Turkey 'determined' to drive out Syrian Kurdish forces

[edpc]

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey said Tuesday it is working with the United States to coordinate the withdrawal of American forces but remains "determined" to clear U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters from northeastern Syria.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters that "if Turkey says it will enter, it will," in comments carried by private DHA news agency. His comments came amid reports that Turkey-backed Syrian rebels are getting ready to begin a military operation in and near the northern town of Manbij that is controlled by Kurdish-led fighters.

For weeks, Turkey has been threatening to launch a new offensive against the Kurdish fighters, who partnered with the U.S. to drive the Islamic State group out of much of northern and eastern Syria. Ankara views the Kurdish forces as terrorists because of their links to an insurgent group inside Turkey.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/turkey-determined-drive-syrian-kurdish-forces-103657526.html

[TomSea]

Senator Ben Sasse said something similar to the below. That's pretty radical to almost assume there would be a slaughter but maybe they know and I don't.

Middle East
Israeli minister hopes Erdogan will be stopped from ‘massacring Kurds’
Wladimir van Wilgenburg


Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked speaks at the Orthodox Union in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. (Photo: Courtesy)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Israel’s Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked on Sunday said the US troop withdrawal from Syria is a wrong decision and hoped the international community would not allow Turkey to “massacre Kurds.”

She described US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from Syria as “bad for Israel” and said it strengthens Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Jerusalem Post reported.

“The Kurds are great heroes,” she said in an interview with the Army radio, “and because of them, the West succeeded in its fight against” the so-called Islamic State.

Read more at: http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/bae78d26-9c9e-410c-a030-a832f64b0dd4

At the same time, this is all a sticky situation, what if a shooting war broke out? A hot war? What about our Incilirk base in Turkey, Turkey indeed has done things for us, as a Nato ally and partner. The thing is, truthfully, Erdogan has had nothing to do with that. Mostly before his time.

I also saw an article earlier where it purported to show some low level officer of Turkey making the Grey Wolf signal, that's kind of like the Hook 'em Horns gesture. The article was saying there might be Grey Wolves in the Turkish army:

https://www.trackingterrorism.org/group/grey-wolves

Turkey has had a few modern day massacres... not my country of study, I don't keep up with it but I think just last week they were shutting down some commemoration of a massacre.  Could have been the same one I read about years ago and the massacre was against communist-types for the most part.  Less than 10 years ago, it was still an ideal place to have a vacation, now it has a very low rating per Freedom House (not necessarily the ideal ranking service but still tells us something) and is listed as an unfree nation.

A war of words right now, between Netanyahu and Erdogan.

@corbe     

[Right_in_Virginia]

The Kurds want their own nation state.  The best estimate of the Kurdish population in the Middle East is 30 million --- scattered through Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.   When independence is fought for in Iraq, it is met with fierce resistance and Turkey fears it will spread to their borders; when Kurds rise up in Turkey they are met with fierce resistance and Syria fears it will spread to their borders, when Kurds rise up in Syria  . . . . .

The noise currently is that Kurds want a nation state carved from Turkey and Syria. It's a pretty good bet neither nation is gong to give up territory to accommodate this.  It's also a pretty good bet the US is not going to break ranks with a NATO ally and support this.

Netanyahu had been flapping about the Kurds deserving their own state .... until it became known the IDF would not help with the effort.  So Ms. Shaked should stand down and stop preaching.  Her time might be better spent finding an end to the violence between Israel and Gaza.

The Middle East is a hellhole; every nation in it contributes to this. Fighting is a tribal ritual and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it.

[edpc]

The noise currently is that Kurds want a nation state carved from Turkey and Syria. It's a pretty good bet neither nation is gong to give up territory to accommodate this.

Well, now they can understand a little how Israel feels after having war declared on it in 48, 67, and 73 - winning each time - and still expected to give concessions.

[bigheadfred]

When the U.S. showed up with the notion of nation-building, this is the one we should have built.

[LegalAmerican]

The Kurds want their own nation state.  The best estimate of the Kurdish population in the Middle East is 30 million --- scattered through Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.   When independence is fought for in Iraq, it is met with fierce resistance and Turkey fears it will spread to their borders; when Kurds rise up in Turkey they are met with fierce resistance and Syria fears it will spread to their borders, when Kurds rise up in Syria  . . . . .

