Turkey eyes reconciliation with a Syrian regime it tried to topple
But it will mean little for millions of Syrians beset by poverty
THEY WERE once friends, but even a good therapist might call their relationship hopeless. For years they traded insults. One used terms such as terrorist, butcher, baby-killer; the other had his own choice slurs, from thief and murderer to “small-time employee of the Americans”. Words are just words, but there were actions too: it is hard to forgive a friend for supporting men who want you dead. But in diplomacy everything can be forgiven, or—at least officially—forgotten.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The art of forgetting”
Middle East & Africa January 21st 2023
- Turkey eyes reconciliation with a Syrian regime it tried to topple
- Binyamin Netanyahu rushes to take on Israel’s Supreme Court
- Iran and its Arab neighbours are divided over a name
- How young Sudanese are still fighting for democracy
- South Africa’s disintegrating freight railway is crippling firms
- Why Zimbabwe’s schools have taken to selling chickens
From the January 21st 2023 edition
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The arrest warrant is a diplomatic disaster for Netanyahu
But may also undermine the International Criminal Court
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Only 11 out of a recent convoy of 109 aid trucks managed to get in
Why GM crops aren’t feeding Africa
Despite decades of research, few countries grow them there
A genocidal militia’s quest for legitimacy
A warring party in Sudan claims it wants to talk peace
Get ready for “Maximum Pressure 2.0” on Iran
The Trump White House may bomb and penalise the regime into a deal