Turkish air strikes: international law fracture and collateral damage

Turkish air strikes: international law fracture and collateral damage

Once again, the Turkish Air Force makes headlines, and not in a positive sense! The reports on the latest bombing in northern Syria and Iraq make you look at: at least twelve people are said to have been killed by these attacks! And what does the international community think? Silence in the forest or at most a tentative protest letter!

The hard reality is that the Turkish government is apparently willing to consider human life as "collateral damage". Because which values ​​control foreign policy here? It looks like it is less about compliance with international law, but about dirty interests- be it economically, from an external or migration policy perspective! While the EU and the United States are trying to maintain its grim expression, Turkey continues to move its way unintentionally.

Turkey's power in focus

What can you expect from a country that presents itself as an important trading partner, NATO member and as a key state for those seeking protection? The EU fills the Turkish leadership coffers with millions so that the cork stays in the bottle and the refugees do not push them to Europe uncontrollably. But what is the price for this partnership? Obviously to close your eyes before brutal air strikes.

and the huge dilemma? While Turkey pursues its military strategy and targets uninvolved civilians, its own political is characterized by a double tongue that is difficult to bear. President Erdogan complains about Israel and his fight against "terrorists" in the Gaza Strip, while he himself starts with bombs in neighboring countries such as Syria and Iraq. Friends and enemy are no longer clearly defined here, and international law has no chance in the jungle of interests.

The tragic consequences

The fact that many of the victims of these air strikes were completely uninvolved is particularly tragic. The Turkish aggressive approach to terrorism seems blind to the innocent and blurs the boundaries between perpetrators and those who simply live in a war zone. This is a dangerous development that not only raises the question of regionally but also internationally: where is humanity in political practice?

In the middle of all these shocking events, the question remains: How long can the international community still look away? We are facing turbulent times if there is no breakthrough in diplomacy!