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YPG Say Liberated Settlement Near Afrin From Pro-Turkey Militants

February 7, 2018 by administrator

captured turkish military armored personnel carrier

The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which are part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Wednesday said that the village of Sheikh Khoruz in the Syrian district of Afrin has been cleared of pro-Turkey groups.

“After fierce clashes, Sheikh Khoruz hill and village are cleared off Turkish and al-Qaida terrorists. An armored personnel carrier was captured, another one destroyed. Two terrorists were captured alive. The Turkish army suffered so many casualties,” the YPG said on Facebook, adding that Turkish troops’ documents were found inside the tanks.

In addition, the YPG published a video from the battlefield showing several burned tanks and armored personnel carriers.

According to the statement, the YPG is currently conducting an operation to mop up militants from the vicinity of the liberated village.

YPG Commander Hemo: 18 days paper tiger Turkish army has made no advance in Afrin

February 6, 2018 by administrator

YPG Commander General Sipan Hemo stated that the Turkish army has made no advances in Afrin despite its intensified attacks and has its eye on Aleppo.

General Commander of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat and stated that the Turkish army has made no advances in Afrin despite all the attacks it has carried out for 18 days now.

Hemo said; “Turkey is trying to crush the will of Kurdish people. Again, tactically, it wants to invade Afrin region and the villages to the east and west of Aleppo because Erdogan sees Aleppo as a part of the Ottoman Empire. Turkish forces have advanced only 500 meters in some locations and 3 km into the border line. This advance is no gain.”

Hemo said that 11 tanks of the Turkish army have been destroyed and many soldiers have been killed since the launch of the operation against Afrin.

YPG Commander General pointed out that Afrin and Shehba regions are receiving no military support amid intensified attacks, adding; “The missiles we use against the Turkish state in Afrin belong to neither America nor Russia. In this regard, America has announced several times that they have no relationship with Shehba and Afrin. Our forces are acting with the Coalition forces in the fight against ISIS only to the east of Euphrates.”

YPG Commander Hemo: Turkish army has made no advance in Afrin

YPG Commander General Sipan Hemo stated that the Turkish army has made no advances in Afrin despite its intensified attacks and has its eye on Aleppo.

Hemo said that 11 tanks of the Turkish army have been destroyed and many soldiers have been killed since the launch of the operation against Afrin.

YPG Commander General pointed out that Afrin and Shehba regions are receiving no military support amid intensified attacks, adding; “The missiles we use against the Turkish state in Afrin belong to neither America nor Russia. These are thermal missiles we bought from the black market and developed. In this regard, America has announced several times that they have no relationship with Shehba and Afrin. Our forces are acting with the Coalition forces in the fight against ISIS only to the east of Euphrates.”

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Kurdish forces in Afrin Syria Launch nine rocked into Turkish town kill 2 wanded 18

February 2, 2018 by administrator

At least two people were killed and 18 others wounded in Reyhanli and Kilis in nine rocket attacks launched from northern Syria amid an ongoing Turkish invasion against Kurdish enclave of Afrin.

Rockets fired from northern Syria wrought havoc in downtown Reyhanli, a border town in the southern province of Hatay, on Friday, killing two residents.

The rocket attacks have intensified after Turkey’s foray into northwestern Syria to capture Afrin from People’s Protection Units (YPG), Kurdish Fighters

Speaking of the “Operation Olive Branch,” Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Friday five Turkish people have been killed and more than 100 wounded in total in 82 rocket attacks launched from northern Syria.

Turkey’s border towns have become targets in what is believed to be retaliatory attacks from YPG-controlled areas since the onset of the Turkish operation against Afrin.

Friday’s attacks were the most ferocious ones as nine rockets were fired in a single day.

SOHR: ‘Turkey supports anything that harms the Kurds’

January 28, 2018 by administrator

As Turkey’s invasion against Kurds in the Afrin region continues, DW spoke with Rami Abdel Rahman, who runs the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. He sees a multifaceted conflict filled with murky alliances.

