Turkey Prepares for Ground Invasion of Syria
ISTANBUL (Dispatches) – Turkey shelled Afrin on Friday amid reports Russian military observers were withdrawing from the Syrian-Kurd canton, in a move that would allow Turkish forces to launch a ground assault on Kurdish militants.
Russia has based military observers in Afrin since 2015, and the subject of their removal was part of negotiations between Turkey and Russia Thursday over what the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said was a matter of national security.
Turkish media reported that approximately 180 Russian observers were pulling back from their positions on the Afrin/Turkish border, hours after Turkish artillery began what Ankara said was the "de facto" start of operations against members of the Kurdish YPG militia, which it considers part of the PKK terrorist group.
The Turkish reports have not been confirmed by Russia.
But they came hours after Turkey’s defense minister on Friday said operations had started with shelling, and that a wider planned military offensive would take place despite U.S. attempts to dissuade Ankara from such action.
"The Afrin operation will happen. We are optimizing conditions for the operation," Nurettin Canikli said in televised remarks.
Canikli said shelling Thursday night by artillery - described as heavy by Kurdish militia - was the "de facto" beginning of operations that would move onto ground incursions.
The Turkish military has amassed forces and equipment along its border with Afrin and placed all military units in the area on high alert.
Local media reports on Thursday said concrete blocks from a wall built along the Syrian border were removed in 12 places to facilitate the movement of Turkish armored units into Afrin.
"We have to create the ideal conditions to minimize potential losses. We will show such attention to detail at every stage of the operation," said Canikli.
"The threats directed towards Turkey are rising each passing day."
On Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert called on Turkey to reconsider military action in Afrin.
"We would call on the Turks to not take any actions of that sort. We don't want them to engage in violence but we want them to keep focused on Daesh," she said.
Her remarks came after Rex Tillerson, the U.S. secretary of state, tried to calm Turkish nerves by saying a U.S. military announcement about the construction of a Syrian border, mainly made up of Syrian Kurds, was misconstrued.
Turkey has dismissed U.S. assurances. "This operation will happen and the fight against terror will be carried out. Every country has its own policy on what is happening in Syria. They try to somehow influence groups there," said Canikli.
Syria has censured both the American and Turkish plans for a fresh wave of unilateral military operations on its soil. Damascus views such measures as an assault on the country’s sovereignty.
The Syrian government has also indicated that it would shoot down any Turkish planes entering its skies.
Turkey’s chief of staff and intelligence chief had travelled to Moscow on Thursday. No statement was made on the reason for the visit or the outcome of the talks.
So far Turkish forces and YPG fighters have been exchanging sporadic retaliatory artillery fire over the last five days.
Turkey’s state-run news agency on Friday reported that the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)’s shelling struck two hospitals near the border town of Azaz where 12 mental patients in a psychiatric ward were injured. Four of the injured are said to be in critical condition.
Turkey says the SDF is just another name used for YPG forces, which it considers a terrorist organization and an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Turkish media reported that military planning for the assault was complete and two brigades and 5,000 FSA militants which Ankara backs in Syria were expected to participate.
Media reports also stated that General Ismail Metin Temel, regarded a hero of Turkey’s Euphrates Shield military incursion into northern Syria in 2016, was handed charge of the Afrin offensive.
Turkey’s Euphrates Shield was launched on August 24, 2016.
Ankara says its prime objective in Syria currently is to prevent the PYD/YPG group from forming a corridor along its border with Turkey that would stretch from the Iraqi border to the Mediterranean Sea.
Russia has based military observers in Afrin since 2015, and the subject of their removal was part of negotiations between Turkey and Russia Thursday over what the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said was a matter of national security.
Turkish media reported that approximately 180 Russian observers were pulling back from their positions on the Afrin/Turkish border, hours after Turkish artillery began what Ankara said was the "de facto" start of operations against members of the Kurdish YPG militia, which it considers part of the PKK terrorist group.
The Turkish reports have not been confirmed by Russia.
But they came hours after Turkey’s defense minister on Friday said operations had started with shelling, and that a wider planned military offensive would take place despite U.S. attempts to dissuade Ankara from such action.
"The Afrin operation will happen. We are optimizing conditions for the operation," Nurettin Canikli said in televised remarks.
Canikli said shelling Thursday night by artillery - described as heavy by Kurdish militia - was the "de facto" beginning of operations that would move onto ground incursions.
The Turkish military has amassed forces and equipment along its border with Afrin and placed all military units in the area on high alert.
Local media reports on Thursday said concrete blocks from a wall built along the Syrian border were removed in 12 places to facilitate the movement of Turkish armored units into Afrin.
"We have to create the ideal conditions to minimize potential losses. We will show such attention to detail at every stage of the operation," said Canikli.
"The threats directed towards Turkey are rising each passing day."
On Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert called on Turkey to reconsider military action in Afrin.
"We would call on the Turks to not take any actions of that sort. We don't want them to engage in violence but we want them to keep focused on Daesh," she said.
Her remarks came after Rex Tillerson, the U.S. secretary of state, tried to calm Turkish nerves by saying a U.S. military announcement about the construction of a Syrian border, mainly made up of Syrian Kurds, was misconstrued.
Turkey has dismissed U.S. assurances. "This operation will happen and the fight against terror will be carried out. Every country has its own policy on what is happening in Syria. They try to somehow influence groups there," said Canikli.
Syria has censured both the American and Turkish plans for a fresh wave of unilateral military operations on its soil. Damascus views such measures as an assault on the country’s sovereignty.
The Syrian government has also indicated that it would shoot down any Turkish planes entering its skies.
Turkey’s chief of staff and intelligence chief had travelled to Moscow on Thursday. No statement was made on the reason for the visit or the outcome of the talks.
So far Turkish forces and YPG fighters have been exchanging sporadic retaliatory artillery fire over the last five days.
Turkey’s state-run news agency on Friday reported that the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)’s shelling struck two hospitals near the border town of Azaz where 12 mental patients in a psychiatric ward were injured. Four of the injured are said to be in critical condition.
Turkey says the SDF is just another name used for YPG forces, which it considers a terrorist organization and an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Turkish media reported that military planning for the assault was complete and two brigades and 5,000 FSA militants which Ankara backs in Syria were expected to participate.
Media reports also stated that General Ismail Metin Temel, regarded a hero of Turkey’s Euphrates Shield military incursion into northern Syria in 2016, was handed charge of the Afrin offensive.
Turkey’s Euphrates Shield was launched on August 24, 2016.
Ankara says its prime objective in Syria currently is to prevent the PYD/YPG group from forming a corridor along its border with Turkey that would stretch from the Iraqi border to the Mediterranean Sea.