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On February 18, an unnamed source confirmed to the Kurdish ANF News outlet that the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Damascus government had agreed on deploying units of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in specific locations in the Afrin area as a first stage of the alleged deal between the sides. However, the sources said that the agreement didn’t including any political or administrative issues related to Afrin.
The ANF News also revealed that the negotiations between the YPG and the Damascus government had faced several setbacks in the beginning due to what the source called “an interference” of some international powers including Russia.
During the negotiations, which were held in the city of Aleppo, according to ANF’s source, the YPG and the Damascus government also discussed the possibility of launching a joint military operation against the Turkish Army and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups in the cities of al-Bab and Jarablus east of the Afrin area.
The media outlet also claimed that Syrian Air Defense Forces (SADF) will establish a no-fly zone over the Afrin area as a part of the alleged agreement. An “expert” told ANF that such a strategic move will strip the Turkish Army from 80% of its firepower.
In a related development, Hassan Hassan a Syrian pro-opposition journalist said on Twitter that the Turkish Army will announce the end of its military operation in the Afrin area once the YPG-Damascus government agreement is officially confirmed.
#Source: Turkey will announce the end of Operation Olive Branch once a deal between the regime and the YPG is in place.
— Hassan Hassan حَسَنْ (@hxhassan) February 18, 2018
On February 18, Sheikho Bilo, an official of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), told Rudaw TV [based in Iraqi Kurdistan] that the SAA will enter Afrin area within the next 24hours. If true, this could mean that the crisis in Afrin is witnessing its final hours.
Now i wonder. Will YPG Afrin stab SAA in the back again like before ? I do hope this bridge don’t get burned by idiotic YPG elites now plagued by USA exceptionalism and agreement incapable.
No the YPG-J was the upper hand you twat.
YPG will retain it’s defense and hit and run tactics against Turkish backed FSA at least until they run out ATGM and Artillery pieces. Then it’s a gradual decline into the urban area which would make the FSA evenly match with the YPG militia. Now thing is YPG supplied by Washington with 500 million or even into billions USD worth of weapons to fight against Damascus SAA not against Turkish backed FSA. Would they allow the weapons spent to fight Turkey which would further their animosity toward themselves ? Seems not. Although they allowed small streams of their weapons into conflict in Afrin just to keep the YPG content. Thing is we’re seeing very fascinating dynamics in which the US are forced to choose it’s immediate interest with YPG or it’s long standing and long term benefits with Turkey. They couldn’t get both. At least not with united Turkey.
I agree with your comment, even its conclusion.
Two points though. I believe stocks of ATGM’s and artillery of SDF are highter than you seem to estimate and that Assad wil let through to Afrin much more in terms of numbers of resupply and reinforcements.
Secondly, now that NDF forces have entered from Nubbol (imo at most several hundreds) it is likely that the resupply route to Afrin will be fully open. Were the SDF to reinforce with armoured cars provided by US, that would mean the next row between Erdogan and the US. I already hear the word “betrayal” in the air.
The SAA will only be serious and not another Assad power grab if they deny the Jihadi air force assets
Also having the SAA deliver counter battery fire into Turkey in response to the artillery shelling is perfectly justified ( I start to gag slightly saying SAA and “perfectly justified in the same sentence :o))
It all depends on what Assad’s Russian and Iranian masters will permit?? Didn’t Sergey Lavrov call the Afrin Invasion “mad”? It seems there are competing narratives in the Kremlin also? right now the Assad regime is like a sick dog, and I question their ability to put up a significant defence
My worry is what the Assad regime will want in return for their support? The SDF/YPG/YPJ must push back carefully in almost a taunt; “What will your Russian and Iranian masters permit you to do?” its a fair question
With the Erdogan Regime (not Turkey or the TSK ) there are no long term benefits with this regime as a NATO member. They are all net negatives. An ally who throws Molotov cocktails within NATO repeatedly needs to be quarantined and suspended and until the disloyal behavior is put to an end, otherwise it destroys the credibility of NATO with being brought down to our weakest, most destructive link. Right now that is the “Erdogan regime”
NATO is on it’s weakest not because Erdogan regime. But by the failings of their propaganda machines along with their closing gaps in military technology. So Erdogan as a rogue and dissenters is not by any means Erdogan works but rather because situation permit it so. Perhaps there will be more dissenters and rebels if USA keep crossing against the other NATO members interest. Russian LNG products in example.
I sense Kremlin propaganda, How is St. Petes?
Nato has a hard time articulating itself let alone propaganda . NATO is only threat to the Kremlin if they insist on us being one for Russian domestic political advantage as the Kremlin tries to distract the Russian people from mismanagement, crime and corruption at the expense of their own people
When Russia tries to hold Europe hostage to their natural gas and prevent others , it only tells the world how seriousness the Kremlin is in being a constructive partner and good ally. Whitewash only works when people are foolish and uniformed. In the 21st Century that is not something that any country wants to depend on
LOL you believe something like Europe is being held hostage by LNG products ? What else ? Russian can hack into anything, anywhere it’s choosing ? Russian subs can surfaces from lake Michigan ?
