Turkish Parliament Extends Syria, Iraq Missions by Two Years

On Tuesday, Turkey’s parliament voted to extend their military mandate for cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria. This authorized two more years of operations.

Turkey has been operating in Iraq for decades, and in Syria throughout the Syrian War. In both cases, the operations center almost exclusively on attacking Kurdish groups, who they label “terrorists.”

Syria’s YPG has been expecting another Turkish incursion on them in the lead-up to this vote. Turkey’s President Erdogan is again talking up these operations, saying there is “no patience left” for the YPG, who he labeled “a source of terror attacks.”

Turkey’s recent Iraq operations have targeted PKK fighters, many of whom were displaced from Turkey during a brief ceasefire. Peace talks failed, so the fighters were stuck in exile, and ultimately Turkey crossed the border to go after them.