On January 20, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) officially launched a military operation in the area of Afrin and started conducting massive artillery and airstrikes on positions of Kurdish militias there.
“‘Operation Olive Branch’ has been started on Jan. 20, 2018 at 5 p.m., in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region to establish security and stability on our borders and region, to eliminate terrorists of PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh [ISIS], and to save our friends and brothers… from their oppression and cruelty,” the general staff said in an official statement.
The Russian military relocated its forces deployed in Afrin “to ensure the security of Russian servicemen located in the district.” The country’s defense ministry added in an official statement that:
“Uncontrolled deliveries of modern weapons, including reportedly the deliveries of the man-portable air defense systems, by the Pentagon to the pro-US forces in northern Syria, have contributed to the rapid escalation of tensions in the region and resulted in the launch of a special operation by the Turkish troops.”
On January 21 at 11:05 a.m., units of the TAF and Turkish-backed groups of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) started a ground phase of the operation.
“The operation will have four stages, there will be a 30-kilometer buffer zone,” Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said on the same day.
According to pro-Turkish sources, the TAF and the FSA captured the villages of Adah Manli, Balal Kuy and Kurin as well as captured four hills in the districts of Sheikh al-Hadid and Rajo. The advance is supported by warplanes, Bayraktar TB-2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles, T-122 Sakarya multiple launch rocket systems, various artillery pieces and armoured vehicles, including Leopard 2A4 battle tanks. About 200 positions of YPG/YPJ were destroyed by strikes, according to pro-Turkish sources.
In response, the YPG General Command said that no villages were captured by the TAF and all attacks were repelled. Pro-Kurdish sources also claimed that 15 members of pro-Turkish forces were killed and three TAF battle tanks were destroyed with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM).
The YPG released a video of an ATGM strike at a Leopard 2A4 battle tank. However, the photo of the same tank later appeared online showing that it was only slightly damaged.
According to pro-YPG sources, 11 civilians were killed and 16 others were injured by Turkish strikes. Separately, YPG-led forces shelled Reyhanli district of the Turksih province of Hatay with at least 11 rockets. A civilian was killed and about 50 others were injured.
The YPG also accused Russia of allowing Turkey to attack Afrin and said that Moscow will be responsible for all civilian casualties there. It’s interesting to note that, according to reports, just before the start of the TAF operation, the YPG and its political branch PYD once again rejected a Russian-Syrian suggestion to allow the Damascus government administrative bodies to return back to Afrin.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Turkey informed the US about the oepartion ahead of its start and added that Ankara has “has legitimate security concerns”.
The TAF operation in Afrin came amid a total collapse of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s defense in Idlib province.
On January 20, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the Tiger Forces and their allies liberated the Abu al-Duhur airbase and a large number of the nearby villages. In this way, the SAA fully encircled remaining forces of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and ISIS in eastern Idlib and northwestern Aleppo.
HTS launched a series of small-scale counter-attacks and targeted an SAA position in Suruj with a car bomb but was not able to stop the government advance. On January 21, government forces advanced north of the airbase and entered the town of Abu al-Duhur. On January 22, the SAA continued its operation aiming to liberate this key town and to consolidate its recent gains.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting continued in Afrin. Kurdish forces in area faced the same problem from which their Peshmerga counterparts suffered in Kirkuk. They de-facto rejected close cooperation with all players except of the US, but Washington is not rushing to help.
“It’s interesting to note that, according to reports, just before the start of the TAF operation, the YPG and its political branch PYD once again rejected a Russian-Syrian suggestion to allow the Damascus government administrative bodies to return back to Afrin.”
My guess – ‘Olive Branch’ publicly opposed by Russia but tacitly agreed to. This will force the Kurds to ‘negotiate’ with Damascus to keep Turkey out and Syria intact. Turkey wins by not having YPG troops on their border, and Damascus and Russia win by placing the US under pressure to leave to keep NATO (at least somewhat) intact.
Iran can play it either way, but I would think that Russia will have already scripted their response.
I must admit I was going to post almost the same, so I will just agree. But I am fazed at the Kurdish unwillingness to come to an agreement with Damascus, they risk now losing everything + drawing ire from Damascus that hitherto had not considered them traitors.
