Last week, a four-day ceasefire was reached between Turkey and the US-backed Kurdish SDF to allow the SDF to withdraw from the contested city of Manbij. That ceasefire expired Monday, though the US State Department announced Tuesday that it had reached a deal with Turkey to extend it until the end of this week.
Given the amount of fighting Wednesday, something didn’t add up with that story. Turkish officials are now offering a clarification that there never was any extension of the ceasefire in the first place. They said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller must’ve had a “slip of the tongue” to suggest otherwise.
On top of that, Turkish military officials said it was “out of the question” for Turkey to have talks with the SDF, because they consider them a terrorist organization. They further said that the offensive against the Kurds will continue until they are fully disarmed.
That, it seems, explains why the fighting between Turkey and their allies in the Syrian National Army (SNA) and the SDF never really stopped earlier this week. The SDF’s Manbij Military Council and SNA factions continue to clash around the area, and there have been reports of artillery strikes in the area from both sides.
21 Turkish-backed fighters were killed Wednesday, and a number of SDF fighters as well, though the exact number was not disclosed. There are some more casualties today, though again the exact number is not readily available. At least two civilians, including a five-year-old boy, were killed when an artillery shell hit their home in Abu Qalqal.
Turkey has been providing air support for the SNA attacks on the Kurds. Turkish drones have also carried out multiple attacks against targets in the city of Kobani. Those attacks included a strike on Kobani FM, a Kurdish-run radio station.
The SDF issued a statement Thursday accusing Turkey and “their mercenaries” of escalating their offensive. They said they’d repelled the attack around Tishreen Dam, south of Kobani, but that Turkish reinforcements are incoming.
The statement called on the global community to take a firmer stand against the Turkish escalation, and also called on civilians in Kobani to take up arms to defend their city against the Turkish forces. They said taking the region would be “no picnic” for an invading force.
This is shaping up to be a potentially major regional issue. Some in Israel are keen to back the SDF to prevent Turkey from having too much influence in post-Assad Syria. The US also is a close ally to the SDF, though President Trump notably abandoned support for the SDF in 2019 when Turkey was launching a separate offensive against them.
The recent regime change in Syria is opening up an opportunity for Turkey to make further moves to tamp down Kurdish autonomy in the northeast. The new government, dominated by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) appears to feel they owe a debt to Turkey for supporting their offensive, and has spoken out against Kurdish separatist urges. But the HTS is going to have to balance that with their effort to remain palatable to the rest of the West, making this a potential complication for them.
Once the main Turkish Army moves into Syria, and closes on the Israeli positions, then the real meaning of these events will become clear to all.
Yes, all this talk about Turkey coordinating with Israel in Syria is nonsense. The fall of Assad came as a surprise to both. Turkey is actually happy about it because it gives them the upper hand there against the other foreign interveners, US, Russian and Israeli. And rightfully so to the extent that Turkey borders Syria and if the functioning government wants them to stay or expand their presence that is legitimate. Israel on the other hand thought it was happy with the fall of Assad but they now realize that things could easily go south for them quickly. Yes Syria was a crucial conduit for IRan to arm Hezbollah, but Assad was never a threat or challenged Israel. His army never attacked Israel.
The closer the Turks come into contact with the Israelis in Syria the more opportunity for confrontation. The US has always ensured that Israel has no competitors in the Middle East. However, the longer this war of extinction goes on and the more territory Israel has to administer the greater the risk of more war. Furthermore, because Iran's axis of resistance has been weakened the more pressure that will build on Erdogan to intervene on behalf of the Palestinians.
Erdogan has no interest in the Palestinians.
Turkey and Israel cut a deal to divide Syria between them. There will only be a token confrontation…. or none at all.
If we are agreed that US policy is to undermine any power that threatens Israel, we can agree that Iran and Turkey are the only challengers to Israeli hegemony in the region. Some misread Turkey's disposition. Unlike Iran, Turkey is in Europe, a member of NATO and secularly indoctrinated for decades. Given that the Arab states used to secretly support Israel, why would Turkey a non bordering, non Arab state have to antagonize the US and make an enemy out of Israel?
However, most Turks don't like Israel and Erdogan's "Islamist" party is ideologically opposed to Israel. Turkey's actions that coincide with Israeli interests are in part undertaken due to economic and domestic political considerations. Erdogan wants to leave a legacy that he engineered Turkish economic success and he needs stability in order to do that. Second, by strengthening Turkey economically he wants to make it "recession proof," as he embarks on a more hostile stance towards Israel.
Israel has been trying to undermine Erdogan for two decades economically and through support for Kurdish separatism. He welcomes Hamas. Verbally assaults Israel vehemently and loathes Netanyahu.
No country, except maybe the Houthis, is willing to bring itself to ruins in order to stop Israel's war of extinction against the Palestinians.
But to say Turkey has no interests in the Palestinians is not true.
I keep eating the popcorn, while waiting for that show not to show.
Turkey is Becoming Second Israel…!
As if one was not enough?!…!
Agreed. One is more than enough. Turkey and Ukraine may try, but they're not as special.
… or the opposite. The US of Israel wants the Kurds strengthened to neutralize Turkey
"The recent regime change in Syria is opening up an opportunity for Turkey to make further moves to tamp down Kurdish autonomy in the northeast." Poor Kurdish people. They didn't deserve this, but their leaders are a different story.
Turkey is upset because the Kurds inserted the word "Democratic" in the SDF undemocratically. It was "Unprovoked and Unjustified."
No, he is upset about 40 years of bombings and terrorist acts inside Turkey, and by their attempts to take over a region and make it independent (like our own South 1861-5).