FILE PHOTO: Turkish soldiers seen at the border town of Akcakale © Reuters / Murad Sezer
Turkey has completed all military and logistic preparations needed to launch a ground operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, Al Jazeera reported on November 29, citing a Turkish official with knowledge on the matter.
On November 20, Turkey launched an operation against Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq, codenamed Claw-Sword, in response to the November 13 Istanbul bombing. Ankara believes that the core faction of the SDF, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), was involved the bombing, which claimed the lives of six people and wounded more than 80 others.
So far, the operation has been limited to air and artillery strikes. Nevertheless, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already warned that a new ground offensive against the SDF could soon begin.
The unnamed Turkish official told Al Jazeera that the first phase of the ground operation will target three key strongholds of the YPG: Tell Rifaat, Manbij and Kobane in the northern and northeastern countryside of Aleppo.
The official said that Turkey had informed Russia of its rejection of the presence of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in SDF territory in northern Syria. According to him, Ankara asked Moscow to dissolve the SDF, or force it to leave the region.
As for the position of the United States, the main backer of the SDF, the official said that Washington had “shown its understanding” of Ankara’s demands. The official went on to claim that U.S. troops withdrew from some positions in northern Syria.
“The military operations will be carried out accurately and without any threat to the safety of the American and Russian troops [in northern Syria],” Al Jazeera quoted the official as saying.
The U.S. appears to be taking Turkey’s threats seriously. On November 29, Al Monitor and other news sources reported that all American civilian staff, including diplomats, have been evacuated from northern Syria to Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
SDF leader Ferhat Abdi Şahin has already threatened to set the Syrian-Turkish border aflame if Turkey launch a ground operation in northern Syria. The Kurdish leader called for more Russian and U.S. pressure on Turkey, as well as for better coordination with the SAA. This may not be enough to stop Ankara this time, however.
USA said no so the lapdogs will stay in their cage again lol
Pipi pipi be patient now. You will see proper action soon. You little puppy
Oink’ oink, UNHUMAN GENOCIDAL
At least the SDF can no longer be used as leverage against Turkey by those who want Turkey out of Syria “unconditionally”. This is one of the first domino effects of the Ukraine war. Turkey managing to solve the Syrian Kurdish problem is certain to speed up negotiations between Assad and the opposition. Let’s try to predict what happens from now on:
1. Turkey creates a 30km buffer zone along the border with Syria
2. Refugee town built in this buffer zone and Syrian refugees return and live under Turkish protection
3. Turkey ignores Assad and focuses on protecting Idlib and other Sunni dominated areas
4. Turkey also ignores the rest of the SDF and focuses on making life easier for the refugees
5. Assad/Russia/Iran find themselves suddenly facing off against America and Israel, without Turkey helping either side.
6. Assad couldn’t bear the wait and decides to attack Idlib. Turkey gives him a second beating.
7. permanent stalemate until Assad is ready to negotiate with the opposition in Good faith
8. Perhaps negotiations take place and democracy comes to Syria
9. Both Iran and Russia expelled under a democratic Syian government
10. Turkey and the Muslims win
Write this prediction down somewhere. If it doesn’t happen this way, it means Turkey and the U.S will end up fighting Russia and Iran in Syria.
beat it pro Israeli-troll
Israel is not the only enemy of the Mullahs. Your sectarian and destructive polices have isolated you in the Muslim world.
Israel is less of a threat to Islam than the Shiite cult.
you are biggest threat to me (common sense)
It is only gratifying to see that the Islamists will kill each other on a larger scale in the future.
Grab the popcorn and enjoy the situation.
good plan, you want butter on yours
Disappointingly few Islamists killed and wounded. I think that will change in the future.
China says in the future there will be no independent country as Taiwan it is mine,
Turkey says there will be no country as Kurdistan..
Turkey’s millitary attact is starting soon. Lets see China will be made the same or not?
China has been backed into a corner becuase it’s too timid to wage war for its interest (Taiwan). It’s too late for China to take back Taiwan now because the threat has grown really big (U.S arming of Taiwan). It’ll be another Russia/Ukraine style of fighting and will severely weaken the Chinese economy.
Turkey is fighting a militia without air force, navy, or even a professional army. Taiwan has all of these.
Taiwan however is dependent on China economically. This is likely only to increase in the coming years and decades. The Chinese, I believe, are in no hurry. They expect a re-unification in something like 30-60 years.
Erdoğan please wait, next year I will go the Turkish army. they are going to party without me
Yes, all SHITturks in the ‘UNDER FOREIGN SOIL’ party!
Thanks, SHITsultan of the BEASTS!
Ja klar doch. Gehe doch und töte Kinder. Ihr Mörder. Aber wundere dich nicht, wenn Du auch getötet wirst. Für was? Für Erdogan und für nichts. Warum gehen die Söhne von Erdogan nicht dort hin? Hast Du das jemals verstanden?
Why would he speak German? Not every Turk speaks German. Who supports and fights for the West is a child murderer, as you said, himself. And a sexual pervert mutilating children with (trans)gender ideology. What about Rojava? Do the radical feminists over there preach gender ideology, 4th wave feminism? Anyway the people supporting Rojava in the West assume that.
Merk dir eines: Wenn dein Volk die moralischen Abartigkeiten im Iran, in der Türkei, meinetwegen in Afghanistan unterstützt, dann wird es Konsequenzen geben. Und diese Ideologie tötet Millionen Kinder – also heul nicht rum. Und wenn die Türkei 100 000 tötet, dann habe ich noch gar nicht angefangen. Auge um Auge.
Why wait? Just as good as committing suicide, it’s over immediately.
Why would it be? Turkey has the second strongest NATO army nowadays and produce many of their weapons themselves. The Kurds are nothing without the US Air force cleansing their way. And they won’t receive any official aid from the West, unlike Ukraine. Turkey also has Iran as an ally – in this question. The moment a Turkish offensive starts, another one could go off within Iran against the nests from which the protests over there start = the Kurdish regions.
There will be plenty of chances to fight Kurdish insurgents in a year from now, no worry.
Every country plays it’s own game. Anyway, strategic the places of Turkey is not with the West, as the West hates Turks and all Muslims. But Turkey should, must in fact stay within NATO, to slow the imperialist and neo-colonialists down. I hope Turkey joins the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Turkey is now the new middle ground between the East and the West and can benefit from this position if it does not antagonize the East, including Russia. Russia is now clearly part of the East, as the Western degenerates have envied and hated on Mother Russia, as this conflict in Ukraine has proven best.
expel US and SDF from illegal occupied territories now
Those Kurdish PKK-YPG-SDF terrorist are just as bad as ISIS, they should be given no quaryer and be treated as illegal combatants with no prisoners being taken until the last one of them is in hell.