The announcement earlier this week that the Kurdish SDF has agreed to integrate into the Syrian Army does not appear to be impacting the ongoing fighting in Aleppo Governate, where Turkey and the Turkish-backed SNA continue to try to push into Kurdish-held territory, and both sides are trading fire across the region.
Turkish airstrikes were reported in several areas, with the highest intensity around the city of Kobani. Those strikes hit areas on the outskirts of Kobani, including Qasaq village and the Sarin Airport. Strikes were also reported near the Qarqozaq Bridge, which SNA fighters have been trying to take.
The SDF, for their part, carried out missile strikes against Turkey’s al-Hushariyah base on the outskirts of the city of Jarablus. No casualties have been reported in this incident.
The SDF also reported that they have shot down two Turkish drones near the Tishreen Dam. They reported that the drones were supporting the targeting of villages near the Dam, and noted that those villages came under heavy shelling from Turkish and SNA forces the day before.
The SNA has been trying to take Tishreen Dam and the Qereqozaq Bridge for months, so far with limited success. Tishreen Dam is the most important source of fresh water and electricity generation in northeastern Syria. Turkey is believed to want to use control over the Dam to force concessions out of the Kurds that live in the area.
The interest in Qereqozaq Bridge is more strictly related to logistics, as it is the northernmost bridge across the Euphrates River that is under Kurdish control. The loss of the bridge would force SDF forces to make a much longer route from the Kobani area into the western part of the Aleppo Governorate.
Kurdish officials noted that the talks on integration with the Syrian Army are still in relatively early stages, and while the SDF agreed to expel foreign fighters from their forces to promote national unity, important details like the fate of massive oil and gas fields, presently under Kurdish control, have yet to be discussed.
Can they just split using the Dam and its resources instead of fighting…?!
Since the 1970s, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has condemned Turkey for thousands of human rights abuses. The judgments are related to executions of Kurdish civilians, torturing, forced displacements, destroyed villages, arbitrary arrests, murdered and disappeared Kurdish journalists.
This is no doubt all true. But no country today can accept an armed entity within its borders it does not control. The entity moreover serving the interests of those that fund and arm it.
We live in an era of a global empire fighting fot its primacy. This leaves many other countries struggling to maintain a modicum of sovereignty. They cannot afford disunity.
Under some different circumstances and with no external threats, Kurds should have administrative, economic, trade and cultural autonomy. Unfortunatelly with tensions rising globally Kurds best bet is to be reconciled with the rest of their coutrymen — and steer clear of imperial friends bearing gifts.
In September 2017, Iraqi Kurdistan held an independence referendum. Although the US, Turkey and Iran opposed it, the referendum passed with 93% of the vote. Iraq’s Prime Minister Heider al-Abadi refused to negotiate and then attacked the region.
Trump defends decision to abandon Kurdish allies in Syria. https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-syria-ap-top-news-international-news-politics-ac3115b4eb564288a03a5b8be868d2e5
The key is to understand their motives. All of them.
As for Kurds. Historic tragedy of over 50 milion people having no country of their own — but spread accross four countries — is a continuous source of problems. All Empires use divide and conquer rule — and Kurds have bern perennially weapinized by empires to do their bidding in a fleeting hope that one of those empures will eventuslly carve out a piece of real estate for the country of their own.
In Turkey, Western armed Kurdish forces are formidable. In Iran in nineties, Western “help” resulted in a bloody suppressiin of uprising. In Syria, French collonial rule was toxic. The poisoned gift was preferential treatment of Kurds, resulting resentment among Arab subjects. Add to that today’s US weaponization of Kurds in Syria and one gets the idea. One need not reprat the sorry Kurdish exploitation by occupying force in Iraq.
For Turkey, existential threat was ISIS that crept down its border with Syria. It turned out that ISIS was merely a place-holder for Syrian Kurds who, with US help, were then “liberating” border areas with a transparent.goal of linking Kobane Kurdish areas to Afrin on the oppisite side.
And to cement the link, a place called Al-Bab (called the Gate for a reason) was needed. Turkey disrupted it — as Assad lost control of its border areas. Turkey entered Jarabulus as Kurds “liberated” Manbij. In quotes, because Kurds were occupying areas where they DO NOT LIVE. Kurds , in vast Arab majority areas with US support are OCCUPYING force. They are oppressing Arab clans who rebel once in a while — and are routinely labeled “ISIS”.
Turkey’s dillema is as follows. With its own Kurdish areas partially controlled by armed groups, it cannot afford to have a foreign power occupy part of Syris and give it to Kurds, with a danger of Iraqi kurds joining. This would mean COMPLETE LOSS of Turkish connectivity to Levant AND Gulf regions. As Erdogan said years ago when entering Jarabulus — Turkey will not be isolated in Anatolia.
As as now, Turkey did seem to take Manbij from Kurds, and is fighting for Euphrates. Israel’s claim on lands past Euphrates may sound fanciful, but in the light of its entry into Syria – it cannot be ruled out.
As for Kurds offering to join Syrian Army — which army exactly? As of now, Joulani and his HTS -/ maximum 15,000 (30,000 was a number invented in post-Assad era) ARE the Syrian Army. As for the status of Assad armed forces of 280,000 — it is unclear what is their status today?
Turkish funded, armed and commanded Syrian National Army seems to be growing. Its size immediatelly post-Assad was above 100,000. I suspect much of Assad’s military will be melting into it.
Kurds are floating the idea of “joining” Syrian Army — I am assuming HTS — is an attempt at legitimizing US occupied territory with mercenaries — SDF Kurds .
Somehow I doubt this will happen. This is what Kurds did to Assad when he had an upper hand. They lied. Turkey warned Assad of the outcome — but he had no choice as uniting the country was his misplaced priority.
Hope it is clear why Assad folded. He was in no possition to defend the country from US/Kurds from one side, , Israel from another — after HTS entered frey. Turkey is essentially — for its own existential neds — better equiped to keep Syria in its current borders.
Even if by some miracle Arab states come up with a Gaza plan acceptable to US and Israel — Lebanon and Syria remain explosive conflagrations, Turkey is essentially — with many other silent partners — preparing for all eventualities.
Unless I am grossly mistaken, Joulani can make friendly noises towards US/Kurd offer of legitimizing — it will not go far.
Joulani cannot cross Turkey.