The Kurds are being very foolish. They played on the American card. They will lose. Poroshenko, who has US citizenship, is also playing on the American card, in his case because he has to. There is now little doubt that he will attack the Donbass, hoping to disrupt the Russian presidential elections. If he does so, then he may well get a new Maidan, this time in reverse. The Ukrainian population is impoverished, the moral of the Ukrainian conscript Army cannot be high (neo-Nazi battalions excluded), while the Russians in the Donbass had three years to dig in. They probably received new high tech from Russia. If Poroshenko does attack, not only will he be defeated, but we may well see the breakup of Ukraine into three parts, which for US foreign policy would be an even greater disaster than their fiasco in Syria.
The Kurds are just expendable cannon fodder for Uncle Sam and the Kosher Nostra.
They keep playing other people’s dirty political games and they lose every time.
This could work out well.
Sultan Erdogan and his Turkish weasels get bogged down in Syria. It starts to cost them money and lives and spills over into Turkey, damaging the economy. Everything Erdogan has done over the past few years has turned to rat shit – he has made enemies of everybody. The Turkish Army has never been able to destroy the Kurds before. I doubt it can now, after the post coup purges. The Kurds can probably pull back temporarily deeper inside Syria if they have to.
Erdogan’s Al Qaida proxies are Turkey’s expendable cannon fodder. If they get wiped out in the fighting, it saves the Syrian army the trouble.
Uncle Sam may lose his Turkish NATO satrap, and be reduced to a bemused onlooker. He may also lose his Kurdish proxies.
The Kurds may be hit hard in the invasion. They are just Washington and Tel Aviv’s ghurkas – they have no independent agency.
Hopefully all 4 of them will lose.
The next Saker article will be titled: Why is Putin “allowing” Turkey to bomb Syria?
Last month the Iraqi Kurds were thrown under the bus. This month was the Syrian Kurds turn.
The Washington Generals are racking up an impressive losing streak.
The Kurds are paying for their foolish trust in Washington. They should have known better. In it’s entire history, the US never had friends, only associates, whom it discarded when needed. The US gave the Kurds the role of a proxy army, whose task was to grab the Iraqi and Syrian oilfields. They now found themselves in the foolish position of having both Syria and Turkey against them. As far as I can see, the Russians have outplayed the US. The impression is – at least at this particular moment – that both the Russians and Syrians have given the Turks a wink to attack the Kurds. As analysts have observed, Syrian missile AA systems were not used against Turkish warplanes. We shall see how this ends. The Turkish military is powerful. However, much of it’s equipment is pretty old (they have M-60 tanks which the US used in Vietnam, as well as German Leopard 2 tanks from the 1980’s).
”The YPG also accused Russia of allowing Turkey to attack Afrin and said that Moscow will be responsible for all civilian casualties there”.
This one needs clarification.
The thing is that the Kurds in Afrin have nothing to do with the US. They are/were pro Russian. (not anymore i guess).
Russia had soldiers there.
Most importantly Russia controls the airspace over there. So the Kurds over there are angry that Russia made a deal with Turkey to let Turkish jets use the airspace and bomb Afrin to smithereens (no idea what the deal is).
Of course Russia will choose the Turks over the Kurds and Russia is basically allies with all the countries the Kurds live in.
Also Russia does not owe anything to anyone, doesnt need to protect anyone only their own country and their own people.
According to Kurdish media the Kurds feel that Russia betrayed them for giving the green light to Turkey. Also the USA by the way and Europe, but they are most disappointed in Russia.
Personally i think they are exaggerating it. I believe from all the world powers Russia is the one that is most sincere with them and wished them a good future. Russian officials, most notably the worlds best diplomat and foreign minister mister Lavrov always has said that Kurdish interests must be taken into consideration and be invited to talks.
Good report exvellent graphics
Note
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201801221060976469-un-afrin-humanitarian-operation-afrin/
Possible Kosovo type move…details to follow later apparently.I do not remember UN being so quickly active for other Syrian peoples situations when under attack by ” moderate rebels”?
Amazing that UN is offering sending aid to peoples under attack by a member of nato….how crazy has the world become that it having to consider that.
