World press on Turkey's line on Syrian crisis and North Caucasian tourist project (June 6-7, 2012)

On June 7th Hurriyet published an article by Nihat Ali Ozcan headlined 'Turkey’s stance on the civil war in Syria.' "Day by day, the clashes in Syria have been spreading to a larger area and becoming more frequent. The government is losing control in some places and the number of casualties is getting higher. The country is on the threshold of a civil war. We may receive more tragic news in the days ahead if nothing miraculous happens. Worst of all is that millions of people are now living in fear that they will turn out to be refugees both inside and outside the country," the article starts. " The clashes in Syria are transforming from a counter-insurgency to a civil war, while changing in character. In such a case, it won’t be surprising to see more bloody clashes, because as they have more civilian casualties, the hostility will be fed more and directed to ethnic and sectarian differences, which would make parties more merciless," the author says.  "Turkey claimed that this civil war could be stopped through collective initiatives. In the beginning, some countries supported this idea and encouraged Turkey. However, they also reminded Turkey of the fact that they took all responsibility in Libya and said it was Turkey’s turn this time. It was quite a fantasy to expect an acceptance from Turkey to pay all the bills of these complex issues," the article reads. "The conflict cannot be taken under control by the efforts of a single country. As the total cost of such an intervention apparently increases, Turkey seems to be less willing than it used to be. The Arab Spring brought about values like democracy and freedom and fed the hopes of the people. The Syrian case reminds us of the colonial Middle East period, when ulterior interests, selfishness and negligence prevailed. I am afraid this tragic situation will generate radical people worshipping violence," the author concludes.

On June 6th The Financial Times published an article devoted to the North Caucasus tourist project launched by the Russian authorities. "When Russia announced plans in 2010 to transform the restive North Caucasus into a tourist area many investors rolled their eyes. Although breathtakingly beautiful, the mainly Muslim region on Russia’s southern flank is torn by conflict that federal law enforcers are battling to control," the author of the article, Isabel Gorst, says. "That was then. Now, In a big boost for the project, two Chinese property groups seeking opportunities in Russia are considering giving the North Caucasus a go," she adds. "With mountains as tall as the Rockies, sunny beaches and fabled mineral springs, the North Caucasus could give western tourism resorts a run for their money. But violence in the region where separatist rebels are fighting for independence from Moscow could deter all but the most adventurous holidaymakers," the article says. "By mixing tourism with development the Kremlin hopes to boost the economy in the north Caucasus and stop the region peeling away. Rights activists who say poverty and police brutality in the region are driving young people to join rebel groups have given a cautious welcome to the project," the author says. "There are huge challenges to overcome before investors throw billions of dollars in resorts hotels and retail villages at the region. The most obvious of these are the vast size of the territory and its open borders as well as the need to conceal security systems from visitors," the article reads.