The Turkish army attacked Kurdish positions in northern Syria and northern Iraq on Sunday night. The operations targeted the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG, as announced by the defense ministry in Ankara. The Turkish government blames them both for Sunday’s bomb attack in central Istanbul, which killed six people and injured 31 others.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Turkish army launched an air strike against Kurdish positions in northern Syria. A spokesman for the organization said there were injuries and deaths. Turkish news channel CNN Türk also reported attacks on places like Kobane, which have been firmly held by Kurdish rebels until now. The Turkish Defense Ministry’s Twitter page said on Saturday night that the “attacks” would be avenged, it was “time for settlement!”
Attack as trigger for new offensive in northern Syria
Ankara sees the YPG as an offshoot of the PKK and fights both as a terrorist organization. Some experts had already speculated that the Turkish government could use the bombing as an opportunity for a renewed offensive in northern Syria. The YPG – as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – has a presence in the areas now reportedly under attack. In its statement, the Ministry of Defense refers to the right to self-defense under the Charter of the United Nations.
The Turkish army has repeatedly conducted operations against the PKK in Iraq and against the YPG in Syria. On Sunday morning, Syrian state television reported Turkish attacks on SDF positions, while Syrian state news agency SANA spoke of “Turkish aggression”. SDF commander Mazloum Abdi reported bomb attacks on Twitter.
Turkey has launched four military offensives in northern Syria since 2016. Turkey occupies border areas there and cooperates with rebel groups. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, on the other hand, is supported by Russia.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is based in the UK and draws its information from a network of different sources in Syria. The information can often hardly be verified by an independent party.
Source: Krone
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