Correspondent in Istanbul
“ The time of reckoning has come. The bastards will be held accountable for their treacherous attacks. » Through a threat shared on its Twitter microblog in support of a plane taking off, the Turkish Ministry of Defense has launched a Turkish airstrike in northern Iraq and Syria. The operation, which began overnight, comes a week after the Istanbul attack. Dubbed the “Claw of the Sword,” it targets several areas under the control of Syrian Kurdish forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara blames for being behind the attack that left six dead and 81 injured on Istiklal Avenue. The operation was performed “In accordance with the right of self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, to eliminate terrorist attacks from northern Iraq and Syria, to secure borders and to eliminate terrorism at its source.” it is said in the press release of the same ministry.
On Sunday, the day after the attack on November 13, the PKK denied its involvement. However, the Turkish authorities are not moving. Kurdish guerrillas, branded terrorists by Ankara and against whom the government has been at war for decades, are responsible for last weekend’s tragedy on this busy shopping street across from Istanbul. Photos released by police hours after the blast showed the face of a dark-haired woman wearing a purple T-shirt with the words “New York University” crossed out as the main suspect. After his arrest, he reportedly confessed to planting a bomb under a small bench on the orders of the PKK-YPG-PYD, a reference to Kurdish rebels in Turkey and their cousins in Syria (the People’s Protection Units militia and its political wing). Democratic Union Party). During the interrogation, he also said that he was trained as a special intelligence agent by the Kurdish forces in the city of Kobani in northern Syria before entering Turkey illegally through the Afrin region.
The speed of investigation
The accuracy of his confessions and the speed of the investigation, however, have raised doubts among Turkey watchers, especially since an independent Turkish news website reported on two phone calls between the suspected bomber and a member of the ultra-nationalist MHP party that were intercepted. Erdogan’s AKP before the attack. The Minister of Interior Suleiman Soylu, denying any suspicions, stated that the young woman intends to escape to Greece. Threatening before announcing. “We know what message the organizers of this action want to convey to us. Don’t worry, we’ll pay them, and heavily. »
Between Saturday and Sunday night, the Turkish army launched about 25 strikes on the Syrian provinces of Raqqa and Hasakeh (North-East) and Aleppo (North), killing at least 18 militants from the Kurdish forces. 12 members of the Syrian regime, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an independent NGO based in London. The strikes mainly targeted the city of Kobani in and around the Turkish outskirts, including grain silos and a power plant located in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-dominated armed coalition. The bombings were immediately described as“aggressive and barbaric” by SDF Commander-in-Chief General Mazloum. There will be no civilian casualties on the Iraqi side, said an official of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government. “The Turks have targeted at least eight regions where there are PKK bases.” he notes.
Good for Erdogan
Between 2016 and 2019, the Turkish army has already carried out three major operations against Kurdish militants in northern Syria. It has been on high alert for several months, awaiting the launch of a fourth offensive that was announced last May by Ankara but was called off after failing to get the green light from Washington and Moscow. There is general agreement that this new military campaign is a boon for President Erdogan as he tries to influence the position of his Western allies on the Kurdish issue and his “war on terror” in exchange for his approval. The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO.
For now, a larger-scale intervention with the involvement of ground troops will be discussed.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.