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Turkey v Syria's Kurds: The short, medium and long story Turkey v Syria's Kurds: The short, medium and long story
(8 days later)
The Turkish military is carrying out an operation in north-eastern Syria against a Kurdish-led militia alliance previously allied to the United States.The Turkish military is carrying out an operation in north-eastern Syria against a Kurdish-led militia alliance previously allied to the United States.
We've boiled down why it matters.We've boiled down why it matters.
Turkey considers the biggest militia in the Kurdish-led alliance a terrorist organisation. It says it is an extension of a Kurdish rebel group fighting in Turkey.Turkey considers the biggest militia in the Kurdish-led alliance a terrorist organisation. It says it is an extension of a Kurdish rebel group fighting in Turkey.
Turkey's president wants a 32km (20-mile) deep "safe zone" along the Syrian side of the border clear of Kurdish fighters. There, he wants to resettle up to two million Syrian refugees living in Turkey. On 9 October, Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels launched an offensive to create a 30km (20-mile) deep "safe zone" along the Syrian side of the border.
The Turkish offensive began after US troops, who relied on the Kurds to defeat the Islamic State group, withdrew from the border area. It came after the withdrawal of US troops, who had relied on the Kurds to defeat the Islamic State group.
The Kurdish-led alliance has now sought help from Syria's government, which views the US as an enemy. The Kurds asked Syria's government and its ally, Russia, to help stop the assault.
Turkey has vowed to push back from its border members of a Syrian Kurdish militia called the People's Protection Units (YPG). Turkey and Russia subsequently agreed to take joint control of the border area.
Turkish leaders view the YPG as terrorists, and an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for three decades. Turkey wants to push back from its border members of a Syrian Kurdish militia called the People's Protection Units (YPG).
The YPG dominates an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has driven IS out of a quarter of Syria over the past four years with the help of air strikes by a US-led multinational coalition. Turkish leaders view the YPG as a terrorist organisation. They say it is an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for decades.
Despite the risk of a confrontation with a Nato ally, Turkey carried out cross-border operations in 2016 and 2018 to contain the YPG. The YPG dominates an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which drove IS out of a quarter of Syria with the help of a US-led multinational coalition.
When the US declared the military defeat of IS in Syria in March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed President Donald Trump to create a "safe zone" in north-eastern Syria. When the US declared the defeat of IS in March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed it to create a "safe zone" clear of YPG fighters in north-eastern Syria where refugees could be resettled.
To avert an offensive, the US agreed to establish one together with Turkey, but called it a "security mechanism". The YPG complied and began dismantling border fortifications. The US agreed to establish one together with Turkey in August and the YPG complied.
Two months later, US troops pull back from the border after Mr Erdogan told Mr Trump that Turkey was about to begin an operation to set up a "safe zone" alone. But two months later, US troops pulled back from the border after Mr Erdogan decided to launch an operation to create a 440km-long "safe zone" unilaterally.
The SDF said it had been "stabbed in the back" by the US and that an offensive would reverse the defeat of IS. The SDF said it had been "stabbed in the back" by the US and warned the defeat of IS might be reversed.
On 9 October, Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels launched a ground assault on SDF-held territory. Mr Erdogan said they aimed to "neutralize terror threats against Turkey" and facilitate the return of Syrian refugees. On 9 October, Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels attacked. Four days later, the SDF turned to the Syrian government and its backer, Russia, for help. They agreed to deploy Syrian soldiers to stop the advance.
Four days later, with the Turkish-led forces making gains and the death toll mounting, the US announced a full withdrawal from northern Syria. The SDF turned to the Syrian government for help and reached a deal for the Syrian army to deploy along the border and counter the Turkish offensive. The US negotiated a 5-day ceasefire on 17 October to allow YPG fighters to withdraw from a 120km-long stretch of the frontier from Ras al-Ain to Tal Abyad where the fighting was focused.
Just before the ceasefire expired, Mr Erdogan reached a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
They agreed Turkey could keep its forces in the area between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad, and that Russian and Syrian troops would take control of the rest of the border.
Why is Turkey worried about Syria's Kurds?Why is Turkey worried about Syria's Kurds?
It feels threatened by the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).It feels threatened by the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).
The Turkish government insists the YPG is an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey since 1984 and is designated as a terrorist group by the US and EU. The YPG and PKK share a similar ideology, but say they are separate entities.The Turkish government insists the YPG is an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey since 1984 and is designated as a terrorist group by the US and EU. The YPG and PKK share a similar ideology, but say they are separate entities.
The YPG is the dominant force in an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). With the help of air strikes, weapons and advisers from a US-led multinational coalition against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), SDF fighters captured tens of thousands of square kilometres of territory in north-eastern Syria between 2015 and 2019. The YPG is the dominant force in an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). With the help of air strikes by a US-led multinational coalition against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), SDF fighters captured tens of thousands of square kilometres of territory in north-eastern Syria between 2015 and 2019.
The SDF set up an autonomous administration to govern the region, home to more than two million people. It avoided conflict with the Syrian government, but called for recognition of Kurdish autonomy. The SDF set up an autonomous administration to govern the region, home to three million people. It avoided conflict with the Syrian government, but sought recognition for Kurdish autonomy.
Is this Turkey's first cross-border operation? Was this Turkey's first cross-border operation?
Despite being part of the US-led coalition against IS, Turkey opposed the support the US gave the SDF. Despite being a member of Nato and the US-led coalition against IS, Turkey opposed the support the US gave the SDF.
