The conduct of the Turkish armed forces air strikes on Kurdish targets in Iraq and Syria immediately after the referendum in Turkey was a big surprise for those who regularly follow events in the region.
Ankara has long said that after Kandil district of Sinjar in Iraq has become the second base of the Kurdistan workers party (PKK) that will conduct the operation here.
The real surprise was the attack of Turkey to the people’s protection Units (YPG) in Syria simultaneously with the air strikes in the Sinjar district and the timing of this. In may, President Erdogan will meet with Donald trump. Why now? The attack on Turkish objects YPG, which from the point of view of Washington is considered an “ally” in fight against ISIS (banned in Russia — approx. ed.), on the eve of this meeting, could not extremely happy Americans. Because the US define the Syrian Kurds as “the most effective ally” in the fight against ISIS on the battlefield in Syria. More than 500 employees of the American special forces are in the region of the YPG / “the Democratic forces of Syria” (SDG), and in the Kurdish region, the U.S. is trying to create four new database. Do before the meeting with trump, Ankara took the risk of tensions with the United States?
Reflections on this issue should begin with a reminder that Washington is not a monolithic structure. One America, no. Washington is a place where during the period of tramp, like every President, converge different voices and interest groups.
Americans are strongly dissatisfied with the fact that Turkish-Kurdish tensions have spread to Syria. But any loud objections either. The U.S. state Department reluctantly issued a message to the spirit of “this is unpleasant”. The main reaction to this incident comes from the military wing in Washington. We know that the Pentagon and CENTCOM, who took on the fight against ISIS, unhappy with the attack of the Turkish armed forces. Some commanders of the us special forces are in Syria, immediately rushed to the area Karakoc, who became the target of Turkish armed forces to study the situation in the region. They were photographed with the YPG. Their signal is clear.
However, from the White house, no sound.
But back to the topic of conversation. In the administration of the tramp is not dominated by any one point of view, and planning the attack, Ankara may have thought about it. Although American public opinion and the military wing in Washington has lost sympathy for Turkey in the White house and surrounded by trump is a group of people who are trying to maintain good relations with Tayyip Erdogan. These circles look to Turkey as a “balancing factor” against Iran. In this context, the attack of Ankara on the objects of the PKK in Sinjar, they, in the words of one Western source with whom I spoke, are “managed”.
And air operation in relation to the objectives of the YPG in Syria is more complicated. Obviously, from the point of view of America any undesirable situation. But while all remains at this level, that is, until Turkey is carrying out a limited air operation in the border region, Washington must Express sharp dissatisfaction. At least a weak reaction of Washington on the first stage gave the impression. But if the situation goes into a more serious Turkish-Kurdish war, Turkey can feel the tension in relations with Washington and with Moscow.
And it forces us to look at reality and see the whole tragedy of the situation, where we are today. Ankara, which for many years was considered the Kurdish issue only as a “national security issue” and in 90-e years pursued a policy of securitism, relying solely on improving security, in the end, saw that in this approach, the task will be solved, and started an initiative called “peace process decisions.” Now, anyway, back to where it began, and again dominated by politics “securitism”. Only this time the same mistakes are repeated in “cross-border” scale. Instead of solving the problem with the YPG and the Party “Democratic Union” (PYD) (and I admit that on some points Ankara fair objections) by building direct dialogue Ankara finds more reasonable to use the F-16. For this reason, it even leads to a deadlock with its international relations.
I’m afraid that while the Turks and Kurds choose the path of violence instead of standing between them discuss the problem with each other and solve it on the basis of rational argument, luck will smile to other forces in the region. This applies to each of the two sides. We will use against each other and every day to expand its area of influence.
But a wrapper for this will be nationalism…