DW: Turkey’s military offensive against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria has been going on for about a week. What are the developments?

Rami Abdel Rahman: The Turkish military is attacking along 10 corridors north and west of Afrin. Turkey and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which supports it, are making slow progress because of fierce Kurdish resistance. Over the course of six days, they only conquered two villages and parts of five others. That is not much considering the number and intensity of Turkish airstrikes and Turkey’s statements at the onset of the campaign. In reality, Turkish troops have barely advanced into the Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin in northern Syria. In contrast to reports from both warring parties, our sources have confirmed a total of 133 fatalities so far: 47 Kurdish fighters, 51 FSA militants, four Turkish soldiers, 31 civilians killed by Turkish fire and two by Kurdish forces.

The Kurds have declared that they are pulling fighters from the Syrian cities of Raqqa and Deir el-Zour to reinforce their troops. But how is this possible considering that Afrin is a Kurdish enclave that’s separated from other Kurdish-controlled areas?

The only route available leads through territory controlled by the Syrian regime, via two towns north of Aleppo, to be exact. There have been reports claiming Damascus is allowing Kurds to pass its road barricades, provided they are unarmed and traveling as civilians. But my contacts in the area have not noticed an increase in men traveling through the region.

How credible are the YPG’s claims that they are sending dozens of foreign YPG fighters into the battle?

These foreigners predominantly joined to fight the Islamic State (IS). According to what we know, there are no foreign YPG fighters in Afrin. And, even if there were foreigners, they would not change the battle. They only have symbolic value and help generate favorable public opinion across the world for the YPG.

And who is fighting on the Turkish side?

Mainly Arabic and Turkmen FSA fighters from Aleppo, Idlib and Deir el-Zour. There are claims that the Nusra Front has joined the campaign against the YPG. But that’s not true. According to our information, claims that Chechen forces have joined the Turkish side are also false. So far, only Syrians are fighting alongside the Turkish army.

The objective of the FSA was always to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Why are they are pulling their forces from the embattled Idlib region to join the fight against the Kurds?

That’s because none of the groups is actually fighting for Syria! They are all pursuing some foreign agenda. In this case, they’re following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s agenda. They have neither fought against IS, nor against the Syrian regime in Deir el-Zour. But now they’ve suddenly joined Turkey’s military operation against the Kurds. Some FSA fighters were forced out of Homs by Syrian troops but are now fighting in Afrin. Last week, Damascus regained control over 320 villages in Idlib province. All fighters affected by this have also moved to Afrin. It’s true that many opposition groups want to exact revenge on the YPG for attacking the local Arab population. We have reported on these attacks. But they were not as severe as Turkish and Qatari media reports made them out to be.

Some observers claim that the Kurds are ready to cede Afrin to Assad to prevent it from falling under Turkish control. How credible is this?

In reality, that’s what the Russians are demanding. They’re putting pressure on the Kurds to hand over control over Afrin to Damascus. Russia wants all regions west of the river Euphrates to be under Syrian control. The Kurds rejected this demand. In response, Russia gave Turkey the go-ahead to attack Kurdish-controlled Afrin. They want to break the Kurdish resistance so they will relinquish control over the region. And the United States is doing nothing to stop this.

Why would Turkey want to help Russia and the Syrian regime? Turkey opposes Assad, after all.

Turkey’s only genuine enemy in Syria is the Kurds. Turkey allowed jihadi fighters to cross its border as early as 2011, as we have repeatedly reported. Turkey supports anything that harms the Kurds. Over a year ago, Turkey withdrew its armed forces from eastern Aleppo, which then was surrounded by President al-Assad’s troops to use them against the YPG and prevent Kurdish-controlled Afrin linking up with other Kurdish areas. By withdrawing its troops from Aleppo, Turkey effectively handed over the city to Damascus.

What can the Kurds now expect?

