FILE IMAGE: REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi
Turkey will hand over the Syrian city of Afrin to a central government when a new administration has been formed following elections, Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli told reporters in the parliament on April 10.
The defense minister added that Ankara will continue taking measures in Afrin until terrorist threats in the region are eliminated.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Anara will return Afrin to its residents.
“This is a wrong approach. We know very well to whom we will return Afrin,” the president told reporters also in the parliament. “But, we will define the time.”
Erdogan also described as “very wrong” the approach of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the future of the Afrin area.
On April 9, Lavrov said that Russia expects Turkey to bring Afrin under the control of the Syrian government. However, it’s clear that Ankara is going to continue its occupation of the area.
Turkey launched its “Operation Olive Branch” on January 20 to clear it from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), the US partner in Syria that is viewed as a terrorist group by Ankara. On March 18, the Turkish Army and Turkish-backed militants captured the Afrin town center, which had been the main stronghold of the YPG.
So that Turkish prick is pretty much occupying the region. Hopefully president Putin will set his brains straight.
this escalation(also against us-manbij) was his plan inside syria will nobody help turks
It looks like Erdogan thinks he has more power than he actually has.
Erdogan won’t risk a Syria-Turkey war. Erdogan knows the zionist game, so will hand it over if pressured by Assad.
Relax guys, a few days ago they were singing another song. It doesn’t really matter what they say.
This was to be expected right from the first step the Turks made over the border.
this is Putins game drag in and fight out also against the us-turk-pact we will all be a history-part of this glorious s..ttime
It’s not Putin’s game. It’s Erdogan’s game. The Russians have been trying to contain the conflict. If the world (and Syria) didn’t have Russia, those predatory capitalists would already have finished with Syria long ago and left a pile of rubble behind.
i think thats nobodys game, is a desaster
Putin/Russia quickly forgave Turkey for the shoot down and murder of their pilot after Turkey, due to its tourist economy suffering greatly from the lack of Russians, made a half-apology. Russia is too eager to make amends with and work with Turkey due to its desire for that southern pipeline to Europe. And *that* is because the U.S. (using John McCain and another senator) pressured Bulgaria to quit its deal with Russia on SouthStream. Because SouthStream was thwarted by the U.S., Russia focuses on Turkey as its (only apparent) alternative. So you can blame the U.S. for pushing Turkey and Russia together.
Erdogan, don’t play your Bibi ! Ok to erase the PKK and the YPG but you’re not on your soil !
Don’t be pesimistic. Erdogan will for sure hand over Afrin – the question is, which way.
Time will show.
Well, I do not think Er-dog-an will do that, and you will see it. Someone will be needed to push him back home (SAA-Russia, maybe). I do not trust Turkey at all !!
Turkey will be pushed back after the war, but not with war or military might. But with economics, bonuses in trade from Russia and Syria, and guarantees that the PKK will not be allowed to return ever. If need be Russia will withhold selling future military advance products to Turkey till the withdraw is complete. It will happen non-violently, believe me.
tough luck
Talk on afrin only after SAA captured raqqa frm sdf
Basically it is President Trump’s decision. If he lets Turkey have Afrin, or even more, then they will take it.
who?
Ha ha ha ha ha. Trump has no say on anything in Syria. Putin on the other hand does.
What a joke.
Apparently, Erdogan’s organ harvesting operation is taking longer than expected.
They already have plenty from wounded FSA and PKK forces as well the less talked refugee in it’s border. Erdogan sees opportunity no matter how shortsighted or short term the benefit he’ll take it. It’s a big wonder what kind of Turkey would be born after Erdogan pass awat his power. It is unlikely it will get help from any allies it have though.
Figures. It’s still unlikely that the Turkey would clash directly though.
Israel pushing whole world in global conflict and they are talking about Afrin. LOL. SDF/Israel have occupied large area in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Israel killing 4000 Muslims every year in the world by different means. Think about that.
Yes turkey = israel
Turkey and Israel have heavy military trade that doesn’t let up despite words they have had between each other.
MeansTurkey hasn’t yet decided whose part to take…my money goes to US. Turkey can never leave NATO. Lets wait and see.
It think it can play both sides. Well it’s quite vulnerable from western liberal anarchists though so it’s behavior is puzzling.
playing both sides for a long time. russia is financially weak. everybody must have heard recent US sanctions over Rusal. SBER Bank shares went down 17 per cent. Relevance is that; Turkish economy can be taken down in 1 day by Zio-US/The West and Russia/Iran cant save her. On the other hand theres PKK/Kurdish state which Turkey can not tolerate. Difficult times for Turkey.