@JJ: “Amazing that UN is offering sending aid to peoples under attack by a member of NATO….how crazy has the world become that it having to consider that.” Yes indeed. Considering how many countries have previously been attacked by NATZO — Serbia, Syria, Donbass, Afghanistan — and how the UN has previously given them no aid at all — “not a grain of wheat, not a drop of medicine to Syria” — and now the UN is giving aid to Eretz Kurdistan? As you say, a Kosovo type “operation” is in the air. Somebody in the UN is planning to “operate” on Syria the way NATZO and the UN “operated” on Serbia: dismemberment by NATZO followed by UN recognition of Eretz Kurdistan.
And yes….Russia trying to get aid through to tens?thousands refugees being held “captive” in a usa camp an “training of sorts ” taking place there but no one hears Russias deepest concerns.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201801221060959670-turkey-borders-uk-pm-may/
MAY SAYS Turkey has legitimate interest in protecting its border security and uk seeks to find ways of ceasing violence in Syria after the action by Turkey..
Sounds very ominous to me……in cahoots with a double dealing nato country….by a double speak prime minister.
https://southfront.org/turkish-forces-open-new-front-ypg-advance-afrin-azaz/
Russia says it is monitoring the Afrin situation……Macron calls for UN meeting as says other regions in Syria “require attention”…..
https://southfront.org/turkish-forces-open-new-front-ypg-advance-afrin-azaz/
Meanwhile in Idlib:
“All area east of the Seihah swamp was secured by the allied forces. Today the TFs liberated the vital city of Abu Duhur NW of the airbase, thus securing most of its flanks, though still risky with al Qaeda few kms away.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.694110&lon=36.953888&z=10&m=b&gz=0;367794799;353824722;0;0;218867;305047;406837;579211;623130;799452;751016;912696;926113;1069954;1082322;1227878;1276300;1399047;1370714;1491253;1370714;1491253;1314926;1700073;1319215;1770598;1310634;2047753;1350114;2357603;1437663;2527134;1777553;2942090;1877975;3198626;2037619;3294805;2447889;3473892;2597236;3673835;2791211;3758813;2925966;3859105;3222942;4196796;3411769;4311646;3485584;4455712;3418636;4633145;3322505;4728454;3199766;5001802;2725981;5380017;2674482;5410601;2458189;5594073;2444458;6224788
Have mentioned few times in the past week that the frontline would be roughly a straight line from northern Hama to al Hade, here we see the SAA and allied forces have reached the key object of a single frontline. We will still see further advance in the Qnnasrin plains toward Tall Allush and Matkh Swamp. This move is key to get very close to Saraqib city and create a solid frontline before hitting Idlib’s plateau. Any advance toward Saraqib may happen from the Abu Duhur-Saraqid road, and for that the control of Matkh swap area may give some flanking protection.”
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=35.823381&lon=36.953888&z=11&m=b&gz=0;369628143;357044258;604248;2416232;0;1003016;68664;0;858306;445941;1277160;696673;1490020;1715503;1414489;1910212;823974;2154921
At the same time Zion has ordered its Al Qaeda cannon fodder to launch a so called ‘surprise attack’ in Northern Lattakia. Nobody is surprised, certainly not the SAA and the RuAF.
https://muraselon.com/en/2018/01/breaking-syrian-army-defends-surprise-rebels-attack-north-lattakia/
http://thesrpskatimes.com/law-basis-for-filing-lawsuit-against-nato-members-states-found/
Russian lawyers have been helping Serbia prepare a case on behalf of affected cancer civilians against nato countries for using depleted uranium bombs …case to be finally prepared in next two years cos Italian courts have estavlished links between Italian soldiers affected by cancers while stationed there.
Sorry guys was meant to be in cafe…but maybe relevant if “stuff”develops…..mods may move if feel is confusing thread no problem.
Thank you, JJ, but for that “happy mistake” I might have missed your link about Italian soldiers suffering from cancer caused by inhalation of their own depleted uranium while serving with NATZO in Serbia. Up till now it was only US soldiers in Iraq who reported with this syndrome. Now I can forward your link to a friend whose brother has died of a cancer contract after the NATZO attack on Belgrade; and to an Israeli friend who warned me of the dangers of depleted uranium as soon as US President Bush, UK Prime Minister B.Liar and their 28-nation “Coalition of the Killing” invaded Iraq. I hope to post my Israeli friend’s scientific explanation in your edition of the Cafe, why tiny quantities of residual Plutonium make so-called “depleted” uranium so carcinogenic (generating cancers) and teratogenic (generating monstrous births).
