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On January 13, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish Army will launch a military operation against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the city of Afrin in the Syrian province of Aleppo, if they don’t withdraw, according to Reuters.
“If the terrorists [the SDF] in Afrin don’t surrender, we will tear them down,” Erdogan said during a meeting with member of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the eastern city of Elazig on Saturday, according to the Iranian Press TV.
The Turkish president also warned the US-backed force in the city of Manbij, also located in the province of Aleppo, that the Turkish Army will crush them in “one week”, if they break the promises they had made to Turkey.
“In Manbij, if they [the SDF] break the promises, we will take the matter in our own hands until there are no terrorists [SDF fighters] left. They will see what we’ll do in about a week,” said Erdogan, according to Reuters.
Moreover, Erdogan praised the Turkish-led Euphrates Shield (ES) operation that was launched on August 24, 2016 and stressed that the current operation of the Turkish Army in the northern Idlib countryside is as much important for Turkey’s interests.
“With the Euphrates Shield operation we cut the terror corridor right in the middle. We hit them one night suddenly. With the İdlib operation, we are collapsing the western wing,” Erdogan said.
The Turkish Army entered the northeastern part of the Syrian Idlib governorate on October 12, 2017 after an agreement with Russia and Iran. Later, Turkish forces established a base and several positions west of the SDF positions in Afrin fully blocking the US-backed force from Idlib.
Erdogan has made similar threats against the SDF in Afrin city before. However, it appears that a diplomatic solution is the priority of Turkey as for now.
Can Erdogan eventually start doing sth, not only vowing? I am pretty tired by his empty speeches. Crush these kur*s and then hand over these territories to Syria.
Like Hatay, right?
He likes barking that is why Merkel took her troops out from his base.Because troops couldn’t sleep of his noise.Empty containers makes always lots of noise.Error an is a broken Sunnis only President he will never enter or joint EU for the rest of his life.
Erdogan must dance Trumps music to grab Syrian land.
See what we will do in about a week? Oh man, they better get ready for something to happen tomorrow.
This talk is getting old. Shut the hell up Erdodog.
In one way a Turkish assault on SDF areas might be a good thing as her bridges with NATO and the US would be burned and the US would have to choose whether to attack another NATO member or watch the SDF suffer without US air power assistance etc , that would also anger the SDF greatly as well.
There is no public commitment by the US government to defend the Afrin Kurds. American intervention against Turkey on behalf of the Afrin Kurds seems unlikely without such a public commitment.
Likely only sanctions, like Germany already does. No more arms to Turkey.
Public comment or not IF Turkey attacks the Kurds wherever they are in Syria and the US does not support the Kurds with air power and specialists , the Kurds will feel rightfully betrayed by the USA.
That is the reason that I would like to see Turkey attacking the Kurds. Whoever wins, it will cost the US a fortune. Probably enough to build Trumps wall :)
A Popcorn moment of the year.
The Afrin Kurds may well end up feeling betrayed. “Rightfully” betrayed? Without a public commitment from the US that seems unreasonable. The US has publicly said it will support those who have battled against ISIS. The Kurds in the Afrin canton have, probably due to geography, been absent from that fight.
The Syrian Army, Russian forces,Iranian forces, Hezbollah forces,Palestinian forces and a plethora of other groups loyal to the elected government of President Assad have also fought with ISIS and have done the most to expunge the scourge of international terrorism from Syria.
The US does not support the elected Syrian government coalition in any positive way. The US has NO legal mandate to be in Syria anyway.
In fact the US has been arming and aiding barbaric terror groups in Syria and Iraq as you know very well Graeme. You are not an idiot, so that de facto makes you complicit with the ideals and goals of this terrorism.
“The Syrian Army, Russian forces,Iranian forces, Hezbollah forces,Palestinian forces” etc don’t need US help to battle ISIS. The SDF, lacking artillery, armoured vehicles and air support, certainly did.
There was never any public commitment to the Iraqi Kurds by the US. Even so apparently the Iraqi Kurds felt betrayed by the lack of US involvement in the recent crisis. The Afrin Kurds, having seen events unfold in Iraq, should realistically have few if any expectations of the US.
