Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has warned that Turkey might launch a new military offensive in northern Syria. This warning comes as Kurdish-led groups plan to hold local elections in the area, a move Turkey sees as a threat.
A Kurdish-led administration controls parts of northern and eastern Syria. They have announced that they will hold municipal elections on June 11 to choose mayors for the provinces of Hassakeh, Raqqa, Deir el-Zour, and parts of Aleppo. However, Turkey views this election as a step towards creating an independent Kurdish state near its border.
Erdogan made his stance clear after observing military exercises in western Turkey. He stated that Turkey is closely watching these elections, which he described as aggressive actions by what he called a terrorist organization.
Erdogan emphasized that Turkey would never allow this group to establish a terror state close to its southern borders in Syria and Iraq.
Turkey’s main concern is the Kurdish militia group known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG. Turkey considers the YPG to be linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a group that has been fighting against the Turkish state since 1984. This conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
On the other hand, the YPG forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is a key ally of the United States in the fight against the Islamic State group. This alliance has strained relations between the U.S. and Turkey, as Turkey is unhappy with American support for the SDF.
Since 2016, Turkey has conducted several military operations in Syria to push the Syrian Kurdish militia away from its border. Turkey also controls a significant area in northern Syria. Turkish leaders often talk about creating a 30-kilometer (19-mile) deep safe zone along the border in Syria and Iraq to protect against the PKK.
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Erdogan recalled past actions taken by Turkey to deal with similar situations and made it clear that Turkey would not hesitate to act again if necessary. He stressed that Turkey would do whatever is needed to prevent the establishment of a Kurdish state along its borders.
This development highlights the ongoing tension and complex dynamics in the region, involving various local and international actors with conflicting interests.
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