Following failed talks with the US on establishing a buffer zone in northern Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a military operation in the Kurdish-controlled area. „We are determined to destroy the terror corridor east of the Euphrates,“ Erdogan told members of the governing party in Ankara today.
Anyone who relies on the support of foreign powers in the region could be buried, warned the president. According to state news agency Anadolu, Turkey has strengthened its military posts along the border with Syria since last week. At first it was unclear when and how the positioned howitzers, tanks and armored vehicles should be used.
Long-standing demand of Turkey
Turkey has been calling for years for a buffer zone in the area controlled by the Kurdish militia YPG in northern Syria. She wants the YPG to withdraw from there and has repeatedly threatened an offensive against the Kurdish militia.
Ankara sees in the YPG an offshoot of the banned Kurdistan Workers‘ Party (PKK) and thus a terrorist organization. For the US, the YPG is an important partner in the fight against the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS). They want to prevent an attack on their allies by the NATO partner Turkey.
In talks earlier this week, the US and Turkey had been unable to agree on the buffer zone. Issues are, according to Turkish statements, among other things, who should control the zone and whether the YPG must clear the area completely.