They’ll fight to the end. They have no other choice. They would have long since given in to Russian pressure if they were willing to do so. There are about 1.1 million civilians in Afrin: 600,000 Kurds and 500,000 Arab refugees. The YPG has about 10,000 fighters in the area.

Rami Abdel Rahman leads the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is affiliated with the opposition and relies on a network of activists and informants for its reporting. Many international news organizations and experts deem the SOHR’s reports credible. The critical security situation in Syria, however, often makes it impossible to independently verify this information.

Kurdish YPG rocket hit back at Turkey town Kilis dozen Injured

January 25, 2018 by administrator

More than a dozen people have been wounded when two rockets fired from Syria’s Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin struck a Turkish border town, the local governor says.

Governor Mehmet Tekinarslan said that the rockets hit two locations, including a mosque during prayer times, in the city center of Kilis on Wednesday.

At least eight people were wounded at the mosque and another five injured at the second location, he added. Two of the injured people were in critical condition.

Turkish media footage showed security forces clearing the areas of civilians following the attacks.

Several rockets have hit the Turkish border towns of Kilis and Reyhanli in recent days as Ankara presses ahead with its operation against US-backed Kurdish militants in the war-torn Arab country.

On Saturday, rockets fired across the border hit Reyhanli, killing a Syrian national and wounding 46 people. Another five were wounded when rockets hit Kilis.

Turkey launched the so-called Operation Olive Branch in Afrin five days ago in a bid to eliminate the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara views as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The YPG forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed anti-Damascus militant group.

The Turkish military said in a statement on Tuesday that at least 260 members of the YPG and the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group had been killed in the Afrin operation. The SDF has also claimed to kill dozens of Turkish forces and allied Free Syrian Army members.

Operation Olive Branch in the Afrin region is Turkey’s second major military intervention in Syria during an unprecedented foreign-backed militancy that broke out in 2011.

In August 2016, Turkey began a unilateral military intervention in northern Syria, code-named Operation Euphrates Shield, sending tanks and warplanes across the border. Ankara claimed that its military campaign was aimed at pushing Daesh from Turkey’s border with Syria and stopping the advance of Kurdish forces, who were themselves fighting Daesh.

Turkey ended its campaign in northern Syria in March 2017, but at the time did not rule out the possibility of yet another act of military offensive inside the Arab country.

KURDISH YPG AMBUSH ELITE TURKISH MOUNTAINEER TROOPS

January 24, 2018 by administrator

By Haider Al-Kufawi,

Turkish President Erdogan confirmed 8 troops were killed in operation ‘Olive Branch’ against the YPG in Afrin. This came hours after the YPG press office released shocking pictures showing the bodies and equipment of elite Turkish troops. Local sources say that the YPG is planning further ambushes to kill specifically elite troops to drain the Turkish force invading Syria.

Turkey has responded swiftly by deploying its gunships to the Afrin region to provide constant air support to troops on the ground. Turkish forces continue to advance into Afrin but casualties in ambushes may force a rethink of current military plans.

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Syrian Kurd YPG Commander General Sipan Hemo: Afrin war will be the final

January 16, 2018 by administrator

Regarding Turkey’s attempt to invade Afrin and Manbij, YPG Commander General Sipan Hemo said: “We will free the region of Erdoğan menace just like our YPG/YPJ forces cleared the region of ISIS.”

People’s Defense Units (YPG) Commander General Sipan Hemo spoke to ANF about the Turkish state’s preparations to invade Afrin and Manbij.

Hemo stressed that they will continue to protect the gains of Kurdish and Syrian peoples, and that they are prepared to do that, adding; “We as YPG will strongly respond to whoever attacks and threatens Afrin, Rojava or anywhere else, let it be Erdoğan or someone else.”

“WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROTECT OUR GAINS”

Commenting on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks “We might come a night all of a sudden”, Hemo said they will continue to protest the gains of Kurdish people and peoples of the region.

