Turkey launched the Euphrates Shield Operation on August 24 in Syria to ensure its border security and combat terrorist groups, such as Daesh and the PKK, lingering near its borders.
The Euphrates Shield Operation has yielded significant results in Al-Bab, pushing forward into the Daesh stronghold. Upon capturing Al-Bab from Daesh, Turkish officials announced that the next target would be Manbij and Afrin in order to clear the area of PKK and PYD terrorists.
The Democratic Union Party (PYD) is a faction of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) terrorist group, which has waged an armed war against Turkey for over 30 years.
Upon announcing the new direction of the Euphrates Shield Operation, Turkey has been encouraged by the U.S. to target Al Nusra instead.
While the West has failed to provide Turkey with the promised support, it is highly surprising that Turkey is encouraged to fight against Nusra, which is seen as a threat by Russia and Iran, instead of combating the PKK/PYD that pose a threat to Turkey's border security.
Security experts have said that “If Al Nusra attacks us [Turkey], then we will strike back. But when we ask what we want to do with it, the goal is to distance us from the areas we should be focusing on. This is a continuation of the PYD's patronage efforts.”
The only goal behind trying to push Turkey to combat Nusra is to protect the PKK/PYD, as Turkey announced that the target after completing the operation in Al-Bab was Manbij and Afrin.
“The PYD has started to become a problem for the U.S. which is why Nusra is being pushed forward. It is being predicted that the gun used in Reina is the same gun that the U.S. has been sending to the PYD,” said Dr. Eray Güçler, a security expert at the European Strategic Research Center.
“Those who accused Turkey of working with Daesh saw that as Turkish forces started neutralizing Daesh, the PYD started to lose its legitimacy. In order to establish a balance as the PYD loses effectiveness, Nusra is being pushed forward. This is why Nusra is being strengthened and put in front of Turkey,” he continued.
It would not be surprising if Turkey was left alone to fight against terrorist organizations that the West is supplying weapons to, such as the PYD.
“Forces that are trying to limit Turkey in the region have previously accused Turkey of supporting Daesh. Such claims can no longer be made following the Euphrates Shield Operation. Some forces are trying to fabricate false claims, and to do so, they are trying to draw attention to new radical groups. One terrorist group they can use is Nusra. It is an effort to cause Turkey hardship on every platform,” said Mete Yarar, a former soldier and security expert.
The U.S. politics in the region have resulted in the rise of groups like Nusra, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the United Nations Security Council.
Turkey has been combatting the PKK and Daesh terrorist groups with the Euphrates Shield Operation; however, Nusra has not posed a threat until now. Nusra has been more of a threat for the Assad regime, Russia and Iran.
“Turkey's biggest problem is the terror state being established in northern Syria. There is currently an effort to protect them. We will target them [PKK/PYD], these are just efforts to try and distract us. Turkey's partnership with Russia and Iran is important for this reason. The balance that Turkey has established in Syria will be violated here and there. We will combat any radical group, not just Nusra. The control of radical elements is very difficult to direct. It's a tough balance, but we will build it,” said terrorism and security expert Abdullah Ağar.
The U.S. and many other western countries have recently been pushing for Turkey to launch a campaign against Nusra.
It was claimed that the gunman behind the assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, was a Nusra terrorist; however, it was found that the gunman had multiple ties to the Fetullah Gülen Terrorist Organization (FETÖ).
The leader of the FETÖ terrorists is the U.S.-based Fetullah Gülen, who orchestrated Turkey's July 15 coup plot and is the mastermind behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary. The U.S. is providing asylum to the FETÖ leader.
One security expert described the unpredictable behavior of some of the groups that even joined Turkey in the Euphrates Shield campaign against Daesh.
“It's not just Nusra. Any terror organization that we do not have good relations with is a threat. It doesn't change a thing if they're Sunni. We experienced this during the Euphrates Shield Operation. Two or three organizations that entered the Euphrates Shield Operation with us later left. They did this without notifying us, they left some of the areas that we had cleared of Daesh and Daesh returned,” said terrorism and security expert Abdullah Ağar.
“Some organizations are trying to prevent the Astana talks. And these are organizations that serve western origins, western targets and interests, no matter what denomination they are. Wasn't that the intention behind the Ortaköy attack? There is a constant effort to try and drive us away from the issues we should be concentrating on,” he continued.
