On the one hand, Erdogan is angry with Washington and its cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces, and on the other hand, he is also angry with Moscow, since it did not proceed to clean up the area
By Athena Papakosta
The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a renewed ground operation against Kurdish militant positions following airstrikes on targets in Syria and northern Iraq.
Ankara has blamed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Syrian People’s Defense Units (YPG) for the deadly bombing in Istanbul’s Istiklal on Sunday, November 13. For their part, both the Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), the PKK and the YPG deny any responsibility.
Moscow, an ally of Damascus, is calling on Ankara to show “restraint”, but Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that “the operation with the planes, cannons and drones is only the beginning” adding that Turkey is “more determined than ever” to protect its border with Syria from Kurdish fighters.
Turkey has been conducting a series of large-scale military operations in the region since 2016 and already controls parts of northern Syria. Now, the Turkish president emphasizes that “we will attack when the time is right for us” targeting Kobani, Manbij and Tel Rifat.
“On this day, the tunnels in which the terrorists hide and feel safe will become their graves,” he said, addressing members of his party.
The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, reiterated that “if Turkey attacks any region, the war will spread everywhere and everyone will suffer.”
At the same time, he has already called on Moscow and the US to put the brakes on the Turkish president by adopting a tougher stance. He even warned that a Turkish ground operation in the region could jeopardize efforts to combat the resurgence of the Islamic State (IS).
A fact which Washington, Turkey’s NATO ally, recognizes, after warning Ankara of the consequences that a further escalation would have in the region while recalling, at the same time, the common goal of defeating the Islamic State.
In fact, the post on Twitter by the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the US Senate, Robert Menendez, was typical, who said that “these are not ally actionsadding that the operations in question threaten to undermine the fight against IS.
It was preceded by a bombing by a Turkish drone against a joint base of Kurdish forces and the international anti-jihadist coalition in northeastern Syria which, according to the joint command of the US armed forces CENTCOM, put US soldiers at risk.
In addition, the Kurds allege that Turkey bombed the al-Hol camp, which is home to relatives of jihadists after the defeat of IS, with the Syrian Democratic Forces spokesman warning that “some IS families may have escaped” taking advantage of the chaos.
Turkey reiterates that the YPG is identical to the PKK and calls for an end to all support for the “terrorists”. But Washington relied on the SDF and the YPG for the battle against the Islamic State in eastern Syria.
Political analysts emphasize that the Turkish president has repeatedly expressed his intention to create a 30-kilometer-deep “security zone” on Turkey’s southern border. They also remind that Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been announcing a ground attack for months. But in Syria he is not alone. The United States and Russia remain strong players, and the Turkish president needs one of the two to make good on his threats. And for now he can put pressure on them.
As far as Washington is concerned, it is already blocking the enlargement of the Atlantic Alliance by delaying the accession of Finland and Sweden, while as far as Moscow is concerned, it is now backing down on efforts to reconcile with Damascus. Both the US and Russia are calling for restraint.
But, the Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the one hand he is angry with Washington and its cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces and on the other hand he is also irritated with Moscow since it did not proceed with clearing the area despite the readiness of the Russian side to cooperate in finding a solution to the Kurdish issue .
The Turkish president has opened a new front and according to analysts, he will hardly back down. After all, they note, Turkey has elections in June and making security a major issue can rally voters. The issue of Kurdish terrorism is now back high on the election agenda, and so is Erdogan’s perennial strategic goal of the military and political neutralization of the Kurds on Turkey’s borders.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