“During the six years of struggle in Rojava (Western) Kurdistan, our forces have not gone beyond the targets they set for themselves. We had clearly stated that we will be protecting the Kurdish people’s gains in Rojava. On this basis, our forces mounted defense and responded to the attacks against Rojava Kurdistan. Historic steps have been taken and historic battles have been fought against terrorist forces, witnessing great bravery.”

“ERDOGAN BEARS ENMITY SINCE THE FIRST DAY”

Hemo recalled that the Turkish state has already launched attacks and uttered threats against Rojava at every opportunity for 6 years now, continuing as follows; “The Turkish state and President Erdoğan adopted a hostile attitude and launched attacks since the first day a movement emerged in Rojava Kurdistan. Today’s attacks and threats by Tayyip Erdoğan are nothing new. They have been waging a war against Rojava Kurdistan in various manners for 6 years anyway. However, all their attacks have failed, not a single one of them has succeeded.”

“THEY ATTACKED BEFORE”

Underlining that the Turkish state had several gang groups attack the Kurdish people in Aleppo and Afrin before with the ultimate goal of creating a conflict among the Kurds and the region’s peoples, Hemo said; “Their plan collapsed when they failed in this. After that, they developed attacks against our forces with the hand of Jabhat Al-Nusra in Serêkaniyê soon after the beginning of July 19 Revolution. Our forces resisted and cleared Serêkaniyê of the gang groups.”

“ALL THEIR PLANS WERE EXPOSED AND FOILED”

Hemo recalled that the Turkish state helped several gang groups cross into Rojava in 2014 and had ISIS attack Kobanê after the Serêkaniyê victory became a symbol for Rojava and a defeat for the gangs and their supporters.

Remarking that all their plans from Serêkaniyê to Kobanê have been foiled, Hemo said the following;

“The events we are facing today have a different meaning. It is not totally clear and evident that all the tricks, dirty war and plans of Erdogan and Turkish intelligence MİT have failed and faced a defeat. They have been exposed, everybody saw their true face. Today, everyone all around the world knows that Erdoğan is a partner of terrorists and enemies of people. Now that they have no other scenario left in their hand, and they are desperate, they want to develop a way out in this manner. They openly threaten Afrin.”

“OUR RESPONSE WILL BE HEAVY”

YPG Commander General continued; “We as YPG will strongly respond to whoever attacks and threatens Afrin, Rojava or anywhere else, let it be Erdogan or someone else. This is a legitimate right and our duty which we will duly perform. Just like we foiled Erdogan’s dirty plans and turned them into gains for Kurds and our peoples before, we will do the same now. We will foil Erdogan’s dirty plans against Afrin once again and turn them into a great gain for the peoples of Rojava, Syria, Kurds and even the peoples of Turkey.”

“WE ARE PREPARED FOR A LONG TIME”

asked about the level of their preparations for a probable invasion attempt of the Turkish state, Hemo said they have been prepared for such a case for a long time and added; “We have strong preparations for a probable onslaught on Afrin. Our level of defense is strong. The people of Afrin also know this truth and we trust the people of Afrin that they will develop a mighty resistance to protect their land as they did before.”

“WE WILL SEE THE ATTITUDE OF U.S., RUSSIA AND IRAN”

Asked if the Turkish state has received permission from Russia or the U.S. for an attack on Afrin, Sîpan Hemo said the following; “We have no official information in this regard. Still, if the Turkish state dares to conduct such an invasion aggression on Afrin, this will mean that everyone has responsibility in it. Should Iran, Russia, Syria and even the U.S. not approve this in one way or another, Turkey cannot carry out such an attack because international law will not allow it as states have many laws that prevent this. Should Turkey engage in such an attack, it means Russia, Iran, Syria and the U.S. connive at it. We do not have concrete information at the moment and we are speaking in consideration of situations that may develop. Should the mentioned states fail to manifest a serious attitude in such a case, the Kurdish people will hold all of them responsible.”