The Syrian Kurds not in Afrin canton but who defended Kobani and took Manbij, Tabqa and Raqqa from ISIS are another story. How far US support for these Kurds goes remains to be seen. There is a public commitment there though unlike the other Kurdish examples.
A Turkish assault on the Kurds will put your theory to the test then. Either way it will be a big mess for the goons in Washington.
Well, this maybe a silver lining, but I think Afrin should be left alone. But popcorn is good to watch this stupid Erdogan comedy. Starting to make some right now (with extra butter flavor, not joking) :)
Erdogan: Stop your schyzophrenia! You claim to fight terrorism, having supported terrorism all your damn life. You were behind Chechenia war, you belong to the Western Backed Muslim Brotherood, you supported ISIS and still HTS that is Al Qaeda affiliated, shame on you.
It’s a shameless dog only favoured by Putin out of fear.It’s him who orders Russian base attack.ErDOGan is the leader of HTS.Putin is lying.Putin has risk too many Russians life’s because th I extremist Sunni erDOGan.
ABORTION RIGHTS IN AFRIN AND MANBIJ!
Erdogan army have entered into northern Syria with massive military hardware and air defense missile systems to give cover to their own terrorist groups on Syrian soil that fighting against Syrian army…. Does Turkey has taken any signed consent, MOU or authority document from Syrian government or just abusing international law? Can Turkey show these documents to the international community?
At the moment Turkey has no such kind of signed document from Syrian government. So Turkey is not allowed to operate on Syrian soil or to talk about Syria. If Turkey is interested to operate in Syria against terrorists then he can do through Syrian president Assad like Russian president Putin. The Syria sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. The abuse of international law will not be allowed. ———————————————————————————————————————————–
Just bla bla bla bla nothing else ….
Did you accidentally repost the old news from 2 years ago? XD hhahaah lol. Will we be hearing the same speech in 2020? :o
Welcome to the world of talk but do nothing
He might do it, nobody wants a strong Kuridish presence In Syria besides Yanks and Isras, everyone else wants them gone, if he’ll do it i wonder how far will the others are prepared to stick their necks out, starting a war against erdo means messing up relation with Turkey for far longer than nato would like to, so my guess is that they will bark about it but will just wait it out.
This guy is a liar,He has been secretly colluding with Macron and Trump to recognizing Rojava and the eastern part of Syria as a Kurd state.
Pretty sure he’s not playing a straight game but you have to understand that Turks hate Kurds, they have destroyed them inside Turkey a couple of years ago, they have been waging wars against them for years now, PKK and all, i don’t think they want a strong kurdish military next door.
Erdogan is like Trump, a little bit crazy with a lot of greed vanity and stupidity. Like Trump don’t believe anything he says.
Wow Erdogan is telling the truth, according to Fars
The Kurdish-language Hawar News reported on Saturday that forces affiliated to the Turkish army targeted the hills near the two villages of Jalameh in Jandariseh region and Iska in Shirawa region with artillery and missile fire.
Meantime, the Turkish army conducted a fierce attack on Shieh region and the village of Deir Baloit in Jandariseh region of Afrin from a checkpoint in Hatay province.
The US is going to lose again, I wonder what plan C will be, a good cry?
Turkey has been shelling and bombing Afrin area for over a year now without making much impression on the app one million kurds there.
I do not get your reference to the US as US never had any involvement in Afrin.
The US has always supplied arms and equipment to Afrin, those new manpads they have are from the US.
And how did they get there, given no connection between Afrin and Manbij? Transported with the blessi gs of Russia and Assad?
They always use NGO’s to smuggle arms many have links to intelligence agencies you would be surprised to know. These ones came via Turkey’s border with Afrin , Turkey doesn’t block the US from providing “medical supplies”. You have much to learn dutchnational very much too learn. We know Assad doesn’t control those borders because of US forces occupying Syria , don’t see anything but the US forces anyways..
The Turks fired 10 rounds of artillery nothing more than a symbolic warning. Erdogan is always talk and he threatens in hoping to get an nod from the west publicly before he acts. Typical banter from a dictator with a poor trained army blame the purges and loyalty is still low in it.
