Turkey Held Hostage in Syria
No uprising in the Arab world has been as sectarian as the Syrian crisis, writes Tulin Daloglu, and Turkey's efforts to help been tainted by its own sectarian issues. Many question Turkish inaction to save the lives of kidnapped Shiite pilgrims, and its prime minister has accused an opposition leader of solidarity with Assad because of their common sectarian background.
No revolutionary uprising in the Arab world has been as sectarian as the Syrian crisis, but the uniqueness of the Syrian case is partly because it was inevitable for Syria to muddle into this dark religious divide.
The most serious split is between the Alawites and the Sunnis. Although there has always been talk of successful coexistence among the different sects in Syria, the truth is out there on the streets across the country. The majority-Sunni population is full of anger, resentment and violent retribution for the more than four decades of rule by the Assad family, which comes from the minority Alawite sect.
