Turkish airstrikes and a ground offensive continue apace in Iraq, while in neighboring Syria, Turkey carried out airstrikes against a Kurdish village in Afrin District, killing at least 15 civilians, including a number of women and children.
Turkey provided no indication as to why they were attacking the village, or Afrin District in general. The area on Syria is mostly Kurdish, however, and Turkey rarely needs much of a reason to carry out operations against Kurds.
Airstrikes in Iraq’s Dohuk Province were also reported to have killed at least five civilians. These airstrikes were backing an ongoing ground offensive in northern Iraq which is aimed at the Kurdish PKK movement.
Turkey’s seizure of the Afrin District in Syria was primarily done to expel Kurdish forces from the border region, and the offensive against Iraq is likely to seek a similar end. So far, most of the casualties seem to be civilian, which is in keeping with Turkey’s domestic military operations against ethnic Kurdish territory.
Turkey is trying to catch up with the US/coalition crimes.
proxy wars are really good theater. lots of unemployed mercenaries looking for action.
Turkey only looks strong when they’re killing children. Wonder who they learned that from?
Turkey’s President Erdogan is certainly not controlled by Presidents Putin and Trump in Syria, Iraq, and Libya.
While I have no knowledge of Iran and Turkey’s foreign policy associations, something here feels uncomfortable if I were Erdogan.
It is rather tiresome to have to point out with regularity that our reality TV culture and cancel habits are detrimental to learning, with Turkey -we are stuck in neutral. I guess i is easier sometimes to agree with Bibi, juust makes it simple.
We just do not get it. Syrian, Iraqi, Turkish or Iranian Kurds have their OWN divisions, and the ones we constantly feel so attached to are EXCLUSIVELY those factions that are supporting US agenda. And that are not — have good relationship with Turkey. Afrin had to be taken by SOMEONE having interest in stopping the conveyor belt of arms smuggling from US, through Turkish PKK areas, through Afrin to final destination — Idlib. Assad could not do it -/ and Russia is not in the business of taking territory for the sake of policing. Only Turkey could do it, and it has its own national interest in preventing PKK to arm itself and earn money smuggling. Jt is as we forgot how Turkey stopped ISIS spread along border via Jarabulus-Al-Bab offensives, and later after US troops withdrawal, finally closing the main infiltration points along the border and establishing Turkish-Russian patrol.
Turkey must undo PKK power to allow other Kurdish parties a chance to function. It was US that allowed for spread of PKK in Iraq, literally gave them two towns to run — Sinjar and Kirkuk. US did everything to undermine Peshmerga Kurds, whose leadership works well with Turkey and Baghdad. Turkey had to literally enter Iraq and Syria to fight PKK.
Who is supporting PKK? Hard to guess?
Anytime PKK, YPG or other PKK creation in three states start something — Turkey is to just ket them? People pay heavy price? What is new.
Turkey has troops in Iraq, Syria, Qatar, Lybia, Somalia and Albania They want to go to Yemen. It does look like more than average.
in addition they have Nato presence in Afghanistan,Bosnia and Kosovo, and finally they contribute to the UN in Mali, Central African Republic and Lebanon.