Arab newspapers: Tensions in Damascus countryside, open battle between France and Turkey is on the horizon

On Saturday morning, Arab newspapers have discussed the situation in the countryside of Damascus, in addition to the French-Turkish tension, and the Lebanese crisis.

Al-Sharq al-Awsat: Siege of a town near Damascus after burning an image of al-Assad

The Arab newspapers published this morning on the Syrian issue dealt with several issues, the most prominent of which was the tension in the suburbs of Damascus, and in this context Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper said: “Tension prevailed in the town of Kanaker in the western Damascus countryside as a result of the Syrian government forces imposing a siege on the town against the background of protests It included burning pictures of President Bashar al-Assad in recent days in response to the arrest of three women and a girl on the 22nd of this month.

Sources in Damascus countryside told Al-Sharq al-Awsat yesterday, “A number of dignitaries in the town are exerting efforts with the regime forces to reach a settlement to lift the siege, as the regime forces prevented the entry of basic materials, food and medicine four days before, and prevented entry and exit to the town except for government employees. And students, after "protesters blocking Kanaker Road, setting fire to tires and burning a picture of President Assad."

The sources added, "The town suffers from stifling living conditions after the closure of most of the shops due to the lack of goods, especially vegetables, food and bread. They pointed out that the regime forces stipulated that to lift the siege, the youths who blocked the road and burned the president's image and shot at security forces while dispersing the protests were required."

Local media reported that the regime forces arrested a number of young men suspected of participating in the protests and rejected the people's demands for their release, as well as categorically refused to release the detained women.

Demonstrations took place in Kanaker four days ago to demand the arrest of three women and a child at one of the checkpoints, and in its turn, the regime forces broke up the demonstrations and shot at the demonstrators and arrested a number of them, and the protesters responded with gunfire, wounding an officer and two elements.

The "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights" said that youths "took down a large picture of Assad and burned it in the town of Kanaker on the evening of September 21, against the background of the regime's security services arresting three female citizens of the town for unknown reasons."

He added, “The town is witnessing a state of constant tension with the spread of local armed men from the town’s residents on the main roads,” pointing out that on the 22nd of this month, unknown gunmen targeted the head of the (Military Security) detachment in the city of Quneitra, who came from the city of Banias on the Syrian coast. And that was during his passage on Al-Salam Highway near the town of Kanaker in Western Ghouta in the countryside of the capital, Damascus.

And according to the Syrian Observatory's report, the head of the detachment was shot directly, killing one of his companions, and wounding him moderately.

Al-Arab: Turkey's aggression is pushing France to draw the features of a stronger rapprochement with Italy

Regarding the Lebanese issue, Al-Arab newspaper said: “In the horizon of French-Turkish relations, an open battle for all political and diplomatic scenarios due to Ankara’s aggressiveness in dealing with issues of concern to many Mediterranean countries, although some are unlikely to turn into a direct military confrontation between the two countries in light of unwillingness. Neither of them could happen.

The rivalry and display of strength between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Eastern Mediterranean during the past few weeks reached an unparalleled level in bilateral relations, taking Europeans by surprise, and at the same time reinforcing the hardline rhetoric towards Ankara's policies.

The Turkish-Greek dispute over gas reserves in the Mediterranean turned over the summer into a French-Turkish file that expanded in the light of verbal abuse and mutual accusations between the two parties, and it is clear that the French are determined to nullify Erdogan's policy by drawing features of a stronger rapprochement with the Italians, who have them. Interests in Libya, as is the case with Turkey under the Government of National Accord in Tripoli.

The academic, lecturer at the Institute of Political Science in Paris, Bertrand put the apparent escalation recently between the two men, who each became the best opponent of the other, in the field of parade, while Macron spoke of historical and criminal responsibility for Erdogan in Libya and an expansionist policy in the eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan described his opponent is the owner of "colonial goals" and "incompetent" in discussing strategic issues.

Al-Akhbar: Adeeb does not form the government ... Does he apologize today?

Lebanese, Al-Akhbar newspaper said: “Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Adeeb is going in a vicious circle, so his godfathers, in Paris and Beirut, are convinced that their imposition of a de-facto government cannot pass, nor is he able to apologize without a green light from them, Adeeb’s morning and evening meetings Yesterday did not produce tangible progress, so does that lead him to apologize today?

It explained, "The meeting of the Prime Minister-designate, Mustafa Adeeb Al-Layli, the political assistant to the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, Hussein al-Khalil, and the political assistant to the Speaker of Parliament, Ali Hassan Khalil, did not help to bring about significant progress that would contribute to solve the problem of forming the government."

The designated president is running in a vicious circle, the key of which is not in his possession, neither is he able to act as an independent president and to play his full role in terms of consulting the parliamentary blocs that named him to form a national salvation government, nor is he able to take out his apology paper without obtaining a French green light and from the heads of government club This is why the meetings he held yesterday, despite the fact that he was the one who initiated the request to meet them a day after his negative meeting with them the day before yesterday.

At the time, the two proposed to present Adeeb with the names of candidates to take over the Ministry of Finance, but the latter insisted on putting any name they would suggest with a list of names that he would submit, and to consult about them all. Hebron rejected Adeeb's proposal, insisting on the "right to suggest names for Shiite ministers."

T/S

ANHA