With Operation Peace Spring on hold for 120 hours after a deal reached by Turkey and the U.S., all eyes are now on the YPG, who must withdraw from nor
With Operation Peace Spring on hold for 120 hours after a deal reached by Turkey and the U.S., all eyes are now on the YPG, who must withdraw from northern Syria as part of the agreement
Turkish and U.S. delegations reached an agreement on Thursday to pause Turkey’s counterterrorism operation in northern Syria for 120 hours, in which the PKK terrorist group’s Syrian affiliate People’s Protection Units (YPG) is expected to withdraw from the designated safe zone area.
In theory, the deal responds to Turkey’s years’ long concerns and expectations but the U.S. has backtracked on its deals before, which leaves the country in a precarious position. The NATO ally’s continuing contact and support for the YPG means Ankara is approaching the process rather cautiously.
“If the U.S. does not keep its promises after the 120-hour pause, Turkey will resolutely continue its operation in northern Syria. Yet, if the promises made to us are held at the end of the 120-hour period on late Tuesday, the safe zone issue will be resolved. Turkish security forces will not withdraw from northern Syria as part of deal with the U.S.,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Friday in Istanbul.
Thursday’s meeting, co-chaired by Erdoğan and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, lasted for two hours and 40 minutes and ended with a 13-article joint statement. The deal includes the collection of the YPG’s heavy weapons, the withdrawal of the YPG from the safe zone within 120 hours and the removal of U.S. sanctions on Turkey. It was stated that the safe zone will be primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) while two sides agreed that closer coordination on the basis of common interests is vital.
Speaking to Daily Sabah, Uludağ University professor Tayyar Arı stated, “This is a pilot process. I think that the YPG will withdraw and abide by the terms since they do not want to lose the support of the U.S. Yet, there are circles within the U.S. that are not satisfied with this development, there, the process will go on.”
“Turkey was exposed to such heavy attacks by terrorist elements that previously Turkish officials had thought of evacuating the southern districts of Ceylanpınar and Suruç, which would mean to withdraw our border due to threats and casualties. Since it is not known how long the Syrian crisis will last, this agreement is the best option,” Arı continued.
U.S. Vice President Pence stated on Thursday in Ankara that “the YPG will withdraw from the demarcation line 32 kilometers (20 miles) south of the Turkish border and an orderly withdrawal is already underway. The YPG has given us repeated assurances that they are leaving the areas specified under the agreement.”
As part of the agreement, the U.S. has said it will facilitate the orderly withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated terrorist group.
“I think that they [the international community] displayed light reactions on the first days of the [Operation Peace Spring] because they thought Turkey would not be successful. When it was clear that Turkey would finalize the operation with success, the reactions grew surpassing all logic and reason,” President Erdoğan told reporters.
He further pointed to the fake news and disinformation that was being circulated especially by Western media outlets attacking the operation and claiming that it was an invasion against the Kurds, whereas “it aims to fight terrorism which has no race, ethnicity or religion.”
The president stressed that Operation Peace Spring was not a sudden outcome but rather a project of three, four or even five years.
In a closed meeting with journalists on Friday, Erdoğan said that he will discuss the agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. He added that Turkey has no intention to stay permanently in the safe zone area and the country aims to create a safe environment for the return of one million Syrian refugees in the planned area.
“If Deir el-Zour and Raqqa are included, more people will return their hometowns,” he said.
Erdoğan added that Thursday’s agreement can’t be considered a victory or a defeat for Turkey “but is a clear victory in fight against terrorism.”
“We did not sit at the same table with terror groups, we negotiated with the U.S. and earned a victory against terrorism,” Erdoğan said.
He further announced that Turkey plans to establish 12 observation posts in the safe zone.
Previously, following a similar agreement with Turkey, the U.S. failed to keep its promise on expelling YPG terrorists along the Turkish border. In June 2018, in a bid to reduce tensions, Turkey and the U.S. agreed on a road map which foresaw the withdrawal of the YPG from Manbij. It was also meant to install joint Turkish-American patrols, which began last November. However, the process was sluggish as the terrorist group was still present in the city despite the three-month timetable set for implementing the deal.
