Hey there! So, here's the latest scoop from the Middle East. Türkiye is hinting at a possible cross-border offensive into northeastern Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia if its demands aren't met. 🧐
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan dropped this news on Tuesday during a chat with CNN Turk. He mentioned that while Türkiye is ready to act, it expects the new Syrian leadership to tackle the issue first.
Wait, new Syrian leadership? Yep! Last month, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebels, some of whom Türkiye has backed. It's a major shake-up, and now Ankara is pushing for the YPG to disband, have its non-Syrian militants leave, and its leaders turn themselves in.
For those not in the loop, Türkiye sees the YPG as a terrorist group linked to Kurdish militants who've been in conflict with the Turkish state for decades. While the YPG has been a key ally for the U.S. in the fight against ISIS, Türkiye isn't a fan, to say the least.
Fidan was pretty clear: if the new Syrian rulers can't handle the YPG, Türkiye is ready to do \"whatever is necessary\"—and that could mean a military operation. 😬
It's worth noting that the YPG leads the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which played a huge role in defeating ISIS between 2014 and 2017. They've been keeping ISIS fighters in prison camps but have faced challenges since Assad's fall.
Now, Türkiye has offered to take over these camp prisons if the new Syrian leadership can't manage them. President Tayyip Erdogan has even ordered Turkish soldiers to step in if needed.
What's next? It's a tense situation, and all eyes are on how the new Syrian leadership will respond. Will they confront the YPG themselves, or will we see Türkiye taking action? Stay tuned for more updates! 🔥
Reference(s):
Türkiye says to mount offensive against YPG if demands not met
cgtn.com