They really hit them hard, last days. What if Turks + Syrians make a mess out of SDF? Is there another terroristic organization that, Zionists and Americans can count on? I don’t see that but lost War from America. They’re stepping in right time, to show Americans that they took over with that supporting, hiding that dissident guy, failed coup and just to show who’s daddy. But they’ve waited for too long.
The Turks are always making a lot of noise about the Kurds, Turkish army is too inexperienced and poorly trained so no use in a fight with hardcore terrorists. The YPG they keep getting more experience in fighting all the time and train more than Turks. Erdogan blusters more sounds like a blowhard he is corrupt and failed Turkey and will likely not bother with Gulen too much, it was Iran that gave him the information on the coup. He took swipes at them , he always bites the hand nothing more than a yappy dog.
Syria will do well on it’s own against the Kurds in time. What Erdogan and Turkey should be doing is be behind it’s borders and minding their business there, PKK is in Turkey and they have 350k Kurds who are against the others as within his own country they exist. Time to use them their to combat them inside, let Syria deal with its Kurd problem on their own.
The US is running out of ones to look like moderates and will need to say it is a lost cause and call it a day.
“Turkish army is too inexperienced and poorly trained so no use in a fight with hardcore terrorists.” The Turkish army saved Americas but in the Korean war.
Everybody else saved both of them in that war,those armies are not now but then and training today in these armies shows in the poor quality of both nations troops and combat readiness and fighting. That’s why like the US ,Turkey uses proxy forces , what a joke that is.
Don’t you know that Turkish army saved American arse in Korea?
The funny thing about that battle was only a handful of people thought they did something wasn’t a big deal the US did a lot of running then. 5,000 men brigade don’t play a big role and Chinese don’t rate it as difficult only getting a translator and halal food for Turkish POWs. First years was all about losing not much when you look at the Chinese as never pushed the initiative. Think hill 187 played a bigger role than the Turks did, all the US had to do was stop running the Chinese weren’t even chasing seriously.
You haven’t answered my question.
The battle wasn’t a significant Battle for the Chinese or PLA since the Chinese wanted a buffer , the PLA weren’t that aggressive and the medals were all for a political show in a war that was never won but lost early on. The US generals were stupid and they weren’t dumb enough to be wiped out. Sorry but take it for what it was PR of showing cooperation among once enemies , the fight wasn’t as brutal as claimed. Turkey only contributed 1.4% of the total troops, Battle of Kapyong Hill 677 was more significant the Canadians, Australians New Zealanders fought the most courageous rearguard action in saving a routed US and UN force from the Chinese and PLA which was becoming more aggressive.During that action the Canadians called fire support on their own positions and fought hand to hand with Bayonets was the most brutal combat to date,this the Chinese and PLA remembered and list it in their records.The 15,000 was total troops supplied in Korea from Turkey ,26,000 from Canada 17,000 from Australia so there were others there better contributions.
You like to talk this and that internet nonsense? Well, you still haven’t answered the question.
You were told but it just wasn’t obvious the role was “insignificant”, so don’t think it makes Turkey special in the US eyes. Look at the closest allies and yet they hold no respect for anyone not even their troops. Don’t think the US really cares how many times other countries pull them out of the fire to them it is only a PR opportunity to fool everyone. They are like the people who gets wealthy and ignores those who helped them there , remember with the US there is no prize for being there.
Now do you realize the significance of anything that is done to help them is for their benefit and no one else’s.
Let’s be clear here. Turkey’s role in that War was dirty. I know many of such assholles such turn you theirs back whwn you’re in need. I thought it’s just that situation here, in my country, among my people, in this uncanny city, but as I see it isn’t. It’s global. Fucck those type of people. Those are subhumans. Screw them! It is just like being an scavanger.
The Greeks were awarded the Presidential Unit citation and won the cross of valor and look at how they treat the Greeks, most nations are just a doormat.Everybody had to fight a dirty war over there , there tough soldiers would fight most ran when it got heavy. War is where the politicians spill others blood and guts for their glory and the profit of business. Dwight D. Eisenhower went over there before he was Elected President in 1952 to find a solution for peace, one of the few who actually worried about the human cost. He was the one who coined the phrase MIC was smart enough to know what was what.
