Erdoğan’s message to US and new phase in Türkiye’s Syria, Iraq ops

Yesterday’s post ended on a brief wrap up–

Iran and Turkey, both, striking at US/Israeli interests in Northern Iraq & North Eastern Syria

To summarize a lengthy report- Iran and Turkey are hitting their enemies. They are hitting the groups that terrorize each nation and it’s people- And these terrorists are allied with US, Israel and UK.

My understanding is that strikes continued overnight.

Daily Sabah

Fighting against terrorism and terrorist groups is not an easy and simple task. It requires a multidimensional approach that must include many different apparatuses within the state. At times, it even requires international cooperation to tackle transnational terrorist groups. The complexity is further heightened when these groups transform into proxies for sovereign states, employed against each other.

Türkiye has long suffered from proxy terrorist groups such as the PKK, its Syrian offshoot YPG, the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and Daesh, which has also made it an experienced country when it comes to capacity and capability on many levels, from intelligence to direct confrontation to tackling terror-related activities, including narcotics and financial operations

The PKK’s presence within Türkiye’s borders has been minimized. The PKK threat and fight against this threat, however, continues, as the group has been active in northern Syria and northern Iraq to establish a terror corridor along Türkiye’s southern borders. Furthermore, Ankara’s Western allies, namely the U.S. and some European Union countries, have been providing support to the PKK/YPG despite most of them listing the group as a terrorist organization. This is not a secret activity. Moreover, the members of the group have been able to find political support for legitimacy, recruit new members and carry out activities for financial support within the borders of Ankara’s allies.

Of course, decision-makers in the Turkish state are very well aware that the battle against the PKK is not only a struggle against the group and its members.

In other words, when the U.S. provides the YPG with military support under the guise of a fight against Daesh when the European countries allow PKK activities within their borders, the strategy becomes complicated.

Frayed Türkiye-U.S. ties

In fact, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent address, which included messages to the supporters of the PKK/YPG and signaled new cross-border operations following the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, is directly related to this complex strategy. This message came after a series of attacks that resulted in the martyrdom of Turkish soldiers in December and January.

“Since the promises made to us are not being fulfilled, no one can object to Türkiye taking necessary measures for its own security. No one can expect us to stand idly by while the separatist traitors are being bolstered under various excuses. In the months ahead, we will definitely take new steps in this direction, regardless of who says what.”

This message was direct to the U.S. counterparts as Washington not only provides military and logistical equipment to the YPG terrorists in northern Syria, it also provides tactical training to the members of the group, which are then, in one way or another, directly against Türkiye, either through attacks from northern Syria or through northern Iraq.

“As Türkiye has eliminated terrorist ringleaders in places where they feel safe, attempts to hinder our country have further intensified. Attempts to bolster the PKK terrorist organization by providing it with weapons, ammunition, training and protection have gained momentum. We know it quite well that these attempts, which have failed as a result of Türkiye’s cross-border operations in Syria and Iraq, still continue persistently,” Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan directed this message squarely at Washington as well. At a time when the region is going through some historic tensions and the risk of a region-wide conflict is at the door, Ankara tells Washington that the attempts to use the power vacuum in Iraq and Syria and provoke Türkiye will not be left unanswered.

In essence, Erdoğan tells Washington that Ankara is determined to clear out all threats against its sovereignty, wherever they may be and this determined position will not change regardless of who is backing them. For Ankara, this is an existential matter for its sovereignty and is not driven by territorial expansion or a quest for political influence.

Erdogan is being straightforward with those that give comfort to terrorists