Turkey to launch operation against Syria Kurd militia

ANKARA: Turkey on Wednesday warned it will launch a new operation in Syria within days against an American-backed Kurdish militia that Ankara considers a terrorist group, risking renewed tensions with Nato ally the United States.

Washington’s relationship with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), seen as a key partner spearheading the fight against militants in Syria, is a major bone of contention between the US and Turkey.

Ankara has repeatedly lambasted Washington for providing military support to the militia and threatened to attack areas held by the YPG.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the plans for a new offensive a day after the Pentagon said observation posts were in place on the Syria-turkey border to prevent altercations between the Turkish army and the militia.

“We will start an operation to free the east of the Euphrates from the separatist terrorist organisation in the next few days,” Erdogan said during a speech in Ankara, referring to territory held by the YPG.

Turkey says the YPG is a “terrorist offshoot” of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

“The target is never American soldiers but terrorist organisation members active in the region,” Erdogan told the audience at a defence industry summit.

The Pentagon on Tuesday announced the posts’ establishment on the northeast Syria border region despite calls from Ankara not to go ahead with the move.

Erdogan claimed Turkey was not being protected from terrorists but “terrorists were being protected” from possible action by Turkey.

In October, Turkey shelled YPG positions east of the Euphrates in the Kobane region.

Youssef Hammoud, spokesman for a coalition of pro-ankara rebels, said the aim of a new operation would be to remove the YPG from an area spanning Manbij to Tal Abyad.

American forces have worked closely with the YPG under the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance against the IS group.

US forces have joined the SDF east of the Euphrates as well as in the flashpoint city of Manbij, west of the river.

In a bid to avoid any clash, the Nato allies agreed a “roadmap” for Manbij in June. In November, Turkish and American troops launched joint patrols in the northern city.