Fierce war between the Turks and Kurds in Syria

[pieter]

[pieter]

I live in a country and in a city with Turks and Kurds. I feel the tension between these groups sometimes.





The Kurds perspective according to Vox

[pieter]

How the Turks view the Syrian Kurd fighters of the YPG and SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces)

[pieter]

Erdogan: Turkey's forces took control of Syrian town of Afrin

Associated Press |Published: 03.18.18 , 11:30


A Turkish and a Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army soldier wave Turkish and FSA flags in the city center of Afrin, northwestern Syria, early Sunday, March 18, 2018. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that allied Syrian forces have taken “total” control of the town center of Afrin, the target of a nearly two-month-old Turkish offensive against a Syrian Kurdish militia, which said fighting was still underway. Erdogan said the Turkish flag and the flag of the Syrian opposition fighters have been raised in the town, previously controlled by the Kurdish militia known as the People’s Defense Units, or YPG. (Hasan Kırmızitaş/DHA-Depo Photos via AP) (Associated Press)

ISTANBUL - Turkey's president said Sunday that allied Syrian forces have taken "total" control of the town center of Afrin, the target of a nearly two-month offensive against a Syrian Kurdish militia, which said the fighting was still underway.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Turkish flag and the flag of the Syrian opposition fighters has been raised in the town, previously controlled by the Kurdish militia known as the People's Defense Units, or YPG.

"Many of the terrorists had turned tail and run away already," Erdogan said.

Turkey's military tweeted that its forces are now conducting combing operations to search for land mines and explosives. The army tweeted
a video showing a soldier holding a Turkish flag and a man waving the Syrian opposition flag on the balcony of the district parliament building with a tank stationed on the street.

A Kurdish official, Hadia Yousef, told The Associated Press the YPG fighters have not fled the town, but have evacuated the remaining civilians because of "massacres." She said clashes in the town were still underway. But Salih Muslim, a senior Kurdish official living in exile in Europe, tweeted that Kurdish fighters had withdrawn, saying “the struggle will continue and the Kurdish people will keep defending themselves.”

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nearly 200,000 people have fled the Afrin region in recent days amid heavy airstrikes, entering Syrian government-held territory nearby. Syrian State TV on Sunday broadcast footage of a long line of vehicles and civilians on foot leaving Afrin. Erdogan has said the people of Afrin will return.

Turkey’s military meanwhile tweeted that its forces are now conducting combing operations to search for land mines and explosives. Government spokesman Bekir Bozdag tweeted that Turkey would take steps to restore daily life and ensure access to food and health care. “Our job is not done yet, we have a lot more work. But terror and terrorists in Afrin are over,” he said.

The army posted a video on social media showing a soldier holding a Turkish flag and a man waving the Syrian opposition flag on the balcony of the district parliament building with a tank stationed on the street. The soldier called the capture a “gift” to the Turkish nation and to fallen soldiers on the anniversary of a famous World War I victory.

Sources: Associated Press and the Washington Post

[pieter]

[Jaga]

Pieter, I always thought that Kurds just want to fight for their indevpendence from Turks, but are there also main religious and cultural differences between them? You live am9ng them, so younwould know about what is going on. Why Turkish forces are even in Syria? Do Turks live in Syria also?who is their political leader?

[karl]

Pieter

Jaga is right, in the fact you live next to Turkish and Kurdish people in as well as to have the best information of both peoples and of this situation. With this, the out standing amount of currant situation pertaining to the currant and present issues of the moment between these three peoples {Kurds,Turks and Syrians}.

As of above, there is little other then academic rhetoric my self have to offer to advance in this discussion other then the obvious.

The Kurdish only want what we as most of us have: Their own national state/right of self determination/right of personal freedom of choice and the protection of a Democratic state of their choice. The area spoken of as: Democratic Federation of Northern Syria is a very high populated area of agriculture/homes/ business/oil/iron and all a budding new state needs to be self sufficient. Every thing but one important key to unlock the doors of success, it lacks the first word in its description and that is,"Arab". With out that, they do not and most likely never have the protection and aid of the Syrian Government which relates to Russian materialsm. And this is the blue print to progress. For with Russian interest, which relates to Russian protection is the machinery that creates and insures this blue print of progress. For as it appears to stand at present, The Turkish Government has little wish to create a tangle against the Russian State.

For the Turks have little to no love for Kurds and with this, will insure to the best of their abilities to insure a Kurdish national state will never be brought in to existence more or less very simular to the Jewish State in the mid to late 40s.

www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/18122017

Whilst as of above, there then is what is best in the interest of The United States and the Russian Federation. For often these interest will change as like the tide and go against the grain of supposed reality, and most certainly against the wishes of the Turkish Government.

www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2018/1/12/Syrian-Kurds-remain-vital-to-Russian-and-US-interests


Karl