Is America Leaving the Kurds?

 09 Oct 2019 ( News Bureau )
POSTER

The change in US military policy in Syria is being said to cause a huge uproar. The US has decided to call in its troops from north-eastern Syria.

However, US President Donald Trump's decision is contrary to the thinking of Pentagon officials, who wanted a small number of American troops to exist in north-eastern Syria. The Pentagon wants the US campaign against Islamic State in north-eastern Syria to not end.

It is being said that this step of America will increase the influence of Russia and Iran in Syria. In this area, the United States along with the Kurds has been campaigning against the Islamic State. On the other hand, Turkey calls Kurdish forces as terrorists. Turkey has long wanted the US to stop cooperation with the Kurds.

The Kurdish fighters have been part of the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, and the faction has been America's most trusted partner against the Islamic State in Syria.

US officials say President Trump has spoken directly to Turkish President Rechep Tayyip Ardoan. Turkey can carry out military operations against the Kurds in Syria, but it is not yet clear how large its scope will be.

If the Turkish army collides with the US-backed Kurds, there can be a lot of reversal in this area.

In December last year, Trump announced the summoning of his troops from Syria but withdrew following protests within the country. America's Europe allies were not happy with Trump's decision.

Soner Cagpte, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute, is the author of the book 'Ardiance Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East'.

He said in a telephone interview with the New York Times, "Turkey will make its presence in Kurdish-controlled Syrian territory without attacking the US, invading northern Syria." In such a situation, Ardoan can send thousands of Syrian refugees here and they will claim that they are also involved in Trump's policies in Syria. This is a significant progress. ''

It is also feared that Turkey may attack Kurdish fighters there under its guise. But Trump has threatened to destroy his economy if Turkey does so.

The White House said on Sunday that President Trump had allowed Turkish forces limited operations along the Syrian border. The United States has said that this operation of Turkey will keep the Kurdish forces supported by the US separate. Syrian experts are criticizing the White House decision.

They say that the release of the Kurds from the United States may expand the scope of the Syrian crisis that has been going on for eight years. It is also possible that the Kurdish Syrian government may come with Bashar al-Assad. Bashar al-Assad's army is ready to fight Turkey.

Reuben Gallego, a Democrat representative of Arizona and part of the Navy in the Iraq War, tweeted that Turkey's knock in northern Syria would prove to be a step destabilizing the Middle East.

He tweeted, "After this, the Kurds will never trust America. They will look to the new ally so that they can ensure their independence and security. ''

The US announcement is shocking for the SDF. A statement issued by the SDF said that this decision of the US would shock the fight and peace against the Islamic State.

Turkish President Ardoan is seeking a safe zone 300 miles east of the Turkish-Syrian border. They want this area for 1 million Syrian refugees.

These refugees are currently in Turkey. Ardoan has threatened that if international support is not found, he will start sending these refugees to Europe. Ardoआनan wants Syrian refugees to go back now.

The US and Turkish military have been working together since early August. They were also patrolling the 75-mile area of ​​the 300-mile border area.

US-backed Kurdish forces retreated several miles and destroyed their fortifications as well. For Ardoan this progress is still insufficient. Last week, he indicated that Turkey could attack in the border areas.

It is not yet clear what will help the US in this operation for the Turkish Border American Force? According to the New York Times, there are one thousand American soldiers in northern Syria and there are a total of 60 thousand Kurdish fighters with them.

Many experts believe that the US will not be able to get out of Syria again. Turkey is a major member of NATO but Kurdish has been a partner in the US fight against the Islamic State.

An American official told the New York Times on condition of anonymity, "We are neither going to support the Turks nor the SDF." If they fight amongst themselves, we will be completely different. ''

In December 2018, US Secretary of State Jim Mattis resigned after ordering the withdrawal of all 2000 troops from Syria.

However, Turkey is looking at the whole affair in a very different way. There is an understanding in Turkey that there is no consensus between President Trump and military officials on this issue.

Ardoan also traveled to America with Syria. Ardoan attended the group dinner party organized by President Trump. Trump had said that Ardoan had become his friend. However, a private meeting could not be held between the two.

Turkey, once the center of the Osmani Empire, has a population of 20%. Kurdish organizations allege that their culture identity is being suppressed in Turkey. In such a situation some organizations have been doing a partisan struggle since the 1980s.

Professor Mukhtar Khan of the University of Delaware, USA, says that to understand this matter one has to go into history.

He explains, "Turkey has two racial identities - Turks and Kurds. The Kurdish population is around 20 percent. They were demanding cultural freedom before but now they have been demanding independence for many years. They want to create Kurdistan."

If we look at the map of the Middle East, there is a part where the Kurds live in the south-east of Turkey, the north-east of Syria, the north-west of Iraq and the north-west of Iran.

Sunni Muslims are Kurds, but their language and culture is different. Professor Mukhtar Khan states that the Kurds demand that they also have the right to create a separate Kurdistan on the right to self-determination of the United Nations. It is worth noting that the US attacked Iraq in 2003. Since then, Kurdistan has been functioning almost as an independent nation in northern Iraq.

Professor Mukhtar Khan at the University of Delaware, USA says, "Turkey is frightened to be almost a nation of Kurds, Kurdish fighters from above have got weapons from the US to fight against IS. May the Kurds become so powerful that they can combine the conquered part of the Islamic State in Syria with Kurdistan in Iraq to form a large Kurdish nation. If that happens, there will be threat for Turkey.''

Turkey also had this concern before. Initially, when the US wanted to cooperate with the Kurds against IS, Turkey also opposed it. In such a situation, there is a fear that as soon as the US withdraws its forces from Syria, Turkey will act there and destroy the Kurdish areas and take away the land under their control.

 

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