“NOBODY SHOULD BARGAIN OVER THE BLOOD OF SYRIAN PEOPLES”

Hemo stressed that the Kurdish people have their plans for probable invasion attempts, and that nobody should bargain over the blood of Syrian peoples. He continued;

“If these states don’t develop a serious attitude against Erdogan in the event of him attacking Afrin, this will manifest the fact that they have entrusted Erdogan the task of attacking the Kurds. We have not seen any serious attitude of these states so far as Erdogan openly threatens Afrin. Erdogan would not be able to do such a thing if these forces did not connive at it. Should this attack be put into practice, it will mean that these forces do support Erdogan. These forces may make plans for their own interests but we do not accept any force bargaining over the blood of Kurds and peoples of Northern Syria, and serving their interests over such an attack.”

“WE WILL CONSIDER THEM TO BE ON THE SAME FRONT IF THEY REMAIN SILENT”

Sîpan Hemo pointed out that they are yet to see a serious attitude in the face of intensified attacks on Afrin over the past one week, adding; “The situation is quite tense and battles are erupting in Afrin for the last one week. Nobody has taken any attitude against this. Even the Syrian state, which claims to be owning these lands, has not made a statement. Nor did Russia speak out against it officially. We will follow this issue very closely and if they do not take a stance, we will come to the conclusion that they are a part of this attack and take sides on that front. Our people will ask them to give an account for bearing responsibility in this.”

CALL TO THE PEOPLES OF SYRIA

Hemo continued with the following call to the peoples of Syria and those working for the Turkish state’s plans on Syria; “It is time to express some things to the peoples of Syria. The Syrian Revolution began in 2011 with very sacred slogans and with the goal of attaining freedom for the peoples. At that time, we expressed our stance clearly said that take sides with the uprisings in Syria. However, some dirty sides like Erdogan wanted to use the revolutionary process that the peoples of Syria initiated to attain pure goals. They played a game in Syria. They first gave hope to the Syrian peoples, then tried to tie them to themselves. Erdogan derailed, stained and darkened the Syrian revolution. He put the Syrian Revolution to the service of Jabhat Al-Nusra and ISIS. He thus lessened the world’s support for Syrian revolution and tied the peoples of Syria to himself.”

“ERDOGAN USED AND SOLD THEM OUT”

Hemo commented that the groups under the Free Syrian Army were meant to fight against the state but Erdogan misdirected them who therewith fought against the Syrian peoples and the Kurds as Erdogan’s guards. According to Hemo, this happened because these groups entered the service of various foreign intelligence services, the Turkish intelligence being in the first place.

“Erdogan used the Syrian revolution and sold it out. Erdogan sold Dara out, bargained in Homs and did the same in Guta. He publicly sold Aleppo out for his own interests. He put the Syrian revolution on sale. The democratic, libertarian, self-sacrificing Arab people and other peoples of Syria should see and know this truth. Erdogan has no concerns like assisting the Syrian revolution. The peoples of Syria should also see this truth for themselves and take a stand by the Kurdish people against this fascist and trader mindset.”

“ALLIANCE CONTINUES IN IDLIB”

Defining the clashes in Idlib as a part of the alliance made in Astane, Hemo said; “There is talk of an alliance made by Turkey, Iran and Russia in Astana. At the moment, many people think that the fight in Idlib is outside of this alliance. This is wrong. On the contrary, the war developed in Idlib is in accordance with this alliance. During Astana talks, it was agreed that Turkey would take some areas and open the way for the regime. The war in Idlib has not gone beyond this framework so far. The Turkish state has sold the opposition out in Idlib, just like it did in Homs, Hame, Aleppo and other places of Syria before.”