In time Turkey will give back the land. One way or another.
Erdogan is not confident that Assad government will not hand the area back to PKK. Turkish main concern is to uproot PKK from Syria.
Yes there’s this kind of view too but as long as the PKK remains Israel long arm it’s still unlikely. Turkey should be more wary of leftist liberal anarchists and it’s own takfiri terrorist.
I advise readers to have a look at an article written by Uzay Bulut/February 21,2018 From Cyprus to Syria,Turkish continued invations.(Providence). Many journalists in Turkey, in the meanwhile, are rubbing their hands. Necati Doğru, a columnist with one of the most read Turkish newspapers, Sözcü, for example, proudly declares that Afrin “should be Turkey’s second Cyprus.” He writes: “You can’t say ‘I will enter Syria, strike them, cleanse the area and return. You should stay there permanently. We are having our second Cyprus.” The Turkish invasion of Cyprus is considered a “victory” in Turkey and is celebrated every year. For the Republic of Cyprus, however, it was and still is a horrific crime that has completely changed the country ever since.
Absolute Bullshit. Do you think you can convince the People with your greek propaganda. Who started the genocide in Cyprus in the 60´ies and 70´ies. Yes, the Greek Cypriots. Thats the problem with you nationalists greeks/greek cypriots. You dont have the ability to ask yourselves “why Türkiye has started a campain against cyprus” And so Long this continues so long you can Forget unity on the Island. And yes, we will stay in theTurkish Republic of N.Cyprus forever, deal with it. And if you dont want to deal with it, than you have to accept the consequences.
Uzay Bulut is a well known Armenian-Assyrian wannabe journalist in the States. She is not objectiv. Nice try Kosta
But you sound very reasonable and objective in your occupying role,just like another apartheid state i can think off.
Who ever said I am objective ????? Read carefully what I wrote. In my view you are a victim of greek Propaganda without knowledge the historic Background. Go and educate yourself in history first.
disqus_QyPt08aZFQ briefly
Turks talking about genocide… Sometimes they forget that they have a little credibility problem.
Why are you distracting the topic. Stay here. Did the greek cypriots commit a genocide on the Turks in Cyprus ? Yes or No ??????
Of course they did not. The Turks were unduly claiming far more influence (about twice as much) than they had popular representation.
The Greeks just wanted to make it proportional to the population, which the Turks did not like.
Ohh, and the mass killings against the Turks were a kind of peacefull negotiations to convince the Turks not to claim for more influence ????? See the Facts Buddy. The greeks started to slaughter the Turks on the Island, ethnic cleansing. Thats why we started the campain.
The truth is that Cyprus was invaded by greeks in 1500 b.c. and by turks in 500 a.d.
The Turks even not excist in 500 a.d. The Turks evn today do not excist as a culture ethnic coherent groupe, they are an artificial mix off cultures forced to spek Turkish and with a jung artificial non cohernt culture.
Do you really beleive that the greeks in 1500 b.c. are the same greeks as today ???
At least Greece go’s back to that date. The piont that they evoluated is an advantage Turkey is clairly regressing since Atta Turck.
Greece in 1500 bc. has nothing to do with Greece nowadays. How many cultures rolled over the antic greek culture ? Even the Turks ruled the modern greece for some 400 years. that means 6 Generations. In my opinion greeks are Christian Turks. But the main problem in the conflict is the west. Thanks to Britain who did nothing to solve the conflict in cyprus. The west always used the different cultures and religions to destabilizing the Middle East. They now trying the same in Türkiye. 2014, I was in Van to climb Mount Ararat (Agri). In Van and around the mountain I met some US citizens. I asked them why they have choosen Van-Agri area for visit purpose. For example, there was a Nurse from Chicago, she told me that they are supplying the People in the Region with medicine. You must be a fool to beleive this Statement because poor People in Türkiye getting their medicine for free. She checked that I did not beleive her and she stopped talking after getting in eye contact to other Team members. I am pretty sure, These bastards playing their own game in the Region. If I were the Turkish President, I would get rid of them.