In 2016, the Turkish military supported an offensive by allied Syrian rebel factions that drove IS militants out of the key border town of Jarablus and stopped SDF fighters moving west, towards the Kurdish enclave of Afrin. In 2016, the Turkish military supported an offensive by allied Syrian rebel factions that drove IS militants out of the border area around Jarablus and stopped SDF fighters moving west, towards the Kurdish enclave of Afrin.
In January 2018, after US officials said they were helping the SDF build a new "border security force", Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels launched a major operation to expel YPG fighters from Afrin. Almost 300 civilians were reportedly killed in the fighting. In January 2018, after US officials said they were helping the SDF build a new "border security force" to prevent IS infiltration, Turkish-led forces launched an operation to expel YPG fighters from Afrin.
What prompted the talk of a "safe zone"? What prompted the talk of a 'safe zone'?
In December 2018, President Donald Trump declared that IS had been defeated and announced that the the 2,000 US troops helping the SDF in Syria would start withdrawing immediately. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long sought what he has called a "safe zone" clear of YPG fighters in north-east Syria. But the issue came to the fore after the SDF captured the last pocket of IS territory in Syria in March 2019.
Foreign allies and senior Republicans disputed the claim about IS and expressed concern about what might happen to Kurdish forces without US protection. Days later, Mr Trump suggested creating a "20-mile safe zone". In August, the US and Turkey agreed to a "security mechanism" covering a predominantly Arab border area between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad.
Although the US withdrawal was delayed, Turkish President Recep Erdogan declared that Turkish forces were ready to set up a safe zone. US and Turkish troops carried out joint patrols and YPG began dismantling fortifications.
The issue returned to the fore after the SDF captured the last pocket of territory held by IS in March 2019. But on 6 October, Mr Erdogan told US President Donald Trump that Turkey was about to start a unilateral operation to set up a "safe zone". Mr Trump ordered US troops to pull back from the area.
In August, the US agreed to set up a joint "security mechanism" on the Syrian side of the border to address Turkish security concerns. They avoided using the term "safe zone" but said the area would be clear of YPG fighters. US and Turkish troops carried out joint patrols in the area and the YPG began dismantling border fortifications. What was the aim of Turkey's offensive?
But on 6 October, Mr Erdogan told Mr Trump that a cross-border operation would "soon be moving forward", according to the White House. Mr Trump responded by saying US troops based in the area would withdraw and not support the operation. At the start of "Operation Peace Spring" on 9 October, Mr Erdogan said Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels aimed to "neutralize terror threats against Turkey and lead to the establishment of a safe zone, facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their homes".
The White House also said Turkey would be responsible for all captured IS fighters in the area. The SDF is detaining 12,000 male suspects in makeshift prisons, while 70,000 women and children suspected of links to IS are being held at camps. SDF commanders warned that a Turkish offensive would "spill the blood of thousands of innocent civilians" and might pave the way for the return of IS.
What is the aim of Turkey's offensive? What was the human cost?
At the start of "Operation Peace Spring" on 9 October, Mr Erdogan said he wanted "to prevent the creation of a terror corridor across our southern border, and to bring peace to the area". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said 120 civilians were killed, along with 275 SDF fighters, 196 Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, 10 Turkish soldiers, and five Syrian soldiers.
"[We] will neutralize terror threats against Turkey and lead to the establishment of a safe zone, facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their homes," he added. "We will preserve Syria's territorial integrity and liberate local communities from terrorists." President Erdogan said 775 "terrorists" had been "neutralised" and that 79 Syrian rebels and seven Turkish soldiers had been killed. He denied any civilians had been killed in Syria but said 20 had died in YPG attacks on Turkey, he added.
SDF commanders warned that a Turkish offensive would "spill the blood of thousands of innocent civilians" and might pave the way for the re-emergence of IS. The UN said at least 176,000 people had been displaced by the fighting and that critical civilian infrastructure had been damaged.
Mr Trump threatened to "totally destroy and obliterate" Turkey's economy if it took any action he considered "off-limits". A senior US official said that included ethnic cleansing or firing at civilians. How did the offensive end?
What is the situation on the ground now? After four days of fighting, the US began a full withdrawal from northern Syria and the Kurds agreed a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for the Syrian army to deploy along the northern border for the first time in years to confront the Turkish-led forces. Russia, Mr Assad's staunch ally, sent military police to key locations.
Over the first five days of the assault, Turkish-led ground forces targeted a sparsely populated, mostly Arab area between the towns of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain. However, densely-populated, mainly Kurdish areas to the west and east also came under bombardment. On 17 October, the US persuaded Mr Erdogan to "pause" Turkey's offensive to allow it to "facilitate the withdrawal of YPG forces from the Turkish-controlled safe zone". The ceasefire largely held and on 22 October the head of the SDF said the withdrawal had been completed.
Dozens of civilians were reportedly killed and 150,000 others displaced. Meanwhile, IS suspects' families detained at camps in Ain Issa escaped after the area was shelled. That same day, Mr Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to end the offensive. They agreed:
On 13 October, Mr Trump decided to withdraw all US troops from northern Syria. There are questions about the deal, such as how long the Turkish forces can stay and what will happen to the tens of thousands of people being detained by the SDF on suspicion of links to IS. But there is no doubt it has cemented Russia's role as the pivotal player in Syria.
Later, the SDF reached an agreement with the Syrian government for the Syrian army to enter its territory and deploy along the border.
The army moved into SDF-held areas the next day, setting up a potential clash with the Turkish-led forces.