While Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield initially targeted Islamic State in Jarablus, most of the focus since has been on checking the advance of USA -backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, to the alarm of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally Washington.
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Syrians people flee clashes between Turkish soldiers and Islamic State group fighters, 20 km west of the Turkish-Syrian border town of Karkamis, in the southern region of Gaziantep, on September 3, 2016.
Within 14 hours on August 24, Turkish-backed Syrian rebels recaptured the border town of Jarabulus from IS and continued to make gains in villages nearby.
Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield, which is aimed at improving security and eliminating the terror threat along Turkey’s border with Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated the importance of the operation for Turkey’s security on Friday during a press conference he held ahead of his official trip to China to attend the G20 Summit.
Turkey and allied Syrian rebels have also fought US -backed Kurdish forces known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, around Jarablus.
The tanks crossed the boundary near the Turkish town of Kilis and journalists after heard fire and saw plumes of smoke rising on Syrian territory. Cobanbey, is across from Syria’s al Rai, which has switched between Islamic State and rebel control in recent months. The YPG says it has done so and U.S. officials agree that is mostly the case.
Turkey disagrees with its ally’s support for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which it considers a terrorist group.
Erdogan’s remarks appeared to be in reference to comments made by a US defense official to AFP Monday that Kurdish forces had “all” moved east of the Euphrates.
Ankara’s offensive has alarmed the West, with Washington saying that action aimed at the YPG, part of a US -backed coalition also fighting against Islamic State, risks undermining the broader goal of ridding Syria of the jihadist group.
“I will never allow a terror corridor in our south and in Syria’s north, I want everyone to know this”, he added.
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As well as United Kingdom volunteers there are also several dozen British special forces assisting the YPG on the ground that could be at risk from rogue Turkish fire.
