Erdogan Announces Attack on Kurdish Region in Northern Syria 'In the Coming Days'

On Sunday, January 14, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey would attack the Kurdish region in northern Syria 'within a few days' and called for U.S. support for Ankara's efforts. The Turkish president stated that the aim of the new operation against the Afrin area is to 'cleanse terrorism' from Turkey's southern border. The Afrin region is controlled by the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a terrorist group and claims has links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). A spokesperson for the YPG in Afrin reported that clashes began at midnight between their units and Turkish forces near the border with Turkey. Rojat Roy stated that shelling in areas of Afrin, in Aleppo province, on Sunday resulted in the death of one YPG fighter and injuries to several civilians. Turkey and its allies, including the United States, consider the PKK a terrorist organization. However, the U.S. has mobilized some Syrian Kurds to combat the Islamic State (ISIS), a move that has caused tensions between Washington and Ankara. Erdogan stated on Sunday that 'despite all these issues,' he seeks cooperation with the U.S. in the region and hopes Washington will not side with the YPG during the Afrin operation. He added that Turkey seeks U.S. support for its 'legitimate efforts' in the fight against terrorism. On Sunday, the spokesperson for the Turkish president described reports about U.S. efforts to deploy 30,000 security forces at the Syrian border, which includes Kurdish militias, as 'concerning.' The Associated Press reported in December that the U.S. is working on a training program for Kurdish and Arab border guards in Syria aimed at preventing the resurgence of ISIS. Ibrahim Kalin, spokesperson for the Turkish presidency, stated that the U.S. is taking steps to legitimize and solidify the YPG's position. He emphasized that 'this situation is completely unacceptable' and that Turkey will defend itself. Erdogan mentioned that Turkey's new attack in Afrin would extend the country's 2016 operation into northern Syria, aimed at fighting ISIS and creating a barrier against the advance of Syrian Kurdish forces. The YPG spokesperson asserted that Kurdish fighters will fight to 'defend our achievements and our lands.' Hevi Youssef, a senior Kurdish official, also tweeted that Turkey's operation against Afrin is an 'aggression' against the Syrian people and undermines international efforts to reach a political solution in Syria. Turkey's conflict with PKK-affiliated militants, which began in 1984, has resulted in over 40,000 deaths.