Less than a week after the Istanbul bombing, and before the final results of its investigations were released, Turkish forces carried out raids on Syrian army and SDF positions on the Syrian-Turkish border. Some reports indicated that Turkey could not take this step without obtaining a US green light and Russian acceptance.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar published an article about this, in which it drew attention to some details that indicate the existence of an American green light and Russian approval for this operation. It noted the statement issued by the US consulate in Erbil, in which it warned its citizens against travelling to the regions of northern Syria and Iraq. The newspaper stated that there are reports confirming Ankara’s intention to launch raids on the regions of northern Syria. The Syrian newspaper Al-Watan, in this regard, quoted its sources that Turkey got an American green light for this targeting, with the aim of Washington’s desire to gain Ankara’s confidence at this stage.
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As for the Russian side, Al-Akhbar pointed out that Turkey used the Syrian airspace controlled by Moscow in areas north of Aleppo, all the way to Ain al-Arab. This is happening for the first time since Russia entered Syria in 2015.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed on Sunday that “shelters, hideouts, caves, tunnels and warehouses belonging to terrorists were destroyed with great success. The headquarters of the terrorist organization were targeted with a direct and fatal strike,” without announcing the launch of a new military operation.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that he did not hold any meetings with the U.S. or Russian president regarding the air operation carried out by the Turkish army after Sunday midnight against the Kurdish units in northern Iraq and Syria.
Speaking to reporters upon his return from Qatar, the Turkish president explained: “The Russian and American presidents already know that we can carry out a military operation suddenly and at any time. We do not need to take permission for it. ”
In the first US comment on the Turkish air operation against SDF positions, Brett McGurk, the Middle East and North Africa coordinator at the White House National Security Council, described the situation in northern Syria as “difficult.”
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