“NO BARGAIN OVER IDLIB RIGHT NOW”

Asked about the possibility of a deal for ‘Afrin in return for Idlib’, like the previous deal made between Russia and Turkey ‘for Al-Bab in return for Aleppo’, Hemo made the following comments; “As a matter of fact, such a question does not quite accord the conjuncture. Of course, everyone thinks about their own interests in war. Should such a bargain take place, the Syrian state will not disagree. The policy of Syrian state is essentially based on a denial and annihilation of the Kurds. In other words, they have the same mindset with Erdogan. However, I would like to state that there is no bargain made over Idlib at the moment. There is no plan to fight and take whole of Idlib.”

“LET’S DISCUSS JARABLUS AND BAB INSTEAD OF AFRIN AND MANBIJ”

Pointing out that Erdogan threatened Manbij simultaneously with Afrin, Hemo said; “Erdoğan has one single goal in seeking to attack Afrin and bringing Manbij to agenda. Turkey engages in such acts in order to prevent the advance of Rojava Revolution and gains of the Kurds. Essentially, the Turkish state refers to America as it talks about Manbij. We do not know what kind of promises have been made between these forces. America should be asked about this. To us, it is a basic duty to liberate every inch of Rojava Kurdistan and we will fulfill this duty. We do not discuss about Afrin and Manbij as the lands of Rojava Kurdistan like Jarablus and Bab are under occupation. We should talk about liberating these regions.”

“IT WILL BE A HISTORIC WAR AND FINAL”

YPG Commander General Sîpan Hemo ended with the following call to the Kurdish people; “The war to develop is a historic one that will lead to final. This will be the final for Rojava Kurdistan, Kurds in all parts of Kurdistan and thus all the peoples of the Middle East. This is because of the fact that the Turkish President with psychological issues has become a menace for the entire region, for the Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Turks and all other peoples. It seems that our fate gives us the task of freeing the region of Erdogan menace just like our YPG/YPJ forces cleared the region of ISIS. The Afrin war will be a war of this kind. We believe that the people of Kurdistan, Arab people and the peoples of Syria, region and the world will take sides with the legitimate struggle of our people in Rojava Kurdistan and manifest a stance against the fascists that attack the Kurdish people in an attempt to deprive them of their rights.”

Will US-Kurdish deal force Turkey back to PKK negotiation table?

May 12, 2017 by administrator

Kurdish fighters from the People’s Protection Units (YPG) stand near US military vehicles in the town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border, Syria, April 29, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Rodi Said)

By Pinar Tremblay,

Although the United States has signaled its increasing support for the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) for the last few years, US President Donald Trump’s decision to arm the Kurdish forces in Syria for the battle against the Islamic State came as a shock to the Turkish government. Turkey considers the YPG and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to be part of one common terror group, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been throwing tantrums over symbols of US support for the YPG.

Turkey’s involvement in the Syrian conflict for the last six years has been mind-boggling. To put it in the simplest of terms: It has lacked a proper strategy. One cannot pinpoint what the Turkish goals were in Syria. The Turks wanted to set the rules of the game in Syria. However, while struggling to adjust their reactive policies against all forces involved, they gained more enemies and incurred unknown amounts of financial loss throughout the process. Turkey wanted the United States to be involved, to establish no-fly zones, and Erdogan cheered each and every time the US president spoke against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In 2012 for example, Turkey demanded that Assad grant more rights and freedoms to the Kurds, but today different sections of Kurds in compartmentalized parts of Syria receive logistics support from Iran, Russia and the United States, and the Turks are not happy. So Turkey demands to send its troops, volunteering more of its own men to die. The payback for the last six years’ mistakes in Syria is due now with interest.

Prior to Erdogan’s much anticipated May 16 visit to Washington, a high-level Turkish delegation (Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, director of national intelligence Hakan Fidan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar) conducted talks with senior US officials. Despite all efforts of the pro-AKP lackeys to play up Trump’s brief greeting to the delegation, the mood was somber. The final blow came with the official news of the US military support for the Kurds. The Turkish government oscillated between ignoring the news and blaming it on the Barack Obama administration, hoping to ride the Trump administration’s anti-Obama tide. But it is too late for that.