So glad to be of assistance.
Two possibilities spring to mind:
-1- Erdogan is “saving face” with his domestic voters. His plan for regime change has failed. He needs something he can sell as a “win”. Beating up on mostly defenseless Kurds sells well to his Arab Sunni base voters.
-2- Erdogan is using the Kurds as an excuse for a permanent land grab via the mechanic of a Turkish occupied safe zone.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-turkey-prime-min/turkey-will-create-30-km-deep-safe-zone-in-syrias-afrin-haberturk-citing-pm-idUSKBN1FA0BM
______
Hopefully the situation is #1. However, given Erdogan’s dreams of recreating the Ottoman empire it is hard to rule out #2.
Both those spins coincidentally correspond to what israeloamerica would prefer the “marks” to believe.
Always count on the worst. Hoping never turn up.
3. Erdogan is working hard on making Turkey a second USA in the region.
Turkey’s Presence in Afrin Shows Complex Syrian Conflict ‘Nowhere Near Ending’
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201801231060981123-turkey-afrin-complex-syria-conflict/
“The name was changed to a “stabilization force” in an effort “to assuage Turkey,” Sleboda said, but US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced last week that, in any event, the US will “maintain” a military presence in Syria. Justifications for the US military presence have ranged from preventing Daesh’s resurgence to “countering Iranian influence, as if Syria doesn’t have the right to say who its allies are and aren’t,” Sleboda noted.
In response, the Syrian Foreign Ministry stated on January 18 that “the American military presence on Syrian land is illegitimate and represents a blatant breach of international law.” Turkey was not pleased with the announcement, in addition to the US’ refusal to take back weapons supplied to Kurdish fighters, Sleboda said.
“Evidently, the Russian and the Syrian governments went to Afrin and said: ‘If you’ll raise the Syrian flag, allow the Syrian Army in and recognize that we’re your government… then we can protect you.’ The Kurds said no,” Sleboda explained. “That was basically the green light Turkey needed” to start its military operation, he added.”
Disagree with Sleboda that the Turks intend to ethnic cleanse kurds, but his mention of the kurds rejecting the Syrian government overtures and after this turkey being green lighted to attack is interesting. Heard similar from other sources now.
I’m leaning to the view that this Turk invasion is a coordinated strategy involving Syria and her allies, and turkey, with the goal of pushing the israeloamerican/nato occupied region in the northeast to abandon the israeloamericans and return to the Syrian state. Turkish invasion being the motivator to inspire a return to the protection of the Syrian state.
The israeloamerican occupied regions are a mix of people’s, and not uniform in their politics. The israeloamerican quislings fronting for the israeloamericans are by no means supported by the population, they have the weapons, though. There is resentment to them by many, even among kurd factions.
Turkey attacking the kurd region not occupied by israeloamerica avoids the problem of a direct Turk vs nato confrontation. The Turk warnings of carrying the campaign further east send a warning that confrontation is looming, though. This allows the israeloamericans their face saving, should they decide to pack up and leave. If turkey attacks an israeloamerican occupied region, inflicts israeloamerican casualties, then the israeloamericans would be more inclined to stay and defend “their honor”.
Obviously, Syrians, Russians, Iranians, Hezbollah attacking the occupied regions would provide the israeloamericans with the pretext they would need to expand their war on Syria. It would also distant and enrage significant numbers of the locals in the regions. By “letting” turkey attack, or threaten to, this avoids those problems. The israeloamericans risk trashing nato if they counterattack the Turks, so their option is to do nothing.
On the other hand if those israeloamerican controlled regions opt for a return to Syria, and Syria simultaneously offers them protection, limited autonomy, for an end to support for insurgency support across the border, turkey will be satisfied, as well.
Probably more wishful thinking than anything else.
Well, well, well, the zionazi fake left speaks:
Turkey invades Syria to attack US-backed Kurdish forces
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/01/22/turk-j22.html
Basically, and literally, bad turkey, along with bad “stalinist” Russia, threaten israeloamerican assets occupying Syria. And perhaps even worse, in the fevered minds of the authors, this evil Russo-turk alliance threatens the future existence of nato solidarity against the Red Menace.
The article essentially is an extension of the israeli propaganda machine geared to a left readership.
