„Coordination and consultation between the US and Turkey are the only way to address security issues in the region.“ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday that he would launch a new military offensive against the Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG) in northern Syria „in a matter of days“.
Turkey sees the presence of the YPG at the Turkish border as a threat because of its close ties to the Kurdistan Workers‘ Party (PKK) and classifies it as a terrorist organization. The US supports the YPG in the fight against the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS).
A YPG spokesman warned Wednesday that a Turkish attack would weaken the Kurdish militia in the fight against IS. Kurdish protesters currently involved in an anti-jihad offensive would turn around „to defend their territories and their families.“
Ankara has already launched two military operations against the YPG in northern Syria, where it has expelled the Kurdish militia from the area around Al-Bab and the region of Afrin. Since then Erdogan threatens again and again with a new offensive. To counter this, the US armed forces have recently set up several observation posts along the Turkish border despite the protests of their NATO partner.
