The consequences of the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye – Keeping an Eye on the Geopolitical Ball

This week on Keeping an Eye on the Geopolitical Ball, Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe, focuses on the disaster that happened in Türkiye and Syria last week and the possible geopolitical changes that may occur. He mentions that disasters have always been exploited on a political scale, despite the need to focus first on victims. Shea reminds us that humanitarian aid has been sent by many different countries following the earthquake. He details for instance how Greece was one of the first countries to send humanitarian help to Türkiye, followed by a visit of their Prime Minister to the country. It could lead to a better relationship between the two countries, despite several years of tensions. Regarding Syria, he notices that more crossing-point on the borders with Türkiye have been opened by Assad’s regime, allowing more humanitarian aid to be sent to help the victims. Nevertheless, those geopolitical challenges should also be focused on helping to rebuild the region and to protect and help the victims.