ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Famed American philosopher Noam Chomsky in an interview with the Turkish Birgun newspaper said people in the Kurdish Rojava canton and the Syrian regime will be harmed the most if the Turkish government decides to militarily enter Syria.
He added that a Turkish military operation against Syria would be a crime and undermine the forces battling the Islamic State.
“I hope the entire world would condemn such an operation if it took place,” said Chomsky.
Chomsky also commented on the possible creation of a Turkish buffer zone within Syrian territory. He said that this option is technically possible, but “would greatly harm the people of Rojava who are fighting against the evil forces of ISIS.”
He added that such an operation would additionally harm the forces of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
The US does not warmly support the possibility of forming a Turkish buffer zone in Syria, but Chomsky said he believes that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could execute the plan regardless of the US’ stance.
“Erdoğan can send his army to Syria without the US’ consent, but it would be difficult to tell how such a move would harm Turkey in the future,” added Chomsky.
In recent weeks Turkey has voiced concern over the rapid advance of Kurdish forces known as the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) against ISIS militants alongside its southern border with Syria.
On June 26, Erdoğan warned that Ankara was against the creation of any state in northern Syria, and that he would stop such efforts at any cost.
He claimed that international forces are aimed at putting Turkey in a corner to “change the ethnic balance in the region,” suggesting that there are efforts to stir tensions in Turkey in the name of supporting Kurds, which would “bring that fire into Turkey.”
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