Turkey, the Kurds, and Syria(Kurds Reach Afrin Deal with Syrian Government Forces)

HomerThompson

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ISTANBUL (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Turkey’s military incursion in northern Syria’s Idlib province would crush Kurdish militia forces that control the neighboring region of Afrin.

The Kurdish YPG militia said Turkish forces inside Syria fired shells into Afrin on Saturday, but no one was wounded.

Turkish troops entered Idlib three months ago after an agreement with Russia and Iran for the three countries to try to reduce fighting between pro-Syrian government forces and rebel fighters in the largest remaining insurgent-held part of Syria.

But the few observation posts which the Turkish army says it has established are close to the dividing line between Arab rebel-held land and the Kurdish-controlled region of Afrin.

“If the terrorists in Afrin don’t surrender we will tear them down,” Erdogan told a congress of his ruling AK Party in the eastern Turkish city of Elazig.



https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-crush-kurdish-militia-in-afrin-idUSKBN1F20G4

Turkey is still in Syria, and looking to go after the Kurds, and the Kurdish YPG militia.

But...

BEIRUT/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition is working with its Syrian militia allies to set up a new border force of 30,000 personnel, the coalition said on Sunday, a move that has added to Turkish anger over U.S. support for Kurdish-dominated forces in Syria.

A senior Turkish official told Reuters the U.S. training of the new “Border Security Force” was the reason that the U.S. charge d‘affaires was summoned in Ankara last week, and President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said the development was worrying and unacceptable.

The force, whose inaugural class is currently being trained, will be deployed at the borders of the area controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - an alliance of militias in northern and eastern Syria dominated by the Kurdish YPG.

In an email to Reuters, the coalition’s Public Affairs Office confirmed details of the new force reported by The Defense Post. About half the force will be SDF veterans, and recruiting for the other half is under way, the Public Affairs Office said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ew-syrian-force-angering-turkey-idUSKBN1F30OA


An interesting dynamic appears to be developing, possibly. I won't believe it until I see it, but it looks like we might not be abandoning the Kurds this time. I certainly hope that turns out to be the case.


Links will be added as news develops.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...syria-before-its-even-born-idUSKBN1F41HJ?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-to-be-supported-by-rebels-idUSKBN1F5117?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-national-security-sources-idUSKBN1F525U?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-support-for-kurdish-force-idUSKBN1F62GV?il=0

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42731222

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...nister-says-operation-has-begun-idUSKBN1F80XX

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ration-ria-citing-lawmaker-idUSKBN1F90S1?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-in-push-to-secure-borders-idUSKBN1F90RQ?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...from-syrias-afrin-interfax-idUSKBN1F90RW?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ack-turkish-force-in-syria-idUSKBN1FA0OK?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...yria-clash-with-kurdish-militia-idUSKBN1F90RQ

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ion-against-turkish-forces-idUSKBN1FC1C3?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ers-in-syria-offensive-military-idUSKBN1FC12J

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42795943

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-ypg-or-risk-confrontation-idUSKBN1FE297?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...warns-washington-on-manbij-idUSKBN1FG0P4?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...clean-entire-syrian-border-idUSKBN1FH0MH?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ticism-of-syrian-offensive-idUSKBN1FI166?il=0

https://zcomm.org/znetarticle/inside-afrin/

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rkey-over-syrian-operation-idUSKBN1FK12S?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ants-in-northern-iraq-army-idUSKBN1FL40P?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ed-by-turkey-backed-rebels-idUSKBN1FM2LX?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...southwest-of-syrias-aleppo-idUSKBN1FP23M?il=0

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rmy-offensive-in-northern-syria-idUSKBN1FP1WS
 
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I hope the Kurds finally get the Independence that they've sought for so long.
 
Wow 2 posts in and we have some unusual consensus here.
 
I get that Turkey is prioritizing stopping the formation of a Kurdish state, but I am confused by their end game with the major powers. They seem to be thumbing their nose at russia, china, and the US.
 