why should you call Greece Christian Turks?1) Greece is a substancial older culture. 2) Turks are an recent invention to artificialy bring different cultures, religions and territories under one umbrela, even your sultan-iman-without a university degree knows that, now days called Turks where then so called Ottomans. 3) they live in Greece not in Turkey. So there is not one reason to call them Turks in what version then. Why should they settel for a substitute if they are the oriniginal and live in there original regio. You can ass well call Turks a bunch off indoctrinated and oppressed, Kurds, Armeniers Greeks, Galatians, thynians, bithynians, etc… The problem is Islam, Turkey, or Ottomans. who trayed to conquer the whole world over and over again and noticed now that even with there allah on their side they can lose the war. Your litlle story is the fine example off the suspisios nature of you and your people and the rational attitude of western helpers to not tray to trow the pearels at the pigs, ( they saw and knew it would bring no solace to start discussing with a you. More over they where right at that moment read the following in the Daily Hürriyet ( a state media paper) 23/01/2017 ! Pharmacists and patients are suffering from medicine shortages in the market as medical firms and depots have allegedly suspended the release of goods amid upcoming price hikes due on Feb. 20, after the Health Ministry’s pricing commission announced that it would increase the currency rate for prices of imported medicine.
Istanbul Chamber of Pharmacists head Serdar Göksan told daily Cumhuriyet that 90 percent of medicines in the market are imported, meaning that patients are struggling to access nine out of 10 drugs in the market due to the de facto suspension in medicine releases.
“These problems are experienced because firms do not want to release their products before the price hikes,” Göksan said, calling on the Health Ministry to intervene in the crisis.
Early this month, the Price Evaluation Commission announced that it would increase the euro rate for imported medicines from 2.1166 to 2.3421 Turkish Liras, and this decision will be implemented on Feb. 20. After this decision, Göksan said medicine firms are refraining from releasing their goods to medicine depots, which in turn refrain from releasing them to pharmacies.
“They are doing this because they would rather release the medicines when the prices see hikes,” he said, adding that similar problems were experienced in previous hike periods.
“The biggest problem is that we are dependent on outside sources in the medical [sector]. As long as that remains the case, these problems will always be around,” Göksan said.
The former head of the Istanbul Chamber of Pharmacists, Semih Güngör, said the shortages are particularly acute for antibiotic, painkiller, and blood pressure medicines.
“Cancer and blood drugs are included in the list … The currency rate is rising rapidly, and the problem of [shortages] will continue for as long as this goes on. The real problem in our country is the fact that the domestic medicine industry is finished. A national medical industry should be reestablished and refortified,” Güngör said.
“In the past the imported medicine rate was 10 percent and 90 percent of medicine was produced in Turkey. Now the import rate has risen above 60 percent,” he added.
Turkish Employer Pharmacists head Nurten Saydan, meanwhile, also denied that pharmacists are responsible for the shortages.
Health Minister Recep Akdağ stated on Jan. 23 that his office was “constantly monitoring the sector” and would apply “strict penalties” if they detect any medicine stocking by companies Note in 2005 you hat 1$ for 1,7 lira today it is nearly 1$ for 4 Lira thanks to… Erdogan.ô
Bullshit, modern Greek language is similar to ancient Greek. It is more like part of the Turks are muslim Greeks, Armenians, Kurds, Arabs and a bunch of other people that decided to change their identity in order to have better changes in society
Go and educate yourself. My collegue is native Greek from Greece. He said that the antic greek language was totaly different compare to modern greek language.
why should you call Greece Christian Turks?1) Greece is a substancial older culture. 2) Turks are an recent invention to artificialy bring different cultures, religions and territories under one umbrela, even your sultan-iman-without a university degree knows that, now days called Turks where then so called Ottomans. 3) they live in Greece not in Turkey. So there is not one reason to call them Turks in what version then. Why should they settel for a substitute if they are the oriniginal and live in there original regio. You can ass well call Turks a bunch off indoctrinated and oppressed, Kurds, Armeniers Greeks, Galatians, thynians, bithynians, etc… The problem is Islam, Turkey, or Ottomans. who trayed to conquer the whole world over and over again and noticed now that even with there allah on their side they can lose the war. Your litlle story is the fine example off the suspisios nature of you and your people and the rational attitude of western helpers to not tray to trow the pearels at the pigs, ( they saw and knew it would bring no solace to start discussing with a you. More over they where right at that moment read the following in the Daily Hürriyet ( a state media paper) 23/01/2017 ! Pharmacists and patients are suffering from medicine shortages in the market as medical firms and depots have allegedly suspended the release of goods amid upcoming price hikes due on Feb. 20, after the Health Ministry’s pricing commission announced that it would increase the currency rate for prices of imported medicine.
