CCTV News:In the past few days, the United States’ practice of supporting Kurdish armed forces to establish "border security forces" in northeastern Syria has aroused strong protests from Turkey. On the 19th, the Turkish army launched a fierce shelling from the border area to the Aflin area in Syria, attacking the Syrian Kurdish armed "People’s Protection Force" supported by the United States. The "People’s Protection Force" said on the same day that it would fight back against Turkey.
On the same day, Turkish Defense Minister Nuredin Janikli confirmed in an interview with the media that the Turkish military operations in Aflin region have already started, and the Turkish side will take further actions in the future.
Turkey has assembled heavily in the border area between Turkey and Syria.
At present, Turkey has deployed a large number of tanks in Hatay, which borders Syria, and raised its combat level to the highest level, ready to enter the Aflin region at any time. Another Turkish source said that the Syrian Free Army, a Syrian opposition armed force supported by Turkey, is also ready to participate in the war in the Aflin region.
Turkish army tanks and armored vehicles near the Turkish-Syrian border (data map)
Syrian Kurdish armed forces: will fight back against the Turkish side
On the 19th, the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Force issued a statement saying that the Turkish army had shelled several targets in the Aflin area since midnight on the 18th local time, causing property losses to local residents, and they would fight back against the Turkish shelling. Earlier, on the 18th, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Migdad said that if Turkey carried out any aggression or launched military action against Syria, Syria would respond accordingly.
Syrian Kurdish armed forces (data map)
United States: I hope that Turkey will not take military action.
On the 18th, the State Council spokesman Nolte expressed the hope that Turkey would not take military action against Aflin, but concentrate on cracking down on extremist organizations.
Russian foreign minister rumors: Russian troops have not withdrawn from Aflin region
On the 19th, according to the Russian News Agency, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said on the same day that some media reported that the news that Russian soldiers stationed in the Aflin region of Syria had been evacuated was "untrue, and relevant news has been denied". However, Lavrov did not disclose more relevant details.
[Background] The United States claims to set up a "border security force" in Syria.
On the 14th, the US-led international coalition against terrorism announced that it would jointly establish a "border security force" with the Syrian Democratic Army led by Syrian Kurdish armed forces in the northeast of Syria. The troops will be stationed along the Euphrates River valley and in the border areas between Syria and Iraq and Turkey controlled by Kurdish forces. The "Syrian Democratic Army" is dominated by the Kurdish Armed People’s Protection Force. This move was immediately strongly condemned by Syria, Turkey and other countries.
Us air strikes against Syria (data map)
[Analysis] Why did the shelling of Aflin soil make a red face with the United States?
Analysts believe that Turkey’s military action has exposed obvious differences between Turkey and the United States on the Syrian issue.
In the past, in order to overthrow the Bashar government, the two countries stood in the same camp; Today, the post-war general trend in Syria has been set, and Turkey and the United States have also grasped their own abacus. Then, why do Turkey and the United States not hesitate to make a red face because of the newly formed "border security forces"? Can Turkey achieve its strategic goal in Aflin?
Turkey regards the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Alliance Party and its subordinate armed group "People’s Protection Force" as the Syrian branch of the Turkish anti-government organization PKK, fearing that it will unite with Kurdish separatist forces in Turkey and threaten Turkey’s security. In addition, the analysis believes that Aflin is the center of the border area between Turkey and Syria, which is of great strategic significance to Turkey. Therefore, Turkey also wants to maintain its military presence in Syria for a long time by cracking down on Kurdish armed forces.
The United States regards Kurdish armed forces as an effective ground force to crack down on extremist organizations and overthrow Bashar regime, and has set up a "border security force" in northeast Syria to provide support in weapons and equipment, personnel training, etc. These actions further confirm that the United States intends to achieve its policy objectives in Syria in the form of "proxy war". That is to say, the United States will not send troops to directly intervene, strengthen its control in the Middle East and curb Iran’s regional influence by supporting the Kurdish armed "People’s Protection Force".
The decision of the United States to establish a "border security force" has moved Turkey’s "cake", and Turkey has begun shelling Aflin. However, the analysis believes that it is difficult for Turkey to "take Aflin immediately". On the one hand, Aflin is a mountainous area, and it is difficult for Turkey to fight through large-scale mechanization, and Kurdish armed forces are likely to ambush in the mountainous area. On the other hand, whether Turkey attacks depends on Russia’s attitude and whether the United States will intervene in this military operation in the future.