Not a cease-fire but a pause
The deal not only includes the withdrawal of YPG terrorists but also the seizure of their heavy weapons while their fortifications and positions will be dismantled accordingly. Both sides also reiterated their pledge to uphold human life, human rights and the protection of religious and ethnic communities.
Turkey has repeatedly voiced its respect regarding the territorial integrity of Syria and its political cooperation since the beginning of the operation.
However, issues like what will be the whereabouts of the weapons that were provided to the terrorists by the U.S. continues to be a point of serious concern for Turkey.
“The responsibility of seizing the weapons of the YPG belongs to the U.S. However, the consequences of handing a terrorist organization weapons – whether heavy or light – will most probably be felt. At the end of the day, just as the U.S. does not have control over all weapons, the current engagement of Russia and the [Bashar Assad] regime with the PKK could lead to problems,” Murat Aslan, a security analyst and academic at Hasan Kalyoncu University, told Daily Sabah.
On the other side, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stressed following the announcement of the deal that “Operation Peace Spring has not stopped, but rather it has been paused.”
“Turkey can only stop the operation once all terror elements leave the safe zone,” Çavuşoğlu added.
Turkey has long decried the threat from terrorists east of the Euphrates in northern Syria, pledging military action to prevent the formation of a “terrorist corridor” there.
Accordingly, Operation Peace Spring was launched on Oct. 9 in northern Syria aiming to secure the Turkish border, enable the safe return of Syrian refugees torn apart from their country and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.
Aslan continued that the agreement in general is positive but that “the stance of the U.S. will be determining in fulfilling the obligations of the agreement and when the new status is established.
Therefore, besides implementing the agreement, the current mistrust between the two countries have to be eliminated while the necessary conditions for the cooperation have to be laid.”
Fight against Daesh to continue
After the two countries reached an agreement on the long negotiated issue, U.S. President Donald Trump praised Erdoğan and the Turkish military stating, “Turkey has a great military power, Turkey is a friend of ours, a neighbor of ours and a member of NATO.”
Pence also stated that Turkey and the U.S. are determined to eliminate Daesh completely in Syria’s northeast, underlining that Washington will withdraw the existing sanctions when the operation is halted.
“I believe that this agreement is a credit to the strong relationship between Erdoğan and Trump and between Turkey and the U.S.,” the U.S. vice president expressed.
During Operation Euphrates Shield, Turkish forces killed 3,060 Daesh terrorists. Turkey has suffered greatly from Daesh attacks inside the country. More than 300 people have been killed in attacks claimed by Daesh in Turkey, where the terrorist group has targeted civilians in suicide bombings and armed attacks in recent years.
“Turkey has conducted the most effective and efficient fight against Daesh elements in Syria,” Erdoğan previously said.
As a result of this development, a safe zone of 444 kilometers ranging from the east of the Euphrates to the Iraqi border with a 32-kilometer depth and no terrorist presence will be established.
“This is not only an issue of security, but also a humanitarian issue. So far, more than 365,000 Syrian refugees have returned from Turkey to the areas cleared of PKK and Daesh terrorists with Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch,” Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said, reiterating Turkey’s plan to construct civilian settlements in northern Syria for the thousands of displaced Syrian refugees that hope to return to their country soon.
An inhabitable and secure environment is envisaged with every necessity met including schools, marketplaces, settlements, sports facilities and mosques.
“The Turkish side expressed its commitment to ensure the safety and well-being of residents of all population centers in the safe zone controlled by the Turkish Forces and reiterated that maximum care will be exercised in order not to cause harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure,” the statement noted.
The Turkish delegation included Vice President Fuat Oktay, Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler while the American delegation, consisted of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. National Security adviser Robert O’Brien, U.S. Special Envoy in Syria James Jeffrey and U.S. Ambassador to Ankara David Satterfield.
On Aug. 7, Turkish and U.S. military officials had agreed to set up a safe zone and develop a peace corridor running from the Euphrates River to the Iraqi border to facilitate the return of displaced Syrians currently living in Turkey to their home country and provide security for Turkish border settlements and military outposts. They also agreed to establish a joint operations center. The agreement envisaged the setting up of measures necessary to address Turkey’s security concerns. Yet, when the given promises were not hold, Turkey started its own unilateral plan to end terrorism in the region.