Will the scenario of Afrin be repeated in east of the Euphrates?
The east of the Euphrates, controlled by the US-backed “Syrian Democratic Forces”, is waiting anxiously for the developments of the coming days after Turkey has turned its political and military links to the region and has stepped up its threat of a military operation.
This comes after the freezing of military battles in the city of Idlib, as Turkey signed an agreement with Russia, on 9 September last, to establish a demilitarized zone and stop the fighting.
The first military operation in the north of Aleppo against the organization of the “Islamic State” in 2016, and the second “olive branch” during which it took control of the area of Afrin and expelled “Kurdish peoples Protection unites”, early this year.
Turkish steps similar to “olive branch” operation with notes that the steps taken by Turkey at present are similar to the steps taken by Ankara in the last two military operations after Erdogan announced his country’s intention on the sidelines of his participation in the UN General Assembly 73 in New York on 24 September.
Although there is no specific date for launching the operation, there are similar circumstances, indications and preparations for Turkey to operate before any operation is launched.
The first is the military threats of the operation by Turkish officials, led by the Turkish president, who said on December 30, 2017 (two weeks before the olive branch) that “Turkey will clean Afrin, and then we will impose security in all areas adjacent to our borders, Starting from the White Hill in the province of Raqqa, Ras Al Ain in the province of Hasaka, because these areas pose a threat to us.
Erdogan reiterated his threats over the past months to go to the east of the Euphrates, but he raised his tone on October 30, when he stressed that “his country has completed its plans and preparations for a large-scale military operation against” units “east of the Euphrates.
The threats are accompanied by media action by the Turkish media.
The media machine, through means close to the Turkish government, begins to highlight any anticipated operation.
On November 3, the Turkish newspaper “Yeni Shafak” published an article entitled “PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) in the east of the Euphrates, a few days and a deadly terror”, similar to the movement before the olive branch was launched when the same newspaper published articles About the Turkish army plan and details of the battle before it happened.
In the meantime, the contradictory American position on the upcoming Turkish operation towards East Euphrates, which is somewhat similar to the previous Afrin operation, is clearly evident when the international coalition, backed by the United States of America, abandoned the city a few days before the operation was launched, Led in Syria.
The current situation has contradicted America, Saturday, November 3, the talk of “SDF” patrols in the vicinity of the city of Ain Arabs, which was exposed in the past days of shelling by the Turkish army.
“Coalition is making regular military visits to the region and has not increased its patrolling there,” Kino Gabriel, a spokesman for the International Alliance, told Reuters.
Although Gabrielle considered that “the new border patrols of US forces and allied forces aimed to deter Turkey from launching further attacks”, he stressed that “the situation is still tense and there are signs of escalation and military action, while there is nothing clear in this regard, Negotiations between the Americans and the pressure of the Americans on the Turkish government”.
