no effort or take any steps to prevent them from facing such oppression. Is it not possible for these Arab countries, that are on really good terms with the U.S., the Arab countries that provide job opportunities for hundreds and thousands of people by contributing to U.S. economy, to warn the U.S. with respect to the Arab ethnic cleansing currently happening in Syria?

As millions of Syrians leave their land as a result of the ethnic cleansing today and are forced to migrate generally to non-Arab countries, do the Arab League countries never discussing this matter on their agenda? If it is not going to include such a topic on its agenda and fight for it, if it is not going to think of a measure against such problems, why was the Arab League founded in the first place, what use does it serve?

I am sure some are smirking at these questions, finding them quite naive. But these questions are sincere, and regardless of what basis an existing organization is founded, it is required to and is capable of doing works true to its name.

If the Arab League ever starts to do work that is true to its name, it should certainly tackle the following questions too: What percentage of Arab migrants from countries such as Syria, Yemen, Libya, Egypt and Iraq that are forced to leave their countries as a result of the conflicts on their own soils, due to the problems Arab countries have produced themselves, are hosted by the very same Arab countries that have directly caused these problems?

Why do the people fleeing these countries seek refuge specifically in Turkey and European countries rather than any Arab country?

When did Arab countries ever think about providing a livable, safe and honourable life quality for their own peoples?

Why is it that non-Arab countries have to think about the honour of Arab peoples and not the administrators of Arab countries?

By doing this, are they not personally producing the excuse and grounds required for non-Arab countries to intervene in Arab territories?

Meanwhile, let us repeat what we always say so there is no room for misunderstanding. Turkey is hosting a larger Arab population than most Arab countries. Therefore, it has the natural right to speak on behalf of Arab peoples.

*Yasin Aktay is a former member of the Turkish parliament and a leading figure of the ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) in Turkey. (Published in Yeni Şafak Turkısh newspaper) August 17 2019