Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu during a phone conversation on Thursday that Turkey will not cease airstrikes in northeast Syria until the threat of terrorism from the region is ended “permanently.”
Akar said the Turkish response would continue “against the increasing harassment and attacks aimed at disrupting the stability in the region and the actions targeting our civilian settlements and citizens,” referring to Kurdish militants in Syria.
“Permanently preventing the terrorist threat and corridor and neutralizing terrorist organizations is our top priority,” he emphasised.
Turkey launched an aerial campaign – dubbed Operation Claw Sword – in Iraq and Syria following a bomb blast allegedly planned by Kurdish militants in Istanbul’s Taksim square on 13 November that killed at least six people.
Turkey’s airstrikes in Iraq & Syria, including against US partner forces in the SDF, have already killed civilians & destroyed critical civilian infrastructure while threatening to undermine the fight against ISIS. These are not the actions of an ally. https://t.co/WujskZdfkr
— Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) November 23, 2022
On Monday, Kurdish militants launched projectiles at the Turkish district of Karkamış in the Gaziantep province following the start of the airstrikes. Two civilians were killed and six injured in the rocket attack. Turkey claims the attack was launched by the Peoples’ Defence Units (YPG), which it says is an ally of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an Iraqi militant group.
The Defence Ministry said 254 militants have been killed 471 Kurdish military targets have been destroyed in the airstrikes. Furthermore, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned that Turkey could launch a ground offensive in Syria to completely eliminate the Kurdish threat.
In this respect, Russia has urged Turkey from using “excessive” military force in Syria. Warning that a ground offensive could lead to regional instability and violence, Russian envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said, “We hope our arguments will be heard in Ankara and other ways of resolving the problem will be found.”
Turkey launched airstrikes on several towns in northern Syria.
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) November 19, 2022
This comes as part of retaliation to Istanbul bomb attack. pic.twitter.com/ukMsCcOnX7
However, Turkey has shown no sign of backing down and continued to target vital Kurdish positions in Syria and Iraq. The Syrian Democratic Force (SDF), an organisation of several Kurdish groups that has helped the United States fight the Islamic State, said on Thursday that Turkish drones are intentionally bombing oil installations in the region. It said the airstrikes have killed 15 civilians and 25 SDF soldiers.
“The enemy aims to inflict big blows on our defence forces, especially our commanders and command centres [...] In this way it prepares the ground for a ground offensive,” it noted.
On Wednesday, Turkish airstrikes bombed Kurdish positions in the Al Hol prison camp, which houses thousands of Islamic State prisoners and families, resulting in several prisoners fleeing the camp. Following the strikes, Kurdish groups that control the prison launched a combing operation searching for the escaped prisoners.
Dangerous situation on Turkey-Syria border:
— Joel Rayburn (@joel_rayburn) November 19, 2022
* Turkish airstrikes in Kobane & elsewhere in N. Syria
* Ankara retaliating for 13 Nov Istanbul bombing it says was done by Syria-based YPG
* With key US interests at stake, this crisis demands more USG attention than it’s getting. https://t.co/7uUpNaC5h4
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has warned Turkey against conducting further airstrikes in Syria, saying that strikes have not only put the lives of American personnel working in Syria but also put at risk years of progress against ISIS, referring to the Al Hol escapees.
“Immediate de-escalation is necessary in order to maintain focus on the defeat-ISIS mission and ensure the safety and security of personnel on the ground committed to the defeat-ISIS mission,” Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Wednesday.
In May, Erdoğan said Turkey would soon launch a military operation in Syria to establish a “safe zone” to prevent militants from attacking. Turkey has also frequently launched airstrikes against PKK bases in Iraqi Kurdistan. In April, the Turkish military launched Operation Claw Lock to prevent the PKK from using Iraq to attack Turkey.
📌 Zirgane: 3 villages targeted by artillery
— Cahîda Dêrsim (@dersi4m) November 24, 2022
📌 Tal Tamir: 6 villages incl the center shelled
📌 Kobane: 8 villages shelled with mortars
📌 Tirbespiye: 8 villages, silos, an oil site and a gas station targeted
📌 Qamishlo: 8 villages shelled
📌 Amude: One village attacked
Turkey has occupied northern Syria since 2016 in a bid to remove Kurdish militants. Since then, it has launched three major operations in the area carved out by the Kurds, collectively known as Rojava, following the Syrian civil war.
It launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016 to push YPG fighters out of Afrin and Manbij. The following year, Turkish forces and Syrian proxies conducted a major offensive in Afrin called Operation Olive Branch. In 2019, Turkey, along with its Syrian allies, launched a major offensive into northeast Syria—known as Operation Peace Spring—against Kurdish militants in Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad.