Although Turkey is one of the most affected countries by what is taking place in Syria, it refrained from direct intervention, preferring to back opposition groups. Last August, however, the government decided to take action in bid to clear its borders from ISIS and PKK’s Syrian branch, PYD, after 27 terror attacks in 2016 which claimed more than 400 lives inside Turkey. Besides the attacks carried out by the PKK, its affiliates and ISIS, Turkey has also confronted a coup attempt, backed by, according to Ankara, the West, especially the U.S. and orchestrated by Fetullah Terror Cult (FETÖ) which left more than 250 dead. According to Turkish media reports, FETÖ had been sharing intelligence with the terror groups to weaken the government.
Despite Turkey’s efforts, the U.S. has taken an opposite stance, abandoning the moderate opposition groups and aiding PYD. Washington does not admit that it aids PYD but it says it has delivered military equipment to the so-called “Syrian Democratic Forces”, being under the PYD’s military wing, YPG. As early as October 2015, the PYD asked the U.S. for stinger missiles which can be easily used against Turkish air force. Despite Turkey’s concerns, the U.S. 2017 defense bill paved the way for delivering anti-aircraft military equipment to vetted Syrian opposition groups which fight terrorists. When considering the fact that the U.S. views SDF/YPG as the only party on the ground fighting terrorists, it is not difficult to guess that PYD will obtain anti-aircraft missiles.
The Euphrates Shield Operation has been launched with the aim of protecting Turkish border, clearing ISIS and preventing PYD from establishing a Kurdish state. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly stated that Turkey will not allow the establishment of a new state in Syria’s north. Although the international community has ostensibly agreed on the big danger of ISIS, some certain Western circles have interpreted the Turkish intervention as an occupation since PYD has been praised and aided by the EU and the U.S.
While Turkey has gone into cooperation with Russia to provide ceasefire in Syria and to be left undisturbed during its fight against PYD, the U.S. continues to aid the terror group, claiming that SDF is the only effective warring party on the ground against ISIS. However, Turkey expressed its view regarding PYD, saying that ISIS, PKK and PYD are not different from each other. On Monday, Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that it was unacceptable that the international coalition refused to give any air support to al-Bab anti-ISIS operation. While the U.S. rejected it aided ISIS but admitted that it aided and will aid the SDF, it has become difficult to talk about a Turkish-U.S. cooperation or alliance in Syria.
Turkey seems very determined in annihilating or at least breaking the powers of both PYD and ISIS. It is noteworthy that most of the perpetrators of the terror attacks in Turkey came from Syria’s north as both PYD and ISIS have been using areas like al-Bab and Ayn al-Arab (Kobane) as training centers for their militants and benefiting from loose border control. The attacks clearly justify Turkey’s intervention in Syria. In the final analysis, Turkish relations with Russia are becoming closer, while relations with Washington are deteriorating.
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Yusuf Selman Inanc worked as a foreign news editor at Daily Sabah. Currently, he is a free-lance journalist contributing to a number of newspapers/websites in English. Inanc holds a Master’s from SOAS and a graduate of the Faculty of Political Science, Istanbul University.
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