Turkey announces military offensive in Syria

Turkey has begun its military mission in northeastern Syria. This was announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday. Previously, he had phoned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Syrian National Army, just launched #OperationPeaceSpring against PKK / YPG and Daesh terrorists in northern Syria. Our mission is to prevent the creation of a terror corridor across our southern border, and to bring peace to the area.

Over the past few months, Erdogan's government repeatedly threatened to march into Syria a third time after the operations in Jabulus and Afrin in order to fight the Kurdish militia YPG.

Northeastern Syria has been controlled for years by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the YPG militia as its military arm. Turkey regards the presence of the Kurdish militia at its border as a threat, as it is closely linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Ever since US President Donald Trump announced he was withdrawing troops from the region following a telephone conversation with Erdogan on Sunday, an attack was more likely than ever.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Kurds called on Moscow to facilitate a dialogue with the government of the Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. She hopes that "Russia will assume the role of supporter and guarantor," declared the semi-autonomous administration of the Syrian Kurds. Moscow also supports Damascus militarily in the civil war.

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