Look. Europe are welcome to buy other people LNG such as US the only problem is there’s no good reason for them to do so. Why buy same product at a higher price and at lower delivery time ?
Well i can only recite what’s you’ve written me “Whitewash only works when people foolish and uninformed” NATO participated in invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya and none of them see any “good effect” afterwards.
Yawn
How`s Assad going to get the FSA out of there.
Much simpler than kicking out Yanks in northern Syria. As for the northern Syria they’ll be leveled by ballistic missile.
The FSA terrorists are easy since they are dwindling in numbers and recruitment for operation Gladio C. They are easy to fight and fie easier than US who hide behind proxies then cut and run when push comes to shove.
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Details not seen here actually.
Russian media also reporting that may have reached an agreement let us see if this is true. It seems to me things are about to become very bad, for the turks and allies, if this turn out to be true.
The question remains will the kurds back stap Syrians again?
Acc to AMN NDF forces from Nobbol (shia militia) have entered Afrin.
I have reports elsewhere where it is stated that YPG says that while there are talks and they are close to having an agreement, the agreements is not there yet.
Maybe it would be better to halt speculation until (and if ) the moment there is an agreement. As for me, I hope they get to that point in an agreement acceptable for both parties.
“International interference including Russian” delayed agreement according to YPG. What they failed to mention was the reason for Russian interference; which was to make sure that Erdogon was on board and that Turkish forces would withdraw once agreement was in place. So, what were the Yanks up to? As it is unlikely they have stopped. Appears pro Assad Kurds have the upper hand at this stage. Lets hope it continues to be so.
Or just the simple fact that its the ypg existence that lets the Turks be in syria, if the Kurds disarm then erdogan would happily end the operation so his soldiers stop dying and he can claim it was turkey who accomplished this. The Kurds need to learn to make concessions and give up the idea of not losing anything and having the SAA protect them at the same time.
You are completely correct in the opening of your comment.
Without the YPG, there would not be Turks in Northern Syria, there would still be IS in Northern Syria and the kurds would now all be refugees in Turkey or elsewhere and all Yezidis would be enslaved otr killed.
YPG in its turn would not be there if Assad and SAA had defended the Syrian kurds and not abondoned them to attacking islamists, all armed, trained and paid for by Turkey, Qatar, KSA and later US.
So Erdogan and Assad together have created the now problematic YPG, now SDF. Sometimes one just reaps what one sows.
Aahahahahahaha I love how you completely ignored the US involvement here….. You forgot that part where under US order the Kurds went and got in the way of the advancing SAA forces to sieze Syrias second largest city and oil wells in the east. You forgot that part where it was the US that backed the FSA groups who the Kurds fight against. They held out but most of their relevant assets we’re siezed for the US with US help. You are basically blaming Assad for the existence of isis, like he chose to almost get couped for western interest. Yes the clear option is for the SAA to put down lives and assets but let the kurds keep their little nations because you know, they just deserve it for playing with every side for their own interests.
Whats more , the US funded and armed Al Qaeda and ISIS , who almost swept the whole country . The Kurds claiming that they were “abandoned ” is to blame Assad for the actions of the US. Being poor an uneducated the Kurds were and remain unaware of who their oppressors really are. The US has been planning to take Syria for many years. Read the Rand Corporations plan for “Sunnistan” compiled back in the eighties it is being used as the blueprint , only change being the name, same land mass.
Yes and this is even an opportunity for the kurds to get the Syrian government to agree to some level of autonomy in exchange for disarming. They have to coordinated with someone other than the US, it’s beyond obvious the US won’t back them up against turkey. Good thing is that as the Turkish forces sieze more land the Kurds run out of options. They have to make a deal before they got nothing to trade.
Assad could have only trained and armed the Kurds if they had right from the beginning showed their loyalty and readiness. But Kurds betrayed their mother land. Right fromt the beginning they started playing in the hands of Israel. Yes, one reaps what one sows.
There would be no war on Syria if not for the jewSA zionist warmongers and thieves.When they are driven out of Syria and the Middle East as a whole,then and only then will normal life and Peace return to the region.The Synagogue of Satan.
The Kurds never fought ISIS especially in Northern Syria. The Syrian government forces did but they were mercelessly bombed by the Turkish army in support of their ISIS proxies. ISIS simply handed over those lands to the Kurds as ordered by the Padrino, the US which is the puppet master of both the Turks, ISIS, and the Kurds.
Seems the flip-flopper, Erdogan, has been brought back into the Yankee fold. Wtf does he think he’s doing?
There is really no need for a deal. YPG wants o split Syria. They really have the opposite agenda of Assad. Syria is more inline with Turkey than the YPG. This doesn’t make sense.
SAA should demand access to Oil/Gas fields in east Deir Ezzor before any agreement in Afrin…oh wait maybe they had it…but US alibaba coalition twarted it attacking SAA!
Syria is a far bigger threat to ABORTION RIGHTS in Afrin than Turkey is, so the SDF should be negotiating with Turkey, not Syria.