The United States decided to arm the Kurds for several reasons, but for the Turkish side, two reasons are the most daunting: The Turkish Armed Forces in Syria are perceived as less competent than the Kurdish groups, and Erdogan is losing power and credibility. Given modern Turkish history, Erdogan’s biggest fear for decades has been a potential military coup. Different legal cases against high-ranking, active-duty officers have crippled the military’s morale, and the July 15 attempted coup has demoralized and structurally weakened the armed forces. Its operations in Syria have not produced impressive results, and the United States’ choice to support the Kurds proves the point.

Next is the undeniable Erdogan problem. Erdogan rushed into the referendum that grants him unprecedented power. Ironically, the process that expanded his powers legally has indeed crippled his legitimacy. Despite all the victory speeches, the AKP’s top leadership can see that Erdogan is in a deep crisis. For the first time in the last 15 years, Erdogan has lost all major cities, including the most important one: Istanbul. Plus Erdogan is losing the young urban vote. This issue is a top priority in Erdogan’s mind.

With fast diminishing support at home, Erdogan needs Trump’s endorsement more than ever. That is precisely why Erdogan’s reaction to the news was measured, cool-headed and calm. He said on May 12, “It is my sincere wish that before I arrive in the US, the decision [to arm the Kurdish forces] will be changed. I will share our concerns with Trump.” However, not only is Turkey’s credibility in the international arena tarnished, but Erdogan’s bargaining power is at its lowest. Erdogan cannot afford to confront Trump, and the United States knows well how weak the Turkish hand is at this stage in the game. Erdogan’s dubious victory may enable him to grab all possible powers domestically, but in the international realm, he is seen as a leader whose dependence on foreign powers is increasing at a menacing pace. That is the dilemma of a dictatorship in the developing world: The stronger you become domestically, the more vulnerable you are internationally.

Despite a few critical voices in Turkey asking Erdogan not to visit Washington, the Islamists and ultra-nationalists have opted to remain quiet. Now, much will depend on how Erdogan is received in the United States. If there are photo-ops where Trump appears as a friend of Erdogan, this Kurdish fiasco can go down more smoothly for Erdogan. Al-Monitor’s talks with senior Turkish bureaucrats indicate that the best scenario for the Erdogan-Trump relationship will be one similar to the Putin-Erdogan relationship, where the details of the deals are not leaked to the press.

Next is the question of what Turkey will do. Two options are being discussed. One is the spoiler role, where Turkey continues to attack PKK and YPG bases in self-defense. This is not a sustainable policy, not only because Turkey lacks the power but mostly due to the dictatorship dilemma explained above.

So the more likely possibility is reopening the peace talks with the PKK. The backdoor channels have always been in the works to convince Turkey to come back to the negotiation table with the Kurds. However, Turkish prerequisites to reopen the talks have simply been too high for the Kurds to meet. Now, with each blow sustained as a consequence of years of unsuccessful policies, the Turks will be going back to talks with the PKK with a much weaker hand. Erdogan has opted to form alliances with Turkish Hezbollah (Huda-Par, a pro-Kurdish Sunni Party), which is adamantly against the PKK, and the Gray Wolves, who have held him in check against a rapprochement with the Kurds. But now that the referendum is over, who can hold Erdogan back?

As a savvy leader, Erdogan will soon start preparing another road map and initiate peace talks with the PKK. Potential collateral damage to this path may be a few senior bureaucrats who had their hearts and minds set on the taking down of prominent PKK leaders and ending the PKK threat completely. A few forced departures from senior AKP ranks are likely to happen, which will eventually isolate Erdogan further in his policy cocoon.

Yet Erdogan knows all too well that the Kurdish problem cannot be solved exclusively in military terms. Hence, he was the one who haphazardly announced the peace process with the Kurds in 2012. On March 21, 2013, all pro-AKP figures were singing Kurdish songs, rejoicing about the peace with the PKK with the slogan “Mothers should not shed any more tears.” Red, green and yellow were the colors in fashion. And in the same unexpected fashion, the process ended in 2015, and now calling for peace in Turkey has become a criminal act.

