ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - It is not difficult for Ankara to gain the approval of Moscow for its planned military offensive against the Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria (Rojava) as Russia needs Turkey now due to its invasion of Ukraine, a Turkish analyst told Rudaw on Wednesday.
Turkey renewed its threats to carry out a new military operation against the Kurdish fighters in Rojava last month, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying his country’s army and intelligence are making preparations for such an offensive. However, Turkey needs the approval of both Russia and the US to go ahead with the operation.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu. They discussed Ukraine and Syria.
Ahmet Uysal is the director of the Turkish pro-government think-tank, Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM). He told Rudaw’s Omer Sonmez on Wednesday that Turkey may be able to convince Russia to greenlight Ankara’s military operation in Rojava.
“Russia is in a difficult condition and a serious war. It is fighting against two superpowers, the US and Europe, in Ukraine. It needs Turkey a lot and Turkey is trying to keep its neutral position. It is not possible for Russia to defend or watch over the [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] PKK in non-urgent areas. Therefore, I do not think it will be difficult to convince Russia,” he said.
He also said that Ankara must seek the approval of Washington as well for the offensive.
However, last Thursday, Russia called on Turkey to refrain from carrying out a fresh offensive in Syria without a greenlight from Damascus. Also, Mazloum Abdi, general commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said on June 3 that Russia had assured them it would oppose a possible Turkish offensive in Rojava.
Tulay Hatimoglullari Oruc, a lawmaker for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), told Rudaw on Wednesday that Turkey has failed to get greenlights from both the US and Russia for its planned military operation against the SDF.
She said HDP is against any Turkish operations in Syria “as it is an interference in Syria’s internal affairs.”
Turkey wants to complete the 30-kilometre-deep “safe zone” that they were unable to finish during their latest offensive in 2019. The focus of the planned offensive is Tal Rifaat and Manbij.
Turkey renewed its threats to carry out a new military operation against the Kurdish fighters in Rojava last month, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying his country’s army and intelligence are making preparations for such an offensive. However, Turkey needs the approval of both Russia and the US to go ahead with the operation.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu. They discussed Ukraine and Syria.
Ahmet Uysal is the director of the Turkish pro-government think-tank, Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM). He told Rudaw’s Omer Sonmez on Wednesday that Turkey may be able to convince Russia to greenlight Ankara’s military operation in Rojava.
“Russia is in a difficult condition and a serious war. It is fighting against two superpowers, the US and Europe, in Ukraine. It needs Turkey a lot and Turkey is trying to keep its neutral position. It is not possible for Russia to defend or watch over the [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] PKK in non-urgent areas. Therefore, I do not think it will be difficult to convince Russia,” he said.
He also said that Ankara must seek the approval of Washington as well for the offensive.
However, last Thursday, Russia called on Turkey to refrain from carrying out a fresh offensive in Syria without a greenlight from Damascus. Also, Mazloum Abdi, general commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said on June 3 that Russia had assured them it would oppose a possible Turkish offensive in Rojava.
Tulay Hatimoglullari Oruc, a lawmaker for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), told Rudaw on Wednesday that Turkey has failed to get greenlights from both the US and Russia for its planned military operation against the SDF.
She said HDP is against any Turkish operations in Syria “as it is an interference in Syria’s internal affairs.”
Turkey wants to complete the 30-kilometre-deep “safe zone” that they were unable to finish during their latest offensive in 2019. The focus of the planned offensive is Tal Rifaat and Manbij.
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