This below is an opinion piece, so it doesn’t mean it is so, especially coming from Oklahoma State U prof. Joshua Landis’ website:
Link: http://aina.org/news/20180131131523.htm AINA is Assyrian International News Agency
Why the US Will Dump Kurds for Turkey
By Abd al-Qadir Abu Yusuf
http://www.joshualandis.com
Posted 2018-01-31 18:15 GMT
Operations by the Turkish army and Syrian rebels against the Syrian Democratic Forces’ [SDF] enclave of Afrin in northwest Aleppo province has brought to the forefront the issue of relations between international powers regarding the Syrian crisis, especially Russia, Turkey and the United States. Abd al-Qadir Abu Yusuf, a well-connected independent media activist based in the key rebel-held north Aleppo countryside town of Azaz, offers his perspective on these matters. I have known him since 2014 when he was the spokesman for the Northern Storm Brigade, which is presently part of the Shami Front that is participating in the Afrin operations against the SDF. Like many people in Azaz, he is a supporter of the ‘Olive Branch’ operations against the SDF in Afrin. The views expressed in this piece are solely his own and do not necessarily reflect my opinions or those of Syria Comment. — Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Translator
The dreams of the PKK- bearing the title of SDF in Syria- broadened when it saw Turkey enter into a great crisis because of its great disagreement with Russia and bringing down Russian aircraft, so it strove to seize half of the north Aleppo countryside through an alliance with Russia that responded to the bringing down of the aircraft by striking the allies of Turkey: the Free Army.
And what increased Turkey’s crisis is America’s retreat to the backseat, the withdrawing of MIM-104 Patriots and the lack of entry of the NATO alliance with Turkey into its crisis with Russia. The pressure also increased on Turkey through the broadening of SDF’s operations in east Syria with absolute American support for operations against the Dawla organization [Islamic State], including the Turkish red line west of the Euphrates: Manbij.
See the rest at link.
I don’t believe any of it is accurate. It is from the perspective of the FSA, which was never effective from the beginning.
I see no agreement between Turkey and US and I see no indication that the US will abandon the SDF in Manbij.
I know about Joshua Landis, we follow each other on Twitter, he is based in Oklahoma. (I lived there for 7 years) His wife is Syrian and her parents are connected to the Alawite sect in Damascas.
I’ve never heard of the author, but he must have perspective from Turkey.
The “deal” is between Assad, Iran and Turkey. They have their own interests and Efrin (Afrin) is a trading chip of the negotiations. That does not mean that a deal giving Turkey control of Efrin assures Turkey can take or hold Efrin.
I think Russia is playing with Turkey.
All 3 players are seeking to deny the US any foothold in the ME. But the US has powerful allies there already.