Turkey and the salafi groups it gathered under the roof of Syrian National Army (SMO) have been carrying out intense attacks against Ain Issa in North and East Syria. While Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been responding to the attacks of Turkey and the groups affiliated with it, it has been in contact with Russia and the Syrian regime. While Russia uses the attacks of Turkey and the groups back by Turkey as a leverage against the SDF, it plans to give the city to the Syrian regime. Journalist and writer Yusuf Karataş evaluated the aim of the attacks against Ain Issa and the plans about the region.

 

Karataş told that the attacks against Ain Issa is not independent from the persue of intervention of the groups affiliated with Turkey, in connection with the developments in Rojava. Stating that the same thing happened recently with Tel Rifat, Karataş said that Turkey want the SMO to be on the ground in Tel Rifat  Underlining that there are causes like a new president elected for US and the fact that Russia can not forsee how the releationship between US and the Kurds is going to be, Karataş said: "The developing and unpredictable events in the North Syria causes the forces on the ground to update their agenda constantly. It is inevitable that the same thing that happens to Ain Issa will happen somewhere else unless serious steps are taken towards a solution. What happens in Ain Issa is a part of this picture."

 

Underlining that Russia is using the groups backed by Turkey as a stick against the Kurds, Karataş said: "Russia is not openly opposing the Kurds but they prepare conditions which will lead to Kurds being stuck so that they'll agree on a solution under the control of Russia."

 

Expressing that Russia sees the US presence in Syria as a danger to itself, Karataş emphasized that the US prevents the solution in Syria on its own initiative and is trying to eliminate it. Underlining that Russia uses Turkey because it considers the gains of the Kurds as a threat to itself because the existance of US in Syrian territorry basically depends on its alliance with Kurds, Karataş said: "Russia uses this since 2016. Turkey's operations against Rojava could only be carried out with the approval of Russia, and it did. Russia want the Kurds to end their alliance with the US and ally with the Syrian Regime. But the Syrian administration doesn't accept anything that will gain status to the Kurds. Therefore Russia uses the Kurdish question not to directly oppose Turkey and tries to pressure Kurds into alining themselves with Russia. This is what the situation in Ain Issa indicates."

 

 

MA / Ferhat Çelik