Did you know that Turkey and Syria had been a part of the Levant Quartet? In early December 2010, officials from four countries – Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan – signed an agreement to form the Levant Quartet. It aimed to develop closer economic and cultural integration among the countries and envisioned as the “EU of the Middle East”. As a start, nationals from the Levant Quartet countries can travel visa-free in these countries then work later on to establish a free-trade zone for goods and services. Turkey and Syria relationship has been labeled as a model partnership in the Middle East but in November 2011, just less than a year after the announcement of the Levant Quartet, the tide began to change. With the outbreak of the Syrian uprising, ties began to suffer. The Syrian Civil War greatly deteriorated the relations between these two countries. But in 2021, Turkey and Syria called for a rapprochement and agreed to reconcile differences. The ongoing talks between the two countries has been fruitful after their defense ministers met in Moscow in 2022.
Recently, these diplomatic initiatives were all put to a pause because of the devastation caused by the 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria. More than 19,000 people are dead and thousands more are injured, with the death toll expected to rise. The cold winter weather may also mean that people trapped under the rubbles may have less chance of survival. Time is of the essence for those impacted by this disaster. You can help reach out to these people by donating to the Humanitarian Coalition. Not only your donation can save lives, but it will keep the peace alive.
The Humanitarian Coalition brings together leading aid organizations to provide Canadians with a simple and effective way to help during international humanitarian disasters. Please visit their website at www.humanitariancoalition.ca to learn more.