Operation Olive Branch Begins- Erdogan Launches Massive Ground Operation Against Kurds in Syria
Overnight into Saturday, the Syrian Air Force bombed the town of Afrin in the north-east of Syria where Kurdish militia was stationed. After the attack, the Turkish General Staff announced the beginning of a ground operation in the area involving artillery and tanks. It was called Operation Olive Branch.
Their initial goal is to create a 30 km safe zone along the Turkish border. The order was issued by President Erdogan himself.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey: "We'll gradually destroy the corridor starting in the west. The operation in Afrin has already begun. The next one will be in Manbij. We'll destroy those filthy terrorists that are trying to invade our country making them flee to the Iraqi border".
It's worth mentioning that our military had been withdrawn from the area. The Russian Ministry of Defense points out that Turkey was provoked by the recent statement of Washington regarding the creation of some border teams at the Turkish border.
"The Pentagon's unchecked shipments of the advanced weapons to the pro-American militants in the north of Syria, including the MANPADS, caused the rapid escalation in the region and made the Turkish military conduct a special operation. Such irresponsible actions of the US in Syria sabotage the peaceful settlement and the Geneva inter-Syrian negotiations in which Kurds must be full-fledged participants".
In general, the situation was provoked by the USA which is quietly and blindly arming the Syrian opposition and building enclaves in the territories uncontrolled by the Syrian Army. In reality, it betrays their intention to create a separate state within Syria which means the division of the country. The actions of the US contradict the resolutions of the UN Security Council as well as the personal agreements between Putin and Trump.
Once again, the American negotiability is questioned. Here's a fragment of the joint statement of the US and Russian presidents in Danang, Vietnam, in November 2017.
"The presidents confirmed their commitment to the independence, sovereignty, unity territorial integrity, and secularism of Syria according to Resolution 2254 of the UN Security Council".
Brief but to the point. Confirmed their commitment to the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. American actions are directly opposite. Kurds are forced to create their own state not to oppose Damascus politically but based on the interests of their ethnicity: The notorious Kurdistan. Only in Syria, for now. Later they might expand their borders biting off a part of Turkey.
It's clear that a quick repartition leads to a harsh response from Ankara. Erdogan had already warned the US but now he decided to employ his tanks and aircraft launching the operation in Afrin.
Today, during his speech in Bursa Erdogan explicitly said: "Don't threaten our borders and don't provoke us. We might run out of patience".
Apparently, the American attempts to divide Syria lead to the degradation of the region and a permanent war. The US doesn't care about the political settlement in Syria. They want something else and are pursuing their goal.
In its turn, France has already urged to call a meeting of the UN Security Council on Turkey. Among all the debates, one mustn't forget who started all this.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Army is continuing its anti-terrorist offensive. By this weekend, the units of General Suheil managed to surround a large Al-Nusra group in Idlib and seize a strategically important airfield shifting the power balance in the province. We are monitoring the situation.