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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 20 March 2018

Turkish leader vows wider offensive against Kurdish militia

By SARAH EL DEEB dizing the U.S.-led mission
SUZAN FRASER to stabilize the areas cap-
Associated Press tured" from IS militants, he
BEIRUT (AP) — Turkey's said.
president vowed Monday Already, thousands of Kurd-
to keep up the pressure ish fighters have been re-
against a U.S.-backed Syr- deployed away from front
ian Kurdish militia after his lines with IS to take part in
troops captured the Syrian the Afrin battle, threaten-
town of Afrin, threatening ing to distract from the fight
to expand the military of- against the extremists.
fensive into other Kurdish- Turkey’s state-run news
held areas across northern agency said 11 people
Syria and even into neigh- — seven civilians and four
boring Iraq. Turkish-backed Syrian fight-
President Recep Tayyip Er- ers — were killed on Mon-
dogan appeared set on day in an explosion as a
forcing Washington to re- building in the town center
consider its partnership with was being cleared of boo-
the Syrian Kurdish fighters, by traps. Anadolu News
the main U.S. ally in the agency said the bomb was
fight against the Islamic reportedly left by the Syrian
State group. Kurdish fighters.
Turkey first launched its A Turkish soldier writes "Turkey" on a wall, near to tanks in position, in the city center of Afrin, north- The Turkish takeover of Afrin
western Syria, Sunday, March 18, 2018. Turkey's president said Sunday the Turkish military and
military operation in Syria in allied Syrian forces have taken "total" control of the town center of Afrin, a major development in has triggered a humanitar-
2016, and Erdogan has re- the nearly two-months offensive against a Syrian Kurdish militia that controls the area. ian crisis as thousands of
peatedly said it will not al- (Hasan Kırmızitaş/DHA-Depo Photos via AP) residents fled the town to
low a "terror corridor" along government-held areas.
its border — a reference to Erdogan even threatened eastern Syria that destroys said the capture of Afrin Once a safe area for tens
territories controlled by the to target Iraq's Sinjar moun- the YPG and forces the had fulfilled Turkey's aim of of thousands of displaced
Kurdish forces, which Turkey tains, used by Kurdish fight- Americans to work by, with preventing the Kurdish mili- Syrians from other parts of
views as terrorists because ers to move between Iraq and through Turkey" in the tia from linking up its territo- the conflict, Afrin residents
of their links to Kurdish insur- and Syria, and which Turkey fight against IS and in Syria, ries in eastern and western have become Syria’s new
gents fighting inside Turkey. claims is a stronghold for he said. Syria, and Erdogan's threat homeless.
Emboldened by Sunday's the outlawed Kurdish rebels U.S. support of Syria's Kurd- to expand the military op- The U.S. State Department
capture of Afrin, Erdo- fighting an insurgency in its ish militia, which Turkey eration was a bargaining said it was “deeply con-
gan went even further on southeast. views as a threat to its na- chip aimed at Washington. cerned” over the humani-
Monday, asserting that "We'll continue this process tional security, has soured "Politically, though, it would tarian situation following
Turkish troops and allied until we completely abolish relations between the two be very difficult to accom- Turkey’s capture of Afrin.
Syrian forces would press this corridor," Erdogan said. NATO allies. Ankara has plish," he said. The European Union’s top
eastward, targeting terri- "One night, we could sud- accused the U.S. of not ful- Formidable guerrilla fight- diplomat also criticized the
tory that includes Kobani, denly enter Sinjar." filling a promise to move ers, the YPG withdrew from Turkish military offensive in
a town that has become a Nicholas Heras, a Middle Syrian Kurdish fighters out Afrin on Sunday after a Afrin, calling on Ankara to
symbol of the fight against East Security fellow at the of Manbij. Seeking to ease Turkish thrust into the town work to halt the fighting in
the Islamic State militants, Washington-based Center tensions, U.S. and Turkish center. They have vowed Syria. Federica Mogherini
as well as Qamishli, where for a New American Securi- officials held talks about to continue the fight, using told reporters in Brussels
the Syrian government ty, said the capture of Afrin Manbij earlier this month hit-and-run attacks against that international efforts in
controls an airport and a was a "milestone" for Turkey following a visit by outgoing Turkish troops in Afrin. Syria should be aimed at
security zone. in Syria but was not the end U.S. State Secretary Rex Til- Such an insurgency could “de-escalating the military
Also in the cross hairs is of its campaign against the lerson. But with Tillerson's fir- prove to be "a big thorn" for activities and not escalat-
Manbij, a town jointly pa- Kurdish militia, known as the ing, the next round of talks the U.S. military operation ing them.”
trolled by U.S- and Kurd- Syrian Kurdish People's De- has been postponed. in Syria, Heras said. "A YPG Erdogan insisted Turkey
ish forces and where U.S. fense Units, or YPG. Ozgur 'Ünlühisarcikli', the insurgency in Afrin would had no intention of “occu-
bases are housed, trigger- "The final destination is a Ankara director of the Ger- prompt Turkey to escalate pying” Syria, saying it was
ing concerns over poten- Turkish war on the Kurds man Marshall Fund of the against the Kurds through- merely clearing the border
tial friction with U.S. troops. throughout northern and United States think tank, out northern Syria, jeopar- area of terrorists.q