The noise currently is that Kurds want a nation state carved from Turkey and Syria. It's a pretty good bet neither nation is gong to give up territory to accommodate this.  It's also a pretty good bet the US is not going to break ranks with a NATO ally and support this.

Netanyahu had been flapping about the Kurds deserving their own state .... until it became known the IDF would not help with the effort.  So Ms. Shaked should stand down and stop preaching.  Her time might be better spent finding an end to the violence between Israel and Gaza.

The Middle East is a hellhole; every nation in it contributes to this. Fighting is a tribal ritual and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it.

...Excellent!  Love that last sentence.  That is what they...do.  FIGHT.

[LegalAmerican]

When the U.S. showed up with the notion of nation-building, this is the one we should have built.

DISAGREE.  Nothing we do will help them.  We have spent 7 TRILLION dollars in M.E....most went to rebuilt Mosques.

We give billions to M.E. & turd world countries.  TIME TO STOP.  Not our job. People don't want USA..there. They still hate us, and destroy what was built.  No more meddling. No more enabling.  Time to fix our own country.

[TomSea]

DISAGREE.  Nothing we do will help them.  We have spent 7 TRILLION dollars in M.E....most went to rebuilt Mosques.

We give billions to M.E. & turd world countries.  TIME TO STOP.  Not our job. People don't want USA..there. They still hate us, and destroy what was built.  No more meddling. No more enabling.  Time to fix our own country.

Excuse me, they helped us, they, the Kurds,  defeated ISIS on the ground, died so our soldiers did not. Again, you don't have a clue what you are talking about as usual.

ISIS arose under Obama; the US intervention happened in 2003, the countries you rail against didn't ask for it.  If the US intervenes, they have an obligation to limit the damage done.  Yes, that is their job.

Not to put Christians near extinction where they have lived for two thousand years.

"most went to build Mosques", again, no truth in this and you don't know the difference between Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. You lump it all together. It takes more time to straighten out your misstatements.

And between Iran and Turkey, all we can say, is your view just supports radical Islam, kind of what Trump is doing.

[TomSea]

The Kurds want their own nation state.  The best estimate of the Kurdish population in the Middle East is 30 million --- scattered through Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.   When independence is fought for in Iraq, it is met with fierce resistance and Turkey fears it will spread to their borders; when Kurds rise up in Turkey they are met with fierce resistance and Syria fears it will spread to their borders, when Kurds rise up in Syria  . . . . .

The noise currently is that Kurds want a nation state carved from Turkey and Syria. It's a pretty good bet neither nation is gong to give up territory to accommodate this.  It's also a pretty good bet the US is not going to break ranks with a NATO ally and support this.

Netanyahu had been flapping about the Kurds deserving their own state .... until it became known the IDF would not help with the effort.  So Ms. Shaked should stand down and stop preaching.  Her time might be better spent finding an end to the violence between Israel and Gaza.

The Middle East is a hellhole; every nation in it contributes to this. Fighting is a tribal ritual and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it.

Yes, the Kurds want their own state, that is somewhat another topic.

I'll go with Mattis and other military members and Senators, that we should not abandon people who did the fighting for us and defeated a very formidable enemy who took a lot of land and if unchecked, would have sought to develop nukes. What the Kurds did is like fighting the Nazis.

If Trump doesn't get his wall built and he's gotten members of the military upset at him for his treatment of Mattis, look for a one term president. Even his voting coalition is fragile enough that just thumbing his nose at a military hero could take him down.

It's not out of the question, that Trump would not even be the nominee in 2020.

[TomSea]

Trump declared ISIS defeated?  Do Trump supporters believe that statement?

Who defeated ISIS? Just US air power?  That's clearly not the sole reason, you need to have someone on the ground doing the dirty work.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Yes, the Kurds want their own state, that is somewhat another topic. 

Actually, carving a state of their own in the Middle East is the topic.  It is the root of the oppression/uprising/oppression cycle the Kurdish people are trapped in.  Think Gaza.