It may begin a new interesting period in Syria.
I’m confused. The enemy on the right, the enemy on the left, enemy all over the place. Whose side are we on???
The “rebels” Turkey is supporting in northwestern Syria are not “mainstream”. They are all types of Islamist militia members, including former ISIS and Al Queda types, that fled to northwest Syria as they escaped Assad and in other cases as they escaped the Kurds. Turkey used them to help remove the Kurds from the key northwestern town of Afrin. Now the gangs occupy Afrin for Erdogan.
Erdogan is a wannabe new Ottoman emperor. Any deals or agreements he has made or will make with Russia has nothing to do with pleasing Russian interests, as the Russians are finding out. Then again, the deals the Russians made with him have nothing to do with pleasing Erdogan’s interests; as Erdogan always understood. Each was always seeking their own self interest, and if it temporarily served the other’s interest, so be it.
But I think Assad and the Russians are willing to allow the Kurds to have some autonomy in northern Syria, which Erdogan is totally against. And any further nominal control of northern Syria by Assad could lead to Assad and the Kurds striking a deal. Erdogan is compelled by his own ambitions to try to prevent it.
If Russia is too displeased, they could weigh whether or not they want to continue their S-400 missile deal with Erdogan. Not too likely they would go that far though, as doing so would please the U.S. and throw Erdogan back into a U.S. arms deal with the U.S. restrictions on it.
What should Trump do? Nothing right now. Wait and see how this plays out first and only act to insure the protection of our own troops and allies in northern Syria, with the Kurds.
Syria Ping!