Turkey: Peshmerga Free to Cross into Kobani If They Want

Syrian Kurds Blame Turkish Govt for Uncertainty

With Syrian Kurdish leaders blaming the Turkish government for the uncertainty surrounding a deployment of Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters to Kobani, the Turkish officials today made it clear the Peshmerga can cross the border if they want.

“Turkey has given its consent,” officials insisted. Yesterday, Turkish officials claimed the Peshmerga were only going to provide artillery support from outside Kobani because the Syrian Kurds feared the Peshmerga would make Iraqi Kurdish factions too influential if they were directly involved.

A lot of uncertainty remains around a lot of issues, including the number of Peshmerga, with Turkey claiming the Peshmerga were ready to send 500 fighters but the Syria Kurds talked them down to 155. The question of if they’re entering Syria or not also remains unclear.

As much of the uncertainty is about whose fault it is, with Turkey and the Syrian Kurds trading blame over the situation, and Peshmerga officials remaining surprisingly mum on the issues.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.