Turkey has some 20k troops stationed near Afrin and can count, to a small degree, on some 10k TFSA, so altogether some 30k and can use its limited airforce too.
YPG/YPJ have some 35k+ fighters incl limited heavy arms, the high ground and for six years dug in positions. Furthermore, in the mountains there is, in winter, rain, mud, snow and armoured units will be difficult to deploy. Given TSK dismal results around Al Bab, its bad logistics that could not even handle 5k, I do not see Turkey taking Afrin, Manbij in under a week, if ever, with these small forces.
If attacking, then the assault will soon stumble, TFSA will retreat and TSK, if they continue the fight, will have to very rapidly deploy reinforcements, likely ending up with over 50k deployed.
Can Turkey live with thousands of their own killed? Will the world accept another million refugees, all coming to the EU?
This is just a public relations display by Turkey don’t take anything about it as serious. Making grandiose guesses about the Turks and SDF capabilities is a non sequitir , just blabbing unrealistic nonsense helps no one in reality.
Well, it is what many commenters here do in the most vile and ranting way when commenting on an SAA minded platform. So I see no reason at all not to put in my pennies worth. Especially as these considerations will shape Turkeys actions. I agree that there is much bluster coming from Erdodan. He will have to do something at some time though or will lose much face.
Well your US forces are another useless group there , look how they spent more time in retreat in Korea than on the offensive. They are repeating the same thing in Syria same old predictable US army unable to fight in a sustained combat mode. The thing with the Turks until they are committed in full combat then it’s a bluster. You trying to guess about who is losing face and you are too bloody naive to understand the west or anyone other region for that matter.
Erdogan Talks the walk, but won’t walk the talk. Just more for his image in front of the Turkish masses into lulling them that he is doing something.That “something” seems to be “Crazy Talk” like the song says but instead “he talks mumbo jumbo, monkey on your back..” drive us all to ruin with wasting our time on this clown.
Hot air..no wonder the Americans don’t take him serious
Now, as Americans are against Turkey with SDF, no more games for Turkey. Now, they got to do what they’ve promised.
Sick fuck, who armed the HTS with weapons, who armed the HTS with new armored vehicles you Turkish Piece of shit, fuck the Kurd’s proxies but most of all FUCK YOU Erdogan, why you enter Idlib to make deal with the devil, to supply them with weapons and shit, you are no one, you have no power of nothing, you can’t brake a tree branch. Everything that you do and all that you give to Al-Qaeda is to fight SAA you scum.Stop eating you own shit you moron. And fuck of from Syrian land.
well said……he fears his own shadow because he is mentally ill. so he created his personal army…..FSA…..but this didnt work out…seems that FSA is a total waste of money…..plans ruined….so he goes more ..nuts….
Fire Erdogan like Merkel and EU block him from joining them from Astana talks.Having both USA and Turkey in Syria will never bring peace.Both behind Syrian resources and land grab under their created terrorist organisation ISIS excuse. There is ISiS in Saudi Arabia,Afghanistan,Ukraine and Libya Erdogan and Blonde Trump must go there.
¿ Really ? Stop pretending to be anti-USA !! Nobody believe you !
The wind blows one way today and a different way the next. So it is with Erdogan. No one knows what to expect of Erdogan on any given day, least of all Erdogan.
he is totally nuts…..thats why he is tolerated by US and Nato….but his interests are opposed to US -ISREAL ones in the region…he is not the big player he considers himself to be….Russia have given him value by putting him in the negotiation table along with SYria and the terrorists…..but this is all just Russian politics……he is a noone…..has an army but he is totally unable to make a plan, a deal….whatever….he fears his own shadow…..his army is crippled by all the officers he send to jail….even soldiers….tahts why noone takes him very seriously…..if he makes a move….US-Israel will react…..in what way?we will see.
Putin needs Erdogan for his gas pipeline project. MONEY
Edrogin, talk is easy.