Tensions between Turkey and Syrian Kurds have increased since Turkish-backed Syrian rebels not affiliated with the YPG entered the border town of Jarablus in late August, pushing back IS fighters and preventing further expansion of the USA -backed militias.
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“Turkey has supported us in every way until now, and has now saved our homeland”, said Fatima Mahmud, a mother who was among the group, told the Turkish newspaper Milliyet.
Two Turkey-backed Syrian rebels were also killed and two wounded rebels were also evacuated.
While Turkey belongs to the US-led coalition and the Western Nato alliance led by the US, Ankara does not share Washington’s primary aim of eliminating IS but gives priority to containing the Kurds and preventing them from establishing an autonomous zone along the Turkish frontier.
Turkish tanks and special forces, backed by fighter jets, entered Syria two weeks ago to support the moderate opposition in an operation which has secured some 90 km (56 miles) along the border.
Ground operation in the the Syrian city of Raqqa against the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) militant group (outlawed in Russia) is vital for achieving victory over terrorists, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday. Jalal noted that many members of Saddam Hussein’s army and Baath Party went underground and carried out guerrilla warfare against US forces.
On the fifth day of the operation, a Turkish soldier was killed in clashes with Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.
Erdogan told journalists aboard a plane as he returned from a G-20 meeting that the issue was brought up by U.S. President Barack Obama during the meetings in China.
Russian Federation is a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while the U.S. backs rebels fighting to overthrow him.
Turkey would seek no other objective around Manbij other than the retreat of the YPG forces, Isik said. It pointed out that the Turkish operation had been launched without either the permission of the Syrian government or authorization by the United Nations. “If we take a backward step terror groups like ISIS, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG) will settle there”. “They are still present in the area”, he said. Ahrar al-Sham, a radical jihadi group, openly allied with Nusra, seeks to impose its deeply conservative version of an “Islamic State” on Greater Syria (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine). Turkey, at least until recently, was more intent on ousting Assad.
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The photographer said some 250 residents, including children, who had fled DAESH rule in Jarablus for Turkey in the last months were returning to their home Wednesday in a first wave of resettlement. The de-escalation of tensions played a significant role in freeing Ankara’s hand to launch its Syrian operation.
