Turkish forces are seen in a convoy on a main highway between Damascus and Aleppo on August 29, 2018. (AFP)
Turkey’s Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, said on March 3 that his country has finished preparations to hit targets in Syria’s Manbij, where U.S. forces are deployed.
“We have made our preparations for east of the Euphrates and will do what is necessary when the time comes. Let there be no doubt that we will not endanger our country in any case,” the Anadolu Agency quoted Akar as saying.
The northern city of Manbij is controlled by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkey views the group as a threat to its national security as it includes many elements of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and even the Kurdistan’s Walkers Party (PKK).
Akar stressed that Turkey will not accept what he called a “terrorist corridor” in northern Syria. The minister also said that Turkish soldiers should be deployed in the region.
“Turkish army will not endanger our country in any case,” Akar added.
Last month, Akar visited Washington and held a series of talks on the situation in northern Syria with his counterparts there. Later, he announced that Turkey and the U.S. will resume working on the roadmap for Manbij.
The roadmap, which was reached last year, should force the Kurdish forces to withdraw from Manbij and replace the local administration with one loyal to Ankara. However, Washington is yet to comply with the plan.
Guess who do will choose the targets? Americans? No. The Russians? Yes. That was never so convenient.
If this results in the Turks pushing the Kurds further into the arms of the Syrian government coalition to prevent a Turk advance, that instead results in a Syrian government coalition advance into SDF held territory, and turning it over to the Syrian government, then it’s a good thing.
The kurds have been petted on the head by the Americans for being “democratic” for so long, they just cannot give up the dream. They keep on appealing to the “international community” regarding the atrocities done to them by the terrorists sent by Erdogan, they even sent a woman delegate to talk to Europeans. In their many meetings they tried to decide what to do, “what is best for the Kurds”. If the focus had been on “What is best for the country” they might have made better decisions.
the turks should get going and restore order on the border so that the kurds can get back being tenants to turkey, to syria, to iraq and to iran – no way moronistan can keep the kurds going as an independent force in syria and iraq and maintain any kind of relation with turkey or iraq and at the end of the day, those two countries count for more than the kurds ever will.