Consequences of Turkish dispensation of NATO

Ahmed Sami Abdel Fattah

Turkey launched a new military operation called “Claw 2” to target the Kurdistan Workers Party known as the PKK in northern Iraq.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said in a tweet that the Turkish artillery shelled the targets of the “Ba Ka Ka” in northern Iraq, and confirmed that the operation comes in line with the process of “claw 1” continuing successfully, according to the ministry, in northern Iraq, which was launched on 27 May 2019.

It is noted that military operations in northern Iraq come at a time when the Turkish army is preparing to launch a new military operation to control the city of Tel-Labib, controlled by Kurdish units north of the Syrian city of Raqqa, with the aim of establishing a safe area of ​​at least 30 square kilometers

Turkey wants to carry out two simultaneous military operations against the Kurds in both Syria and Iraq, with the aim of cutting off the human and military supply routes between the two sides.

Despite Turkey’s apparent readiness to begin military operations in the east of the Euphrates, the lack of coordination with the United States of America prevented this.

In other words, the United States sees in the Kurds a strong faction that contributed to the defeat of the Daesh organization, which increased its efforts to rely on the units of the Kurdish people in curbing the Turkish forces in the east of the Euphrates.

This means that the decision to start military operations in the city of Manbaj in the Syrian province of Aleppo will not take place without American approval, but this does not prevent Turkey from carrying out its operations in other areas such as Tel al-Abyad along the border strip.

The increasing Turkish crowds on the Syrian-Turkish border came at a time when Ankara was beginning to receive the Russian S-400 missile system, which operates at a distance of 400 square kilometers. That means that Turkey has the military capability to launch more military operations inside Syria without fear of apostasy.

Despite Turkey’s announcement of Operation Claw 2, this does not mean that the new operation will be separate in its objectives from the first operation. In other words, Turkey aims to increase popular support for its military operations in Iraq by promoting the military’s battle with targets different from those in the Hawkurk or Claw 1, which were aimed mainly at the weapons depots used by the PKK in the city.

Although Turkey is keeping quiet on the operation of the Claw 2, it is likely that the operations will extend to Kandil Mountains, a key hideout for the PKK.