How is Turkey dealing with threats from Syria?
Facing threats from the war across its border, Turkey steps up its intervention, striking ISIL and Kurdish positions.
Turkey is stepping up its military involvement in Syria, striking both the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group and Kurdish fighters.
The war in Syria is becoming increasingly complicated. Several factions and international alliances are fighting it out, both on the ground and in the air.
Now Kurdish areas in the north are being heavily targeted.
The United States is warning that it will not hesitate to open fire on the Syrian army if it continues to attack fighters from the US-backed Kurdish Syrian National Democratic Council in Hasaka.
To the west of the city in Manbij, Turkish forces are attacking Kurdish YPG positions.
The Turkish government accuses the YPG of being an extension of the Turkish Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK.
Turkey’s armed forces have been at war with the PKK separatists for more than 20 years.
But is intervention the answer to Turkish security concerns? And how can Turkey’s changing policy affect the long-running civil war?
Presenter: Dareen Abughaida
Guests:
Bilal Sambur – Professor of Social Sciences, Yildirim Beyazit University.
Renad Mansour – Carnegie Middle East Center scholar.
Dlawer Ala’aldeen – President, Middle East Research Institute.