Syria and Turkey – a Trump stumble

 

The shifting sands of the Middle East just blew up another storm with Trump’s off-the-cuff agreement, against his own advisers and party leaders, allowing Erdogan of Turkey free rein to invade Kurdish-held Northern Syria. Turkey dislikes the Kurds whom they see as terrorists with ambitions to set up their own state which would encroach on Turkish territory. The Kurds backed by the west did the bulk of the work fighting to defeat Isis in Syria, losing 11,000 troops in the grinding battle and is now controlling the camps where ISIS prisoners are held – who might be set free if Turkey invades.

Even Lindsay Graham, normally an avid Trump supporter tweeted in consternation: “This decision to abandon our Kurdish allies and turn Syria over to Russia, Iran, & Turkey will put every radical Islamist on steroids. Shot in the arm to the bad guys. Devastating for the good guys.”

The relationship between Trump and Erdogan is slipping and slithering from late October through November and into early 2020, so the decision may well be reversed. Though unsolvable problems remain – with Turkey understandably keen to shift the 3.5 million Syrian refugees they house back across the border and European countries refusing to take back the 20,000 ISIS foreign nationals held in prison camps; as well as Trump’s campaign promise to bring troops home from endless, unwinnable wars.

Relations between Turkey and Syria are moving into a highly unstable and insecure phase from early 2020 with tr Pluto square the composite Uranus for two years.

Erdogan’s 4th term chart 9 July 2018 4.30pm Ankara, is moving through stuck times this year with tr Saturn opposition the Sun and conjunct Pluto before this New Year; with an explosively insecure and over-reactive tr Uranus square Mars from mid 2020 which may precipitate unwise decisions, running into a deadlock and dead-halt in 2021 with Solar Arc Sun opposition the Pluto exactly.

Syria, 1 January 1944, which has been wrecked by the eight years of civil war with millions displaced and upwards of half a million dead has another trough to negotiate with the highly uncertain Solar Arc Neptune opposition Saturn in late 2020; a destabilising tr Uranus square Pluto mid 2020 to early 2021; and the worrisome tr Neptune square Saturn in 2020/21.

Bashar Assad’s presidency, 17 July 2000, always did look in for its most punishing phase from 2018 as tr Pluto started to oppose the Mars, moving through the opposition to Sun/Mars and finally the Sun in 2021/22 – an extended phase of high-risk and extreme frustration at being trapped. He could topple off his perch altogether in 2021 with Solar Arc Uranus square the Pluto – not set in stone but definitely a very wobbly phase.

The consequences of the Brit-Franco botched carve-up of the Middle East after World War One are still causing maximum aggravation.

17 thoughts on “Syria and Turkey – a Trump stumble

  1. I know there’s plenty of competition for the accolade that is ‘Trump’s Worst Decision Ever’, but I think this latest horror show could turn out to be the winner.

    • Looks like the elephant in the room has finally awakened. Too late for those killed by the Turkish “cleansing mission”, permitted by Trump. Lindsey Graham even had “stern words” for Orange Man.

      But his telephone calls were “perfectly normal”.

  2. “Televangelist Pat Roberston said that President Donald Trump’s response to the Jamal Khashoggi killing and the decision to pull support from Kurds in Syria puts Trump “in danger of losing the mandate of heaven.””

    This ought to put the Fear of God into orange man. You can’t make this stuff up…

    • Around 4pm – will put chart up tomorrow. Late Aquarius Moon on the Ascendant (for Aleppo) – over-hopeful Jupiter square Neptune; Sun square Saturn Pluto and square North node, as well as inconjunct Neptune. Muddled and messy.

      • Thanks Marjorie
        This looks serious in the light of Trump’s warning after his Tweet about the withdrawal!! Interesting to see the astrology.

  3. Since we’re talking about Trump, he just might establish some casinos over there. Seriously, though, Turkey nearly went bust after 2016 coup attempt because their tourism took a major hit. It still hasn’t made a full recovery, and military actions likely leading to terrorism would be devastating to businesses.

    Still, this was definitely an afterthought brought up by possibly Pompeo, who lunched with The Prez.

      • What’s interesting about these towers is that they aren’t even “his”, but he has licensed his name to local businessman. Trump’s real estate licensing partnerships have long been the only even remotely profitable part of this business, and carry much lighter risks than usual development projects. He was pushing for these truly hard especially during peak “The Apprentice” year, from 2004 to around 2012. Trump Tower Moscow was planned as a licensing partnership, too.

        Erdogan already threatened to ban Trump’s name from that tower in 2015, and that would have definitely hurt his ego.

  4. Not looking good is it? I noticed that the Moon at 27 Taurus in the Erdogan term chart is aligned with the Medusa’s Head star, Algol. A star of great primal energy, much associated with passion and drama – not to mention death and disaster. Mercury turns retrograde opposite that Moon/Algol on 31st October – perhaps a time of reversals for this tinderbox situation?

    Also, I agree with Solaia, Trump has no idea about cause and effect. Or indeed anything else.

    • This is typical Trump behaviour. He loathes the US’s allies and loves to cosy up to dictators.

      Lindsey Graham has stated, “This is worse than when Obama left Iraq, because you’ve got so much information as to what happens. This would be a game changer to our national security. This would pave the way to the re-emergence of ISIS. …”

      Trump won’t like being called “worse than… Obama”

  5. I tried to find out announcement was made – I remember seeking on Twitter it the first thing I woke up Monday Morning, I’m two hours ahead of Greenwich -, and the first tweets were from just short of 11 pm Sunday Night in Washington. I checked this and apparantently, Moon is 29′ Capricorn Void of Course on that chart. AC is probably at very first degrees of Cancer, DC of Capricorn. Uranus-Mercury opposition, definitely contributing to general Trump meltdown, was within a 0.07 degree orb!

    I actually think Trump had no idea this announcement would cause the commotion it did. He just wanted to do a favor to “his good friend” Erdogan. He didn’t consult Pentagon, and I think even Pompeo who probably would have opposed (if meekly) was still on his way back to WH from his European tour. He was, in a way, left alone, and only understood how bad this looked around midday on Monday, when someone tweeted on his behalf about obliterating Turkish economy, if Erdogan didn’t stay in line.

    • How does one obliterate the Turkish economy? What is it that we (the US) import enough to affect with tariffs? Or…perhaps…arms and munitions shipments to challenge the Russians? Remember “Balance of Terror”, an old episode from Star Trek? Or will Trump obliterate Turkey’s economy in a rain of fire and fury…? NKorea is still sitting pretty…

      Pass the popcorn and butter, please.

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