Ground operation of the Turkish army on the Syrian territory became the first unilateral action by Ankara after a meeting in St. Petersburg on 9 August Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to official information, the focus of talks between the two leaders were the issues of bilateral cooperation. Especially significant here is the Syrian problem; further actions of Turkey on the Syrian track is crucial to the future of the “reset” in relations between Moscow and Ankara.
The Russian side expressed its concern about the invasion on 24 August, the Turkish armored vehicles on Syrian territory. “Moscow is deeply concerned about what is happening in the area of the Syrian-Turkish border… First of all, alarmed by the possibility of further degradation of the situation in the conflict zone, including taking into account the possible collateral casualties among the civilian population and the escalation of ethnic conflicts between the Kurds and Arabs,” – said in the comments of the Department of information and press of the Russian foreign Ministry.
President Erdogan explained the operation “shield of the Euphrates by” the need to put an end to the attacks in the border area. According to him, the operation is aimed against the terrorist organization “Islamic state” and Kurdish self-defense forces. In the Turkish media – in particular, the Agency Anadolu says about supporting the “territorial integrity of Syria.”
According to Turkish sources, the basis of the Turkish military contingent, entered the Syrian territory near the town Dzharablus, located 80 km East of Aleppo and 30 km West of Kobani, are tank units. In addition, according to Turkish TV channel NTV, in the operation carried out by Turkish F-16 fighter jets, artillery and jet systems of volley fire.
The meaning of the actions of the Turkish side becomes clear if you say that earlier captured by militants of the “Islamic state” (IG) city Dzharablus lies on one of the main routes through which terrorists receive military equipment and reinforcements. The overlap of the cross-border flow of weapons and fighters from Turkey to Syria, as well as the establishment of a monitoring mechanism abroad were the main topics in the Russian-Turkish Commission, formed of representatives of the foreign Ministry, defense Ministry and special services of the two countries immediately after the completion of Russian-Turkish summit on 9 August.
The question of the overlap of the Syrian-Turkish border, Moscow has delivered to the partners in the first place. For its part, Russia can give Turkey satellite images of the places through which the traffic of weapons and militants.
The Minister of foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov in this regard, recalled the resolution of the UN Security Council No. 2165 of July 14, 2014, providing for the monitoring of the international community the two main checkpoints on the Syrian-Turkish border. “During the visit of the Turkish President Erdogan on August 9 in St. Petersburg the President of Russia Putin touched on this topic, we have with the Turkish side, there is an understanding that it is necessary to take additional measures to have this resolution fully and effectively implemented”, – said the head of the Russian foreign Ministry.
Strengthening of collaboration between the military and diplomatic lines of Russia and Turkey (a NATO member) could not fail to cause concern in the United States. Washington hastened to intervene in the situation and even make certain concessions to Ankara in order not to prevent the strengthening of Russian-Turkish relations in General and in the Syrian issue in particular.
The result of secret contacts between Ankara and Washington began reaching agreements about the actions of the Turkish side, of the catechumens after the fact arrived on 24 August to Turkey Vice President of the USA Joseph Biden, and evidence of adjustment by Washington to its previous position in regard to the support of the Kurdish groups in Syria. “We agreed during our negotiations that the Syrian Kurds will not go to the West of the Euphrates [Dzharablus is located on the Western Bank of the Euphrates. – P. I.]. If they do, under any circumstances, they will not receive support from the United States” – said Biden at a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim. This condition means in particular that the Kurds should leave the city of Manbij, repulsed them from Islamic state terrorists on August 12 with the direct support of units of us special forces. In addition, Washington gave the Turkish side the necessary intelligence and American military advisers were directly involved in the development of the plan of operations for the liberation of Dzharablus.
The strategic plan capture lying on the Euphrates the Turkish troops Dzharablus will allow Ankara to solve a double task: first, to prevent connection-controlled Kurdish areas in Northern Syria into a single territorial entity bordering on Turkey, and secondly, to gain a foothold in Syrian territory and to create a buffer zone controlled by the Turks and their allies among the Syrian opposition.
You can talk about ably conducted by President Erdogan, blackmail the United States to strengthen military-political cooperation with Russia, in order to make the United States a substantial concessions on the Kurdish issue. “Dzharablus important for ISIS. If you fall Dzharablus coming Raqqa. But for us Jerablus even more important. First, we will destroy ISIS at our borders, and secondly, prevent the creation of a Kurdish corridor from Kobani to Afrin”, – writes the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
However, the operation of the Turkish army in Syria, and the broader value associated with Ankara’s desire to enhance its geopolitical status, including in the triangle Turkey – Iran – Russia.
(To be continued)
