A flurry of Turkish drone strikes in and around Kobane continued apace Tuesday, with at least 17 reported killed so far. This includes three Syrian soldiers and an unspecified number of Kurdish militia members.
That’s just the start of the Turkish action, as following the strikes, Turkish military forces crossed the border and started taking up positions inside northern Syria.
Turkey has been threatening a new round of offensives against the Kurds, saying it could begin “at any time.”
This would be just the latest in years of Turkish invasions of Iraq and Syria, almost always centered on going after Kurdish groups. Warnings from local mosques and social media warned residents not to leave their homes, and reiterated the view that the Kurds are in “terrorist organizations.”
Turkey’s problems with their own Kurdish minority and the Kurds in neighboring nations are driving much of their policy. At the start of the Syrian War, Turkey was on good terms with the Assad government.
Yet Turkey chose to back Syria’s rebels, believing a win by Sunni Arab rebels would leave a stronger state looking to tamp down Kurdish autonomy. This left Turkey heavily backing Islamist factions in north Syria to this day.
The war didn’t turn out in Turkey’s favor. The survival of Assad has made him a natural ally to the Kurds, as both are fighting what rebels remain. Turkey is still keen to fight the Kurds and reduce their territory in north Syria.
More of the same lack of grasp of Syrian multipronged conflict. After all these years, one would think that facts would overload the chip we all have implanted in our heads when it comes to Kurds.
I am yet to see one — and I mean one — good analysis of issues related to Kurds, be that Syria, Turkey or Iraq. For that matter Iran as well,
To put in the same basket Kurdish population, their
various leaders oover time AND paid mercenaries, is beyond comprehension. And to dtill equate American funded SDF with LIBERATING anyboody from ISIS — is beyond cynical. And the fact that nobody noticed the sudden resurrection of YPG? All US funded. Who do you think is funding military Kurdish formations in Turkey. Well armed, and covering large, mountinous territory? Why did US favor PKK formations in Iraq? Letting them take foothold in Sinjar or Kirkuk? And punish Kurdish native Iraqis, Peshmerga? Because Peshmerga remained loyal to Iraqi state during ISIS wars, and did not agree to wotk with US on creating a post-ISIS secessionism. This is why after ISIS was pushed out — Iraq had to actually liberate supossedly liberated Sinjar and Kirkuk, and push PKK out. This is why Turkry is in Iraq. It is helping Iraqi Kurds not be overtaken by militarily better equiped and organized PKK. Again, who is funding Turkish PKK to spread their wings into Iraq and Syria?
US for a while did not own YPG, that is Syrian PKK. Instead opted for a more antiseptic SDF, as if other Syrians participate not just Kurds,
But it is not working. In order to stir up Kurdish population — YPG is needed as “authentic” Kurdish nationalists. Games in Syria are getting back into Obama era thuggery.
So, you think Damascus and Russia support poor YPG against bad Turkey? Think again. Damascus IS genuinely concerned for Kurdish population. They are pawns in American game, But trust me, Damascus or Russia want YPG to be defeated, and SDF to be removed from underneath US skirts. Removal of US would end two inhuman incarceration sites, ISIS detention in Northern Syria and another adjacent to Al-Tanf US base in Jordanian border.
Notice how as soon as Turkey announced the path to reconciliation between arious rebels under Turkey’s control and Syrian government — a spate of protests? Who do you think is protesting? The Turkish coopted rebels, or US and UK sponsored outfit HTS, former Nusra front? Any rebel groups that would follow Turkey’s advice, would be HRS enemies, and US wiuld probably send a drone to take out their leaders — as it did before whenever groups defected to Turkey and abandoned HTS
The handwriting is on the wall. Idlib and other Turkish controlled former rebel controlled territory will be reabsorbed by Syria in all areas not under threat of Kurdish control.
Buden knows that Kurds are all he has to work with. Thus resdurection of YPG to bring back Kurdish nationalism in hope of sparking broader Kurdish resistance to Damascus. But Syria and Russia are not buying it, they will continue cautioning Turkey to avoid civilian casualties. While under the table — doung everything they can to help Turkey beat YPG, SDF and narrow US options or excuses to stay in Syria.
If Buden wants a proxy war against Turkey, Iran and
Russia in Syria — he picked a bad time. Arab opinion has swung in Assad’s favor, and US meddling in the region is not going to find any supporters. Other than Israel.
Turkey, on the ither hand can withhold Finland and Sweden’s joining the alliance. But US cannot any longer ignore Turkey-Iran-Rusdia axis — and may want to draw Turkey in fir a little quagmire.
The questiin remains — how many Kurds are still motivated by monthly salary, room and board — to do US bidding. Especially because even the densest amongctbem know that US will not guve then a state if their own. For centuries, Kurds remain a small change in big power bargaining.
Turkey needs to suceed in Syria. That much is clear.
It seems, to me, that the Turks don’t seem to know which side their bread is buttered on…