By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

A coalition of Turkey-backed rebels were given access to Turkish soil through which to launch an invasion of the border city of Jarabulus on the pretext of fighting ISIL. However, what happened was a lot bigger than anyone expected, as the rebels didn’t go alone, but were joined by a significant Turkish military contingent, which invaded along with them.
Turkish special forces and tanks rolled across the border on Wednesday, and fairly quickly secured Jarabulus for the rebels. It’s not clear how much fighting even took place, as the bulk of ISIL’s forces there retreated outright in the face of the offensive.
It is also hard to delve into the real motives behind this latest development, as post-coup Turkey could have many reasons to be where it is now. For instance, Turkey could be desperate to see a non-Kurdish faction capture Jarabulus, not wanting the important border crossing in Kurdish hands. After the YPG took the city of Manbij, just to the south, Turkey scrambled to get an alternate group to Jarabulus, and apparently was willing to go to the extent of taking the city for them.
How well this rebel coalition, dominated by the Al-Qaeda-linked Ahrar al-Sham, is able to hold Jarabulus on their own remains to be seen, but Turkish forces haven’t left yet at any rate, and with officials continuing to demand that the Kurds abandon Manbij, it is entirely possible the Turkish offensive isn’t over.
The invasion isn’t ending, however, rather it is now focusing on its real target, the Syrian Kurds, with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim openly confirming that the military operation will continue until the Kurdish YPG is forced to abandon its territory on the west bank of the Euphrates River.
This primarily means escalation of the main conflict which doesn’t bode well for Damascus and its allies, Iran and Syria. In this sense, both allies have been quick to react. The Iranian Foreign Ministry says any military action in Syria against foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists must be coordinated with the Damascus government.
Tehran also says the fight against terrorist groups on Syrian soil must take place in coordination with the central government, and must respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as a fundamental principle of international law.
This is not too much to ask. The fight against terrorism is an international obligation, and regional states need to combat this ominous phenomenon through joint cooperation, not single-handedly. There is no other way for Ankara to prove its incursion into the Syrian territory has no other objectives.
This is particularly important. After all, Western officials are a lot more upbeat now, which is suspicious. They have endorsed the invasion as "in keeping with the goals and aims of the anti-ISIL coalition.” They also indicate they are fine with Turkey attacking the Kurds, and wouldn’t complain about it!
It is clear that there is something much deeper at play here; that the regime changers are not going to close the "jihadist highway” any time soon, let alone abandon regime-change fantasy in Syria. Clearly, this latest development is fully in line with the American objectives for more imperial adventurism in the Middle East.
Nevertheless, given the great miscalculation in Washington and Ankara, for which Iraqis and Syrians are now paying a heavy price, it is evident that another military catastrophe is just there for the taking.