In SYRIA TODAY, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has renewed his push to restore diplomatic ties with Syria, severed over a decade ago due to the civil war, amid internal pressure to repatriate Syrian refugees. In Canada, police have charged Kimberly Polman, a returnee from Syria, with terrorism-related offenses linked to her alleged involvement with ISIS. Meanwhile, in Damascus, Luna al-Shibl, a communications adviser to President Bashar Assad, died under suspicious circumstances amid ongoing military reforms and economic turmoil, raising concerns about possible internal power struggles. Additionally, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President Assad discussed the prolonged Gaza conflict, emphasizing the need for regional stability and support for the Palestinian cause. Finally, Syrian activists are campaigning to prevent a suspected war criminal associated with the Assad regime from attending the Paris Olympics, highlighting the intersection of sports and politics in international affairs.
Turkey’s Erdogan renews push to restore ties with Syria that were severed over a decade ago
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his willingness to restore ties with Syria and extended an “invitation” Sunday to bring back relations to “how they were in the past,” AP reported.
Over 12 years ago, diplomatic ties between Ankara and Damascus were cut off when protests turned into a civil war in Syria. Turkey supported armed opposition groups in the northwest that aimed to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad from power.
Before that, Erdogan and Assad enjoyed close ties, even vacationing together with their families in southern Turkey in 2008. Last week, both indicated their readiness to end tensions and normalize diplomatic relations.
“Yesterday, we were not enemies with Syria. We met with Assad as a family, ” Erdogan told journalists Sunday on a flight from Berlin, where he watched Turkey play the Netherlands in the quarter-final of the European Championship’s soccer tournament.
“We talk about mediation everywhere, so why not with the one on our border?” Erdogan added in comments reported by the state-run Anadolu news agency.
This comes as the Turkish government has been facing increased pressure to repatriate millions of Syrian refugees amid a steep economic downturn and rising anti-refugee sentiment.
Canada police charge Syrian returnee with terrorism offenses
Reuters reported that Canadian police said on Saturday they had charged a returnee from Syria with terrorism-related offenses after an investigation into allegations that she had gone to join the Islamic State group.
Kimberly Polman, 51, was charged with two counts of leaving Canada to participate in the activity of a terrorist group and participation in the activity of a terrorist group, the police said in a statement.
The charges under Section 83 of the Criminal Code stem from the investigation into the allegations Polman traveled to Syria from Canada in 2015 to join ISIS, police said.
She was repatriated to Canada in 2022 but not charged criminally, her lawyer said at the time.
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Suspicious death of adviser to Syrian President Assad amid military reforms, economic crisis
Communications Adviser to Syrian President Bashar Assad, Luna al-Shibl, died of injuries following a car accident in Damascus, the pro-Qatari Arab newspaper Al-Jadeed reported on Wednesday night, quoted by JPost.com.
According to the pro-Qatari Arab newspaper, the incident was a deliberate accident, implying an assassination attempt.
The report stated that the driver of an armored car was arrested after colliding with al-Shibl’s car. Initially, the advisor was taken to the hospital with severe injuries, including severe brain hemorrhaging. However, her condition later deteriorated, and the doctors announced her death.
According to a report on Ynet, Shibl was not popular and had accumulated dangerous enemies during her career. One of these enemies was Asma al-Assad, President Assad’s wife, who previously attempted to have Shibl removed from her position following rumors of an affair between the Syrian president and his advisor.
Another in the Syrian government who attempted to have Shibl removed was Assad’s media advisor, Bouthaina Shaaban. Furthermore, senior officers at the palace strove to deter military personnel from interacting with Shibl, and those who interacted with her were taken for interrogation, according to the report on Ynet.
As the only Druze in the presidential palace, Shibl believed her close connections to the president would ensure her safety. However, according to reports, Hezbollah operatives in the country, with the assistance of Iranian personnel, made false accusations about Shibl, including that she handed sensitive information to Russian figures in the country.
Her brother, who was in a senior military position at the palace, was suspected of passing intelligence to Israel and is under investigation pending further decisions. Her husband, was arrested shortly before he attempted to flee to Russia, on accusations of embezzlement and bribery.
Egyptian, Syrian presidents discuss situation in Gaza
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Saturday discussed the ongoing Gaza war that has persisted for about nine months and the “dangers” posed by the escalating conflict in the region, Anadolu Agency reports.
In a statement, the Egyptian Presidency announced that Sisi received a phone call from President Bashar al-Assad and the two leaders “exchanged views on the dangers of escalation in the region and emphasized the vital necessity to prevent the widening of the conflict zone and to preserve regional security and stability.”
They reiterated “their absolute rejection of attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue or displace the Palestinians.”
Sisi said Egypt is committed to continuing efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza and ensure the sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of the Palestinian brothers, while pursuing its efforts towards reinforcing the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Could a Syrian war criminal be attending Paris Olympics?
DW published a report on Syrian activists’ efforts to prevent a suspected war criminal from attending the Paris Olympics. Last August, a Facebook post by a Syrian man named al-Aroub, who is connected to the Assad regime, sparked concern among Syrian opposition journalists and activists. Al-Aroub, known for his involvement with the Baath Brigades and as a former leader of the National Union of Syrian Students (NUSS), is currently the head of Syria’s national Paralympics Committee. He was in Paris for a meeting when the photo was taken.
The London-based Syrian British Consortium (SBC) recently investigated war crimes linked to NUSS, uncovering systematic violence against university students, including detentions and torture, allegedly ordered by al-Aroub. The SBC and The Syria Campaign are now petitioning to ban al-Aroub from the Paris Olympics.
Despite al-Aroub’s past attendance at the Tokyo Olympics and lack of outstanding warrants or sanctions, activists argue that his presence would be a misuse of sports for political image polishing by the Syrian government. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have not taken responsibility, suggesting other organizations like the International Criminal Court are better suited for such investigations.
The French government is currently processing applications for the Paralympics, including security checks, but al-Aroub’s arrest in Paris would be complex. The ongoing petition reflects the broader issue of balancing sports and politics, with historical precedents of banning national committees from the Olympics due to political reasons.
Adam Scharpf, a political science assistant professor, noted that political tensions are common in major sports events, and autocratic regimes often use sports for their own ends. The lack of direct ties between groups like the Baath Brigades and the Assad regime complicates efforts to hold individuals accountable.
The Syrian Paralympic Committee denied the allegations against al-Aroub, calling them politically motivated. However, activists hope their efforts will send a message against allowing war criminals a platform at the Olympics, emphasizing justice for victims.
