Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the Turkish military will not withdraw from Syria until every single other nation involved in the country in any way does first, adding that “we will not let up until every last terrorist leaves the region.”
Erdogan is looking to establish Turkey’s invasion as open-ended, and
indeed if they’re insisting on being the last out, they’re practically
setting themselves up to be in Syria permanently.
The talk of “every last terrorist” leaving is also open-ended, because
Turkey has made clear they view the Kurdish YPG as terrorists, but are
often willing to label anyone Kurdish who has a problem with Turkish
military policy terrorists as well.
Since Erdogan is all but certain to be pressed on the question of Turkey
staying in Syria during his visit to the US next week, he seems to want
to get his position out there before he arrives, although doing so is
unlikely to change criticism of the policy, nor is it surprising that
Turkey intends to stay.
We can expect more defiant and even US supportive talk ( for domestic consumption directed to his illiterate rural constituents) from Erdogan as his meeting in Washington approaches. Despite seemingly seeing what’s best for Turkey, his judgement will permanently be clouded by his primitive neo ottoman obsession and even to some extent jihadist.
The tune will however, as always, change completely and course will be corrected once he faces Putin in their next meeting and reality back home.
The U.S. is already angling for joint patrols with Turkey in north Syria.
It’s Turkey’s neighborhood, so they have infinitely more justification to impose their will there than the US does, and a lot more at stake.
Not if they become U.S. proxy pawns in that game, though.
American Thanksgiving is coming up; Turkey had maybe better be careful not to get plucked, stuffed and roasted in a November Surprise.
rewritten slightly:
…..adding that we will not let up until every last terrorist and jihadist that we armed, trained, cared for, and supplied leaves the region.
🙁