Personally, I see this as support for the Turk attack being more threatening to israeli interests, than to Syrian.
VT, I read on Weibo, Turkey losing badly to Kurd. Do you have any info to confirm?
J
I have not seen anything solid one way or another about the actual fighting.
That is very is to achieve as the Israeli doctrine has always been: If you are not 100% with us you are a legitimate target” so we are all targets in reality. The only other “Frenemy” that Israel does not dare target is Russia, whose relationship to Israel is uhmm complicated, very complicated. Never at the bosom of Israel and never at arms length.
Tayip Erdogan has stated many times he will not tolerate an organization labelled terrorist, with secessionist goals, operating on his border, I am inclined to believe him now, he stands by that.
The US have sorely misjudged Turkey’s stance on this, or they simply dont care. Any way there is no imminent danger of an US and Turkey armed confrontation yet, but that will come if Turkey proceeds east.
I dont think Bibi is to happy about these developments, they must be in direct opposition to Israels plans for a divided and weak Syria. They will still be weak, but Hezbollah is not weak, and have shown in Lebanon, that they are capable of reaching across religious divides; something that will be very important in Syria, but potentially also something that could make Assad and his Baath party feel threatened….
Operation Olive Branch Could Actually Improve Turkish-Syrian Ties – Analyst
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201801231060999640-turkey-syria-military-operation-relations/
“”We can see Operation Olive Branch as the continuation of Operation Euphrates Shield.” Currently, Turkey is conducting a mop-up operation in the area where the Kurdish corridor was earlier broken,” he explained.
Ozdemir argued that Operation Olive Branch “indicated the beginning of a stage pertaining to actual reconciliation between Syria and Turkey.”
“This process is slow and gradual. If everything goes as it should, the second stage of the operation will be conducted in the Manbij area [in northern Syria]. There is a possibility that Turkey and Syria can de facto establish relations in Afrin and officially – in Manbij”, he noted.
Ozdemir also stressed if the Syrian government ultimately takes control of Afrin or Idlib, “this will mean that the operation has achieved success.”
“Given that a final goal is to ensure the territorial integrity of Syria, this step will mean the victory of Damascus which in turn will be tantamount to Ankara’s victory,” he concluded.”
That speculation is somewhat along the same lines as my guesswork above. People have been sarcastically noting the “olive branch” name of the Turk op, but Ozdemir’s opinions above put a possible reasoning behind that name choice.
It looks like Turkey’s offensive is going poorly.
http://www.unz.com/pcockburn/syrian-kurdish-forces-launch-powerful-counterattack-against-turkey/
The geography is not good for tanks and mechanized infantry. And, local defenders have had significant lead to prepare their positions.
__________
Regardless of the reason for the invasion. All theories lead to a similar place. Turkey is not getting any help from:
— U.S. or NATO
— Syrian and Russian aligned forces
— Iran and its proxies
Erdogan’s fixation on regime change and the Kurdish boogie-man has left him with few potential allies.
Interesting thread by Ehsani2 on Turkey’s Afrin invasion:
https://twitter.com/EHSANI22/status/955539107798831104
“Following Erdogan’s verbal warnings that he may attack & cleanse Afrin and when as it became apparent that this attack was imminent, Kurdish leaders informed Damascus that they were willing and ready to offer two things:
2-The first offer by Kurdish leaders was that Syrian State flags would fly over parts of #Afrin. Alongside that, the Kurds offered to also allow a limited number of Syrian Army units to move in as symbolic gesture, together with a selected number of other State institutions
3- It was immediately clear to Damascus that the Kurdish effort was unlikely to either convince or deter Turkey. Moreover, Damascus calculated that the Kurdish offer was associated with potentially important inherent downside risks
4-The first risk identified by Damascus had to do with the idea that the presence of a limited number of its armed units would offer hardly anything more than a thin version of a human shield. The second risk was a bit more nuanaced but Damascus viewed just as importantantly
5-By agreeing to only limited & selective presence of State institutions, Damascus feared setting a precedent that ends up giving legitimacy to what it has regarded as a Kurdish insurgency against the State. To Damascus, such an insurgency went beyond media efforts & initiatives
6-More specifically, Damascus had watched Kurdish car plates replace State ones. It watched the changing of names of towns & villages. It watched new Kurdish police & other institutions. Not to forget various reports of land possession & forced deportation of other citizens
7-Agreeing to the Kurdish offer with the above landscape in #Afrin risked a legitimization of the status quo that Damascus was unwilling to embrace or appear to agree to. Given that Damascus was convinced Turkish attack was coming, it faced being vulnerable to exposing itself
8-Having thin & weak presence in #Afrin during Turkish attack risked being in a situation where Damascus was unable to defend itself neither militarily nor diplomatically as it becomes obvious to most that the plan was largely a gimmick. Damascus responded as follows:
9-Kurdish leaders would be requested to pull away all forms of what Damascus viewed as an insurgency. They would very quickly also hand all arms to the Syrian Army and other State institutions. Damascus would then would offer Kurdish fighters a choice
10-As the Syrian Army would now be fully in charge of confronting the impending Turkish attack, Kurdish fighters can either become part of the local civilian population or decide to leave towards Hasake province. In either case, they would agree to disarm first.
