Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 6
By Orkhan Guluzade – Trend:
Turkey should put pressure on the US in order to achieve the withdrawal of Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) from strategically important city of Manbij in Syria on the west bank of the Euphrates River, says a Turkish expert.
In an exclusive interview with Trend, Armagan Kuloglu, a retired lieutenant-general of the Turkish armed forces and expert on national security, said Turkey can launch new operations against PYD in the city of Afrin in northwestern Syria as a lever of political pressure.
“Afrin has enough strategic importance for Turkey. By liberating Afrin from the PYD, Turkey can ensure the security of Turkomans residing in the areas near the Turkish border,” said the expert.
In order to eliminate the threats springing from the “Islamic State” (IS, aka, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group on Turkey’s border, Turkish troops should enter 40 kilometers into Syria, said Kuloglu, adding this will enable Turkey to secure itself from the missile attacks by the IS.
He pointed out that in order to prevent the missile attacks by the IS, Turkish armed forces should also liberate the city of Al-Bab in the northern Syria.
Commenting on the expected visit of the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to Turkey Sept. 8-9, Kuloglu said it is not ruled out that the parties will discuss the possibilities of closing the airspace over the northern Syria.
Turkish Air Force launched an operation Aug. 24 with support of the coalition aircraft to liberate Syria’s Jarabulus from the IS militants. The operation was dubbed the “Shield of the Euphrates”.
Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed over 500,000 lives.
Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The IS, the YPG and the PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.
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