The most enduring US ally in the Syrian War, the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are very publicly interested in resisting the latest round of planned Turkish invasions of northern Syria, saying they are open in coordination with the Syrian government’s troops to do so.
Turkey has repeatedly invaded northern Syria and northern Iraq to have a run at Kurdish factions, declaring them “terrorists” in both. The operations in Syria aim at the SDF’s parent organization, the YPG.
The most recent threatened Turkish operation seeks to establish a 30 km “security zone” within Syria. This is roughly in line with past plans threatened, mostly with an eye toward propping up Turkish-backed rebels in the area.
Syria opposes such raids because that “zone” becomes rebel territory, and the SDF oppose it because it’s carved out of their territory. SDF leaders suggest the Syrians would particularly help if they used air defenses against the Turkish warplanes.
The US-armed SDF are a formidable on the ground force, but were an auxiliary of the US in fighting ISIS, and envision the same role with Syria in resisting Turkey.
Turkey backed the rebels in Syria almost immediately at the beginning, envisioning the Sunni Arab-dominated rebels being more hostile to Kurdish autonomy, and leaving the YPG in a weakened position.
Ironically, Turkey’s pro-rebel position set Islamists up in north Syria, and when the US got involved, they backed the YPG in resisting those groups, leaving the YPG and the SDF as a stronger group than they likely were before the war began. Now, they may find themselves natural allies to Syria, and even further entrenched as an autonomous faction in northeast Syria.
Turkey, by contrast, has found its border far less stable for its involvement in the war, and its relationship with Syria broken. The rebels plainly aren’t going to win the war, and Turkey will have to deal with the Assad government they worked to undermine.
Isn’t the same forces providing cover for the four thousand US forces that have taken Syrian oil fields?
As always when the opportunistic kurdish terrorists, who gobbled up, stole Syrian resources, regularity burning down their crops and terrorized and killed it’s citizens for uncle sam feel the heat, they call on the “regime” in Damascus to save their sorry @sses.
As soon as the US will be fleeing from the wrath of the Syrian people, so will the Kurds…
Grow up, and try not to be such a dumb f*cking racist.
“stole Syrian resources, regularity burning down their crops and terrorized and killed it’s citizens for uncle sam” has no basis in any kind of reality.
Syrian Kurds are 100% Syrian, as is the AANES. Unlike yourself.
Oh so anyone who doesn’t agree with you are racists huh? Kurds is a nomadic tribe from the Kordistan region of Iran. Most Kurds (mountain bandits really) in Syria wandered in in the late 30’s, the rest are PKK terrorists that wandered in from turkey.
Unless some other status have been worked out with the states that harbor these “guests” (some guests), Kurds have the same “rights” and status as bedouins and gypsies, unless of course they opportunistically steal that land and resources with some invader.
When the backstabbers are dropped by that invader, as they have been some 5 times by the US already, they become even more hated than before. Wonder why…
Most Kurds (mountain bandits really) – Grow up, racist idiot.
Kurdish SDF Wants to Work With Syrian Govt … is not what they said. Raise your standards of journalism.
Whattt? A NATO country invading another country?? Judging by their reaction against Russia you would think the NATO thugs would wait a little while longer before violating the “territorial integrity” of another country and follow the “international rules based order” .
Kurds made bad bets. They bet on the US in Syria and when push came to shove, US swung over the NATO ally and much more critical partner Turkey and looked the other way as they invaded. If the Kurds had worked with Assad from the beginning, their position would have been much better.
This is a complete MESS of an article. Compmetely misrepresenting role of Turkey, completelly missing in its allies and foes. It is so bad -/ that little correcting will not do.
Turkey and Russia still patrol great seaths of Turkry-Syria borders.
The issue here is — SDF asserting itself in Manbij, where they eere expelled by Rusdian and Syrian forces following Trump ordered withdrawal. But Kurds reneiged on their committents to Damascus, and former YPG just changed uniforms and rntered SDF. Starting to comandeer again in Manbij, and got stronger in Hassakah Turkey and Russia never patrolled Kobsne/Hassakah border with Turkey. YOG Kurds (PKK in fact). disarmed, and Damascus took charge.
That unravelled since Biden took office. YPG went into SDF. and cooperation with Damascus ended.
Russia, Iran and Turkey are guarantors of Syria’s peace process, and are now taking a stronger role in Syria. Specifically, while Damascus will support Kurdiish population — as their leadership works for US, it is early in agreement with Turkish operation,
SDF is delusional — thinking that after they so trashed Manbij agreement, as well as deal on Hassakah, betrayed Damascus, they can try same trick again.
It will not work. Russia and Damascus gave tvem opportunity when Trump withdrew US troops and in panic they agrred to demilitarization and turning affairs over to Damascus. Turkey then said it was a mistake — and they were right,
As Biden took over things changed. Kurds pushed Damascus aside, but neither Russia nor Damascus are good candidates to challenge US pawns. Turkey has a legitimate concern and is aualified to tackle this problem with US. This time, all the way up to Hassakah. Challenging US in Syria. Let us see.
I hope tbis site removes the rose colered glasses wb
But…. America is fighting Damascus and is supporting the Syrian rebels… against Assad … for 15 long years in a terrible civil war. Russia by the way, is defending Assad against America and has troops in Syria… right next to Israel. Yup. …. and Turkey, a NATO member is against Findland and Sweden joining NATO … and is working with Russia to demine the black sea while cosing up to Putin. What a mess!