Expert: Ankara operates in Syria based on its national interests

By  Trend

Based on and taken exclusively in Turkey’s national interests, Ankara, if the necessity should arise, may give a start to a new set of military operations in Syria, similar to the Euphrates Shield or even expand the latter’s coverage, Ekrem Kiziltas, head of the Turkish Media Association, expert, columnist of Turkey’s Takvim newspaper told Trend, Aug. 9.

According to the expert, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as other Turkish government officials repeatedly stated about the possibility of starting new military operations in Syria.

Kiziltas noted that the activities of such terrorist organizations as YPG (Kurdish People’s Protection Units) and PYD (Kurdish Democratic Union Party) harm the interests of Turkey.

“The U.S. arms YPG and PYD against the “Islamic State” (IS) terrorists under the pretext that, namely these organizations are fighting the IS, but there are many facts proving that YPG and PYD often cooperate very successfully with the IS,” Kiziltas said.

Expert noted that the problem comprises of the fact that U.S. as well as other states, fighting one of the terrorist organizations, while supporting another, which is no less dangerous.

Expert doesn’t rule out that Ankara will start military operations in case of the slightest threat from YPG and PYD to Turkey.

He said that the Euphrates Shield military operation successfully carried out by Turkey was executed only on the basis of country’s national interests.

Turkey has been deploying military equipment to the border with Syria since June 21. Military equipment is dislocated in Turkey’s south-central province of Kilis, which borders Syrian territories controlled by the YPG and PYD.

On Aug. 24, 2016, Turkish Armed Forces, with the support of the Syrian opposition, has launched the Euphrates Shield operation against the IS militants and liberated the city of Jarabulus, as well as the city of Al-Bab in northern Syria.