Why Erdoğan attacked Kurds in Syria 27 January 2018, 19:55 UhrEditiert on 27 January 2018, 19:55 Uhr39 comments
Read Turkish original here. The text has been edited easily for German version.
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A Turkish idiom is “to be Kraushaar”. You say that when a situation is completely involved. It fits Turkish offensive recently launched in Syria. The region is militarily and politically a minefield. Here are all actors of Middle East on ground: USA, Russia, Syria, Kurds, IS, Iran. Now Turkish army came into middle of “Kraushaar”.
Can Dündar
is editor-in-chief of Internet platform Özgürüz. He is now writing for Us Weekly about crisis in Turkey.
Basically, crisis had begun a week earlier, when United States announced that it would set up a 30,000-strong force, consisting mainly of YPG fighters, on Syrian-Turkish border. Turkey, for which YPG is a terrorist organisation, took it as a declaration of war. “We are determined to turn m off,” said Ankara. Here clashed interests of two allies, steadily growing tensions between Ankara and Washington reached a climax.
For US, YPG is an indispensable ally in region because of its struggle against IS, while Ankara is prolonged arm of Turkish militant PKK in Syria. Looking at map, Ankara’s concern is obvious: Should Kurds of Manbidsch and Afrin join forces, a purely Kurdish area would be created on Syrian border with Turkey, a “Kurdish state on border”, which Ankara has long feared. The offensive aims to prevent this and to deny Kurds access to Mediterranean.
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Russia, allied with YPG, opened airspace for Turkey for first time and allowed bombing. Why? A considerable profit is likely to be escalation of tensions between Ankara and US, as well as emergence of a “community of interests” with regime in Damascus. Losers are Kurds, y have been abandoned by US and Russia.
As far as Erdoğan is concerned, “olive branch” war procured necessary national unity in interior. The nationalist opposition party MHP moved it to its side, including social democratic CHP, Kurds are isolated. Antikriegskundgebungen were banned, in press any or vote was prohibited. If offensive were to succeed, no one would be surprised if Erdoğan set up a lightning-like election.
This article dates back to time No. 05/2018. Here you can read entire output.
In long term, it will not be without consequences that dialogue phase initiated five years ago with PKK was now once again in war. It should be remembered, however, that over last 25 years, Turkey’s more than 25 military operations have not been able to crush PKK in Iraq.
Ankara plays a risky game in a dangerous region. This is where term “Kraushaar” fits.
From Turkish by Sabine Adatepe
