The U.S. is not able to do anything against Turkey’s move which has created difficulties for its plans, because the strategic plot it was implementing for years was not transparent. Its fundamental elements were kept secret from its own allies; they were not explicitly revealed and when it became exposed today, it too sees that it has no valid argument to defend this.
I will say it upfront, the parts of this strategy’s spear that did not fit into the sack would have been kept hidden by the coup plotters that serve it in Turkey, had the July 15, 2016 coup attempt succeeded. They have been displaying the mess of being unable to fit the spear into any sack since that step has been lacking.
The only poor argument U.S. spokespersons have been holding onto against Turkey’s Afrin operation is, “This operation prevents focus on the true issue, fighting Daesh,” an argument that even children find funny now.
On the contrary, as it has been revealed that the U.S. fooled everyone by calling on them to focus on Daesh, the U.S.’s fight against Daesh discourse is no longer convincing. This is due to the consistent, honest and effective performance shown by Turkey both against Daesh and with its Operation Euphrates Shield, and because the images of the dance between the U.S., Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Daesh can no longer be hidden.
The entire world saw the BBC images of how the Daesh militants in Raqqa were evacuated under the supervision and protection of the U.S. and PYD soldiers. This is no situation that can be explained by the U.S.-led coalition focused on fighting Daesh. This situation provides all the data needed in relation to the background of the rhythmic game that could only be possible with an agreement between the PYD and Daesh since the very beginning.
It is obvious the U.S. is not happy at all about Turkey’s Afrin operation, but the strange situation it has found itself in forces it to struggle with inconsistencies. Even if it brings the matter to the Kurdish issue, it will be left to face a steep divide between its official statements on this matter and its actions. This is because it is not possible to lead anything other than the division of Syria by arming the Kurds represented by the PYD in a country where all the sides have been insisting on Syria’s territorial integrity from the start. So heavily arming its allies, which have terrorism and ethnic cleansing baggage, will have no role other than further igniting violence, misunderstanding and clashes in Syria.
As a matter of fact, Turkey has stated in both Operation Olive Branch and in all the previous processes that it has no issue with Kurds. When Operation Olive Branch was launched, Saleh Muslim said Afrin will be no different to Kobani. We have bad news for him and his European friends: Turkey’s operation in Afrin is supported primarily by Kurds. Kurds are competing to volunteer for the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) to join the Afrin operation.
Turkey being against Syria’s division does not show that it is against Kurds. One who is positioned under U.S. flags, who fights against the people of the region under that flag, cannot be Kurdish.
In a dispute which the U.S. and Turkey are so openly in opposition, nobody other than those who have sold their identity, personality, morality and honor would align with the invader U.S. And those people cannot be Kurds.
There was an Afrin argument in the Parliamentary Assembly in the Council of Europe (PACE) meeting in which I was also in attendance. Even if the European public could not see it, we had the chance to make important observations on how public opinion is formed in PACE as well as the kinds of effects it is currently facing.
We saw all together the clear disinformation by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) representatives who attended in the name of Turkey. They even tried to weaken Turkey’s indisputable legitimacy regarding the Afrin operation and make it appear suspicious and especially make it seem like the operation was being conducted against Kurds.
Unfortunately, the European deputies, who are already very eager to be convinced when opposition to Turkey is in question, tried to make the situation seem critical for Europeans by saying that the Afrin operation will give rise to new waves of refugees. Frankly, this was the only topic of concern for Europe: a wave of migration from Syria or any other poor country knocking at its door. Otherwise, human rights, Kurdish rights are all stories to them.
Fans in parliament of the pro-PKK HDP do not hesitate to use this card in front of the European public. Not even one of them feel ashamed and think that Turkey is the only one paying the primary cost of all the activities in Syria.
Mardin Deputy Orhan Miroğlu made a very influential speech as a deputy who received Kurdish votes against HDP deputies’ approach that has been agitating PACE due to the Afrin operation. He asked the breathtaking question: “Are we going to build peace and stability by arming terrorist organizations, by building armies from these organizations?”
PACE Turkish delegation head Akif Çağatay Kılıç also said in his speech that when the 5,000 U.S. trucks loaded with weapons entered Syria, it gave them to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization – which only changed its name to PYD – and that the Afrin operation has become inevitable for the protection of Turkey, which is a European country. Hence, from this angle, the Afrin operation should have been considered a step taken to ensure Europe’s border security.
