ANSD : Turkey to start operation against Kurdish forces in Syria in 'next few days'

WED 24 - 4 - 2024

Date: Dec 13, 2018
Source: The Daily Star

Turkey to start operation against Kurdish forces in Syria in 'next few days'

BEIRUT: Turkey will start an operation against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria in a "few days," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday, a move that could further complicate relations with the United States.

“We expressed that we will launch an operation east of the Euphrates in a few days to save it from a separatist terrorist organization," Erdogan said at the Turkish Defense Industry Summit in Ankara, according to Anadolu news agency.

The United States’ support for the Syrian Democratic Forces, spearheaded by the Kurdish-majority People’s Protections Units (YPG), has increased tensions with NATO-ally Turkey.

Ankara says the YPG is a terrorist organization and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency against the state in southeastern Turkey for 34 years.

Erdogan said that Turkey's target has never been U.S. soldiers, but rather members of the YPG.

"It is clear that the purpose of U.S. observation points [in Syria] is not to protect our country from terrorists but to protect terrorists from Turkey," Erdogan said.

A spokesperson from the SDF did not immediately respond to The Daily Star's request for comment.

The SDF is currently waging an offensive to oust Daesh (ISIS) from its last enclave in Syria around the Deir al-Zor area in the country’s east. The Kurdish alliance was forced to suspend operations in October after shelling by the Turkish army killed four of its fighters. The assault was restarted last month following “intensive contacts” with the U.S-led coalition fighting Daesh.

The U.S.-led coalition has launched fierce airstrikes against Daesh militants in the area and has been accused of killing dozens of civilians in the attacks.

Washington has also established observation posts along parts of the Syrian-Turkish border, which Defense Secretary James Mattis has said was to support the fight against Daesh. The Pentagon says it has about 2,000 troops in Syria.

"We take Turkish security concerns seriously and we are committed to coordinating our efforts with Turkey to bring stability to northeastern Syria," Defense Department spokesman Col. Rob Manning said earlier this week.

A new Turkish offensive would be the third such operation against Kurdish fighters, following Turkey’s cross-border Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch.

At the same time, Turkish and U.S. troops have begun conducting joint patrols in northern Syria’s Manbij as part of a deal struck in May, which says the YPG are to withdraw from Manbij and that Turkish and U.S. forces take over joint control of the town.

Ankara says that the Kurdish forces have not yet fully withdrawn and has repeatedly voiced frustration about what it says are delays in the implementation of the deal.

Erdogan said Turkey was the victim of a "stalling tactic" over Manbij and that Daesh no longer posed a threat in Syria.

"Now, it's time to realize our decision to disperse the circles of terror east of the Euphrates. The fact that we have deep differences in perception with the United States is no secret," he said.

"A stalling tactic has been used in Manbij and is still being used. ... There is no threat named Daesh in Syria anymore. This is a fairytale," he said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that the SDF control around 28 percent of the country, while Turkish forces and allied Syrian factions hold roughly 10 percent.

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