11-How did the Kurdish leaders respond to the above set of demands from Damascus? First, they exihibited confidence in their ability to defend #Afrin and then they explained their firm understanding & belief that there will soon be a UNSC calling on Turkey to halt the attack.
12-It is important to stress again that the main calculus in Damascus has always been that Turkey will attack and will not be dettered by others from continuing its operations. The Syrian leadership did not want to lose a battle that it was forced to play with a weak hand
13-Damascus had long watched Kurdish leaders & many citizens act as an independent entity from the Syrian State & people. It watched them putting all their eggs in America’s basket. Their hurried offer to allow few army units & put up State flags was simply woefully insufficient
14-In conclusion, it is important to note that Kurdish leaders seemed to believe what they claimed to have heard from their American interlocutors/advisors – Namely that any attack by Turkey was sure to be met with a UN Security Council meeting that demands their immediate end
15-Last word on #Russia & its role: As readers of a previous thread recall, Kurdish leaders visited Moscow nearly two weeks ago. Russian officials made a host of demands including allowing Syrian Army to move to the N border & handing back the DZ oil fields
16-Recall that those fields were grabbed while Syrian army was involved in a ferocious battle with ISIS in Deir al Zor. Both Moscow and Damascus believed that the Kurds also helped with the safe transfer of ISIS fighters out of Raqqa and towards positions closer to Sy/Ru forces
17- What is the best way to describe the Russian reaction when the Turkish Generals showed up in Moscow in the days leading up to the attack on #Afrin ?
Russia Did Not Show a Red Light.”
Turkey, Syria and Allies vs NATZO and Eretz Kurdistan is the long game, still playing out. With a short interlude, posted by Pacificnorthwest in SyrPer:
Really enjoyed this AMN headline “Breaking: Al-Qaeda ‘God will punish Syrian Army’ offensive in Latakia lasts whole of 30 minutes before flopping”. Perhaps these jihadi methamphetamine freaks should start wondering whether God might instead want the whole bunch of these murderous fanatics to be dispatched to hell.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-al-qaeda-god-will-punish-syrian-army-offensive-latakia-lasts-whole-30-minutes-flopping/
complicationsQAMISHLI, Syria – Earlier today, FRN reported that despite being smashed by Turkish-led forces in the Syrian northwest canton of Afrin and by ISIS in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, forces associated with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) have decided now is the right time to kidnapped three Syrian Army soldiers and one officer in the northeast city of Qamishli. Details can be read here.
However, since publication, it has become known that it was in fact two Syrian Army officers, and not one that was kidnapped by Kurdish forces.
The officers were revealed to be Captain of Qamishli Airport, Ahmed Suleiman, and Lieutenant Wassim Mahal.
The YPG have demanded safe passage for their forces to reach the Afrin canton where intense battles between Turkish-led forces and YPG are waging. The only possible way the YPG can reinforce the Afrin front from the rest of the territories they control is by traveling through Syrian government territory.
Although the YPG can move fighters to Afrin, it is unable to do so with heavy weaponry. The YPG hope that they can exchange the captured Syrian military personnel in exchange for being able to move heavy weaponry to Afrin.
