Egypt Daily News – Senior American officials told the Wall Street Journal that Türkiye and its allies are strengthening their presence on the border with Syria, raising concern that Ankara is preparing for an incursion into territory controlled by American-backed Kurds.
The newspaper quoted American officials as saying that Türkiye’s move raises fears of a major attack on Kurdish-controlled lands, and that a Turkish military operation across the border may be imminent.
The officials added that the Turkish mobilization is similar to Ankara’s movements before its military operation in northeastern Syria in 2019, and stressed that the US administration is “pressing for restraint.”
The American newspaper quoted Ilham Ahmed, an official in the Kurdish Civil Administration, as saying that she had informed US President-elect Donald Trump that Turkey’s operation in Syria was imminent, adding that “Türkiye’s goal is to control our land before you take office.”
The White House confirmed that Washington understands Türkiye’s legitimate concerns about the threats posed by the YPG, referring to the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, and the PKK, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in Syria.
John Kirby, coordinator of strategic policies and communications at the US National Security Council, said yesterday, Monday, that the current administration believes that Ankara will remain a key player in the Syrian file, as it has been over the past 14 years.
US President-elect Donald Trump said in press statements yesterday that “the key to Syria will be in the hands of Türkiye.”
Following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his flight to Russia, Türkiye escalated its tone towards the Kurdish units in Syria, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed last week that his country “will crush terrorist organizations as soon as possible.”
Türkiye and its Western allies classify the PKK as a “terrorist organization,” and the party has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. The imprisoned leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, has been in solitary confinement in a prison on one of the Turkish islands since 1999.
