Turkey’s flag flew over Afrin while Turkish-led factions, including Salafi jihadi groups, were plundering the city. Images emerging from Afrin resembled a medieval army taking booty. Experts, observers and international anti-IS coalition officials expected Syrian Kurdish fighters to put up a stronger resistance to protect the land, believing Turkey’s victory would come at a greater cost. Since these fighters handed over Afrin without engaging in urban warfare, most people believe the Turkish intervention is a prelude to a wider offensive against other cities under the control of the Kurdish forces. On 20 March Erdogan vowed to expand Turkey's Syria campaign to the Kurdish-held areas up to the Iraqi border. But Syria’s government heavily criticised Turkey's ‘occupation’ of Afrin and demanded that Turkish forces withdraw.
Syria: Turkish action in Afrin
Written by David Fletcher 30 Mar 2018Additional Info
- Pray: for Turkey’s military achievement to translate into regional dialogues not further deaths. (Psalm 72:3,4)
- More: www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/03/russia-turkey-close-despite-differences-syria.html
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