This is all likely to change rather soon. This time Turkey has lost significant bargaining power, while the Kurds seem to have played a shrewd game of balancing the interests and sensitivities of Iran, Russia and the United States. Watching and listening to Turkish pundits and senior bureaucrats, one cannot help but see that the alternative news reporting and spinning the reality for public opinion has done permanent damage to Turkish policymakers. They have come to believe their own alternative truths. However, the accumulated bills from six years of reckless policies in Syria are soon to be collected without further delay from Turkey.

Tremblay is a columnist for Al-Monitor’s Turkey Pulse and a visiting scholar of political science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is a columnist for Turkish news outlet T24. Her articles have appeared in Time, New

Turkish jets kill scores of Syrian Kurdish YPJ fighter

October 20, 2016 by administrator

Turkey says its warplanes have carried out more than two dozen airstrikes against Kurdish positions in northern Syria, killing scores of militants.

Jets carried out 26 airstrikes against YPG targets, killing 160 to 200 militants, the Turkish army said in a statement on Thursday.

The army said its jets hit militant targets in the villages of al-Hasiya, Um al-Qura and Um Hosh and destroyed nine buildings, one armored vehicle and four other vehicles that belonged to the Kurdish militia.

YPG forces had recently captured the areas from Daesh militants. Attacks on YPG positions have been an ongoing source of contention between the United States and Turkey.

The US says it supports YPG and considers the militia group to be an effective force against Daesh Takfiris in Syria. Ankara says the YPG is an extension of its own outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which it considers a terrorist organization.

Ankara won’t “wait for terrorists to come and attack” Turkey, said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before the airstrikes.

In August, Turkey sent troops and tanks into northern Syria without Damascus’ consent purportedly to help drive out Daesh and Kurdish militants from the border area.

Ankara, which is an open backer of militants fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad, is helping the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants take territory near the border.

The FSA and its affiliated groups, including Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam, as well as more than a dozen other militant groups are fighting the government in Damascus since 2011.

Turkey call Brits who join Kurd YPG, ‘spies, crusaders & terrorists,

September 2, 2016 by administrator

British citizens who have volunteered to fight Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) alongside Kurdish militias are merely “crusaders” who will be treated as terrorists and killed if necessary, Turkish government officials have warned.

Yunus Akbaba, a spokesman for the Turkish PM Binali Yildirim, said the same applied to Westerners from other nations, including Turkey’s NATO allies.

“These are terrorist groups and anyone fighting under their banner will be considered terrorists,” he said of the YPG, which is a proscribed group in Turkey.

“It is the responsibility of the countries where they come from to prevent them from joining these groups. Turkish forces will confront them if they are fighting under the banner of terrorist groups, regardless of whether they are members of allied countries,” he told Middle East Eye on Thursday.

There are thought to be six Britons who have traveled to the region independently to fight IS alongside the Kurds, together with a greater number of Americans and other westerners.

One British volunteer, known by the nom de guerre Macer Gifford, was quick to argue the UK citizens embedded with the militias are far from terrorists.

“Many are former servicemen that have distinguished themselves in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others are leftist and humanitarians. We aren’t terrorists by any definition of the word,” he told the Telegraph.

“If one of them were to be killed by Turkey then you would see a lot of public anger.”

An official for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said any suggestions that Westerners fighting with the Kurds are there to form a democratic mini-nation are “nonsense.”

“It is difficult to see what else could motivate them. They are under this illusion that they will help create this secular pro-Western Kurdish statelet [sic] in the heart of Islamic lands,” Yasin Aktay told the Middle East Eye.

“These people are either motivated by a crusader mentality or are Western intelligence agents aiming to further the PYD/YPG project. All this talk of them being there to face the Daesh [IS] threat is nonsense.

source: https://www.rt.com/uk/358012-turkey-british-fighters-terrorists/