Western are helpers and the Turks are suspisios ? muhahahahahahahahhahahahah. The issue is, that the west is democratic only in their own countries, but not in their foreign politics especially in the Near East. If this Explanation is to high for you then let it be.
you always deviate from the subject, you have a no substantiated arguments so that you always have to flee into a detail or other subject. You cann’t refute the facts so there is only the silence or the flight in the big unreason. It is indeed not productive to talk to unreasonabel people.
You got it, thats the reason why we should not talk further. Accept it: You are Turcophob who is trying to legitimate his hate against Turks with poor knowledge about historic Happenings.
sorry, i ment 1500 a.d.
and ? What you wanna say ? The Indians were in America first, too !!! Is there is a law which says first come and stay forever ?????
I think its time that the Cypriots decide to be Cypriot! Fuck the Greeks, fuck the Turks. They can use 2 languages, but they should become one nation. Many nations have more then one language. Anyway, this will happen over time anyway. The Cypriots that speak Turkish do not like AK and Erdogan and the Cypriots that speak Greek, speak a very different kind of Greek then the rest
greek propaganda
you see mr putin that erdogan is not a good ally…you need to full that idiot to attack usa
To be honest and against the grain of other comments, I have no problem with this decision in light of the other potential conflicts approaching for the Syrians and it’s allies.
First of all, Erdogan must win the presidential election next year, which is by no means guarenteed, to be able to continue. He may be history by the end of the next year languishing in an “appropriate accomodation” somewhere in Turkey.
Russia showing two face in Syria. Russia given opportunity to Israel for bombing Syria instead of protect. So I think there is secret agreement between Israel and US,Russia.
Gosh never could have seen this land grab coming ;)
Hands up who did not see this coming?
No hands? I guess we all know how trustworthy the Sultan of Ankara is.
Does not matter, when the Kurds had Afrin they did not hand it over either. It is easier in international court to wrestle away control of Afrin from Turkey then it is from Zionist-backed Kurdish-terrorist. This is all still playing very well in favor of the resistance, against the Zionist. Hey at least Turks are fellow Monotheist and Muslim. Kurds are Atheist and vandalize Monotheist items and people. It was Kurds who committed the Armenian Genocide, not Turks.
They did it under the commands of Turks….
Turks demand that Kurds quite sending suicide bombers to soccer games, Kurds have never followed a Turkish command in human history. Kurds hated Christians just as they hate Sunni and Shia till this very day. Kurds only love Stalin. The Sunni of Eastern Syria are fighting a life and death struggle to push the invading and occupying Kurds out of their cities right now. The Kurds are racist-invaders. Kurds plan on genociding all Christians in the end.
The infamy of executing this century’s first full scale ethnic cleansing belongs to Turkey’s Young Turk government during World War I. In their highest councils Turkish leaders decided to exterminate every Armenian in the country, whether a front-line soldier or pregnant woman, famous professor or high bishop, important businessman or ardent patriot. All 2,000,000 of them.
Democide had preceded the Young Turk’s rule and with their collapse at the end of World War I, the successor Nationalist government carried out its own democide against the Greeks and remaining or returning Armenians. From 1900 to 1923, various Turkish regimes killed from 3,500,000 to over 4,300,000 Armenians, Greeks, Nestorians, and other Christians.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide_recognition
There is a recognition by several groups of Kurds of the participation of their ancestors in the Armenian Genocide during World War I. Some Kurdish tribes, mainly as part of the Ottoman army, along with the Turks and other people, participated in massacres of Armenians. Other Kurds opposed the genocide, in some cases even hiding or adopting Armenian refugees. Also, inmates in Ottoman prisons, including Kurds and Turks, were given amnesty and released from prison if they would massacre the Armenians.
Very noble of erdogan, perhaps. Look at this clearly – a chunk of turkey is pretty much kurdish. If elections are what erdogan claims are necessary to see who gets what – shouldn’t elections in the kurdish area of turkey also be respected. Ahhh now we can see how honest is erdogan.
Turkistan will occupy Afrin like Israhell does Golan
Wow, NATO invader is keeping the part of Syria PUTIN allowed them to conquer- didn’t see that coming.