Erdogan threatens major offensive against Kurds as Iranians attack Iraqi Kurdistan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is again threatening to soon launch a major ground operation in northern Syria to root out Kurdish "terrorist" groups, after the Nov. 13 bombing in central Istanbul that killed six people. The Turkish government was quick to blame the outlawed PKK and affiliated groups operating across the border in Syria.
Over the weekend, Turkish warplanes conducted dozens of "retaliatory" strikes in the Kurdish regions of northern Syria and Iraq. Ankara said 89 targets allegedly linked to the PKK and the Syrian YPG were destroyed. Both Kurdish groups have rejected accusations that the terrorist attack in Istanbul, which also injured more than 80 people, was carried out by the PKK or the YPG.
“We have been attacking terrorists with our planes, guns and weapons for a few days now,” Erdogan said in a speech on Tuesday . “God willing, we will eradicate them all as soon as possible, along with our tanks and soldiers.”
Meanwhile, Russia has warned of a new Turkish incursion into Syria. “We understand and respect Turkey's concerns to ensure its security. We believe this is Turkey's legitimate right,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "At the same time, we call on all parties to refrain from steps that could lead to destabilization of the overall situation," he added.
The United States has also called for an easing of the situation. The Pentagon still has hundreds of special forces integrated into the Syrian Kurdish militias (SDF) across northeastern Syria.
Turkey has dubbed its heightened cross-border operations "Sword in Claw" as it announced the deaths of 184 Kurdish militants.
Turkey bombed 89 places in northern Syria and Iraq in revenge for lethal bombing in Istanbul.
It launched 1,200 airstrikes in northern Iraq in 2021 alone. https://t.co/2R7CcGQl7K via @WSJ
— Joshua Landis (@joshua_landis) November 21, 2022
The US finds itself between a rock and a hard place: Turkey is a NATO country, but the Kurds were, and are, allies of the US in the area. So on the one hand they support Erdogan against terrorism, on the other they advise him to exercise moderation which he does not follow. Meanwhile Iran also attacks the Kurds, but those of Iraqi Kurdistan, damaging the oil facilities. War knocks on the borders of the Middle East.
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The article Erdogan threatens major offensive against Kurds as Iranians attack Iraqi Kurdistan comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/erdogan-minaccia-una-grande-offensiva-contro-i-curdi-mentre-gli-iraniani-attaccano-il-kurdistan-iracheno/ on Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:00:14 +0000.