The Syrian government is afraid that if heavy weaponry is being moved through its territory, the Turkish air force will strike these convoys on Syrian government-held territory, and potentially causing a crisis between the Syrian and Turkish military’s. ”
http://www.fort-russ.com/2018/01/update-on-syrian-soldiers-kidnapped-by.html
even on uk radio today , more european volunteers are trying to get to go to Syria to fight with Kurds against Turkey………….http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-42801572/volunteers-prepared-to-fight-alongside-kurdish-militia
more complications
KONYA, Turkey – The Syrian Opposition Interim Government office in Turkey’s Hatay province has called on Syrians in a written statement to join Turkish-led Free Syrian Army in operations against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin.
Hatay is a former Syrian province before the Turkish state illegally acquired it in the 1930’s, demonstrating the continuous traitorous traits of the Syrian opposition.
Meanwhile, Syrians in Turkish province of Konya at a military center have been applying to fight in the Afrin operation.”
http://www.fort-russ.com/2018/01/photos-syrian-refugees-in-turkey.html
the above group not head of them before …not sure if has been invited to next constitutional
meeting/conference ..
unlike the provenance of
“Sochi Congress to bring political freedom to Syria — opposition party
World January 24, 13:45 UTC+3
The Syrian National Dialogue Congress will take place in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on January 29-30
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BEIRUT, January 24. /TASS/. The Building the Syrian State (BSS) party will participate in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress scheduled to be held in Russia’s Sochi on January 29-30, the party said in a statement available to TASS.
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Russia clarifies key goals of Sochi Congress for Syrian opposition
“We are committed to cooperation with the Russian government as other guarantors of the ceasefire – Iran and Turkey – and hope that the Sochi event will help create a new Syrian state, based on the equality of all citizens regardless of their religion,” the statement reads.
According to the BSS, the Sochi Congress “should pave the way for bringing political freedom to Syria.” “Without incorporating democratic principles into the political system, all efforts aimed at the country’s renewal will go in vain,” the statement adds.
The party also emphasized the need to “put an end to unlawful arrests and the activities of military tribunals,” adding that “human rights defenders should receive access to detention facilities.”
The BSS party was founded in the Syrian capital of Damascus in 2011. The party leader Louay Hussain is an Alawite just like Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In February 2017, at the party’s initiative, a National Bloc, comprising secular opposition parties, was established in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
The guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire – Russia, Iran and Turkey – announced at a meeting held in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana in December 2017 that the Syrian National Dialogue Congress would take place in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on January 29-30. Participants are expected to work out a new Syrian constitution and discuss preparations for the UN-sponsored elections. Around 1,500 representatives of various Syrian political forces are expected to participate in the event.
More:
http://tass.com/world/986641
posted in SyrPer 12hr ago: jfb
The kurdish capitulation came quickly if it is confirmed and if it’s not a trick
http://www.fort-russ.com/2018/01/breaking-kurdish-ypg-allows-syrian-army.html
AFRIN, Syria – After initially refusing the Syrian Army to take up positions in Afrin, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) have now announced that government forces can operate within the canton.
US ‘needs to stop supporting terrorists’ to avoid possible clash with Turkey in Syria – Deputy PM
https://www.rt.com/news/416941-us-turkey-clash-syria/
“Those who support the terrorist organization will become a target in this battle,” Bekir Bozdag said. “The United States needs to review its soldiers and elements giving support to terrorists on the ground in a way to avoid a confrontation with Turkey.”
Bozdag’s statement follows a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump. During the conversation the latter raised concerns that Ankara’s ongoing military operation in Syria, if not scaled down, may result in a direct clash between the two major NATO allies.
Trump “urged Turkey to exercise caution and to avoid any actions that might risk conflict between Turkish and American forces,” according to the White House readout of the conversation. The US leader also called upon Ankara to de-escalate and “limit its military actions” in order to “avoid civilian casualties and increases to displaced persons and refugees.”
However, Erdogan announced the extension of the military campaign to the east.
“With the Olive Branch operation, we have once again thwarted the game of those sneaky forces whose interests in the region are different,” Erdogan said. “Starting in Manbij, we will continue to thwart their game.”
Also, the germans may have put some turk-german arms support on hold, depending on the source. The zionazis played their chem weapons card again, and hit a Russian-Chinese wall at the UN.
The Turk op appears to be advancing, though how fast, and at what cost to the warring factions and the civilians is being contradictory reported on.