I get that Turkey is prioritizing stopping the formation of a Kurdish state, but I am confused by their end game with the major powers. They seem to be thumbing their nose at russia, china, and the US.

Turkey does that, or rather Erdogans regime does it, because of the completely insular nature of Turkish politics and society in general. He is placating his base and any considerations aside from that is secondary. So when Erdogan makes hysterical statements it's never really directed towards the US for example. Turkey is not really going to fight the US over Kurds in northern Syria and the reestablishment of the Ottoman Empire isn't really around the corner. Think of the most ignorant type of Trump cultist, double that, and you have the vast majority of Erdogans base in Turkey.
 
Turkey does that, or rather Erdogans regime does it, because of the completely insular nature of Turkish politics and society in general. He is placating his base and any considerations aside from that is secondary. So when Erdogan makes hysterical statements it's never really directed towards the US for example. Turkey is not really going to fight the US over Kurds in northern Syria and the reestablishment of the Ottoman Empire isn't really around the corner. Think of the most ignorant type of Trump cultist, double that, and you have the vast majority of Erdogans base in Turkey.

Is it really his "base" so to speak, or to intimidate detractors within the country? My time in Iraq taught me that almost none of the nonsense that Saddam pulled was actually directed at the US/the West, it was all designed to give himself the impression of being a Strongman on the world stage, thus intimidate people within the country that may oppose him.
 
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Wow 2 posts in and we have some unusual consensus here.

Turkey is a delicious place Mr Ghandi... You should try their fl....food... it is to die for...
 
Turkey is a delicious place Mr Ghandi... You should try their fl....food... it is to die for...

Can we just dump specific posts instead of threads?
 
Would not a Kurdish state would be largely free of factional instability, in a critical area, and pro US?

What am I missing here?

#justaskingquestions
 
Would not a Kurdish state would be largely free of factional instability, in a critical area, and pro US?

What am I missing here?

#justaskingquestions
We have nukes at a military base in Turkey.
 
You tell me, bro. You're the Deep State. What the hell am I paying you for!!!
We have nukes at a military base in Turkey.

a) Would Turkey really kick the US/UK out of Turkey over this?
b) IF yes, could we not have a base in shiny new Kurdistan?
c) Why would we want nukes 70 miles from the Syrian border anyway?
 
a) Would Turkey really kick the US/UK out of Turkey over this?
b) IF yes, could we not have a base in shiny new Kurdistan?
c) Why would we want nukes 70 miles from the Syrian border anyway?
a) I have no idea. We're talking about creating a force of 30,000 troops on their border, including the Kurdish YPG. It seems like a big deal.
b) I think we could have a base there, and am still baffled that we haven't pushed for an independent Kurdistan for strategic reasons. I suppose we've had Turkey in our pocket for so long, it never seemed worth the effort. Obviously I know we'd never engage in action to help them for moral reasons.
c) So we can more easily nuke Russia and China. Although, I feel with our current fleet of nuclear subs, the nukes in Turkey are redundant. Again, not endorsing militarism, I'm speaking purely strategically.
 
a) I have no idea. We're talking about creating a force of 30,000 troops on their border, including the Kurdish YPG. It seems like a big deal.
b) I think we could have a base there, and am still baffled that we haven't pushed for an independent Kurdistan for strategic reasons. I suppose we've had Turkey in our pocket for so long, it never seemed worth the effort. Obviously I know we'd never engage in action to help them for moral reasons.
c) So we can more easily nuke Russia and China. Although, I feel with our current fleet of nuclear subs, the nukes in Turkey are redundant. Again, not endorsing militarism, I'm speaking purely strategically.

A) Agree but that means turkey pivots away from Europe and Natio in my opinion, that’s a pretty big move and makes me feel they would have to be forced into it. But even if so.

B) agree

C) I think the wiki link you posted said that the nukes location had really limited use in any European theatre now - I’ll need to read up on it more.

Based on this exchange I feel pretty good about a passive aggressive FU to turkey as far as FP goes.
 
Fuck Turkey

giphy.webp
 
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