Posted on 01/08/2016 2:12:16 AM PST by SunkenCiv
The Turkish army has expressed concerns to the United States' top military figure over Syrian Kurdish groups' attempts to create a "Kurdish corridor" in northern Syria and change the demographic structure of the region to the advantage of Kurds.
The messages were delivered to Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who held talks with Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Jan 6.
Dunford, the highest-ranking military officer of the U.S., visited U.S. troops stationed in Turkey's Incirlik Base following talks in Ankara.
Military-to-military talks focused on the joint fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and on developments in Syria and Iraq, as well as other regional issues, daily Hurriyet learned.
One of the most important issues the Turkish army raised was the attempts of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in crossing the Euphrates River and therefore entering the Azaz-Jarablus corridor.
Turkey claims the PYD is an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and, ergo, "terrorists" even though the U.S. and other anti-ISIL coalition members see them as a legitimate political party...
The Syrian Democratic Forces (QSD), a coalition composed of Kurds, Turkmens, Christians and Arabs, succeeded in seizing control of the strategically important Teshrin Dam on the Euphrates River, but Ankara has complained that 85 percent of the coalition consists of PYD members...
The two top soldiers also discussed developments following the downing of a Russian warplane by the Turkish Air Force and its impacts on the joint anti-ISIL operations.
(Excerpt) Read more at hurriyetdailynews.com ...
The US should tell Turkey to “go F*** yourselves”, but it won’t. I’m sure the anti-American and anti-Kurd Obama regime will support whatever ISIS ally Turkey wants.
“...The two top soldiers also discussed developments following the downing of a Russian warplane by the Turkish Air Force and its impacts on the joint anti-ISIL operations. Turkey complained about Russian threats of retaliation against Turkish warplanes, which forced Turkey to stop flying over Syria to take part in anti-ISIL fights....”
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The Turks NEVER participated in “anti-ISIL fights”; they only conducted aerial bombing of the Kurds who were actually fighting ISIS, and thus served as defenders of ISIS. The Islamist Turks should essentially be told to stay out of Syria...they aren’t helping there and won’t be missed.
They fought for it so they should get to keep it (if they can).
FU pigs. Tge Turks should all be rounded up and marched back to the wastes of Turkistan where they belong.
BFL.. It’s too early for popcorn.. One day turkey hearts obama.. The next week.. Not so much. Reminds me of teenage daughters boyfriend carousel. Did Obamas check bounce?
next, he will give Obama back the JV letter jacket in golfing... Maybe tennis too?
When the Kurds advanced against ISIS last Spring and Summer, Turkey had announced a “Red Line” against the Kurds, to prevent them from advancing West of the Euphrates River. By doing that, they kept the supply lines open for ISIS and other Turkish surrogate rebels in Syria.
Now that the Russians are providing air cover, the Turkish Army can not cross the border anymore, and the Kurds have crossed that Red Line in the last couple of weeks. They are rapidly conquering the last 50 or so miles to take control over the whole Northern Syrian Border, except the part by the coast, where they will link up with the Alawites.
Then it is Checkmate. The supply lines will be cut, and the rebel forces in the NW and Aleppo will begin running out of ammo, collapsing, or cutting deals with the Assad Regime. ISIS in Syria would have to be resupplied from up the River from Iraq, if at all.
The Turks bluff was called on their Red Line. If the US doesn’t take on the Russians for them, the Turks will have to watch their surrogates collapse from across the border, and with them, Erdogan’s dream of a wider Caliphate.
When we hear that the Kurds have taken Azaz (soon), then the convoys will have been halted, and ISIS will be lucky to smuggle a felafel through the Kurdish checkpoints. No more thousand fresh recruits every month, no more trailer loads of ammo, no more medevac to Turkey. No more oil smuggling to the Erdogan crime family (except through the Iraqi Kurdish areas).
It is ball game. Assad will starve them out for a while in Alleppo, and the Kurds are already circling Raqaa from the North. From a strategic view, this is a decisive step in the war in Syria.
That is an excellent summary and analysis of the situation...thanks for posting it.
“The US should tell Turkey to “go F*** yourselves””...
They would like that.
The turks are the ones that are buying most of the ISIS Oil, and allowing ISIS infiltration into Europe. They might not be the most objective country concerning the Kurds as they have tried to wipe them out many times..
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