Turkey has begun the fight against PKK/PYD-YPG and ISIS terrorists in Northern Syria on October 9. Operation Peace Spring was launched with the participation of the Turkish Armed Forces and the Syrian National Army.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted with the hashtag ‘Time to hit the road again’ and wrote “The Turkish Armed Forces launched #OperationPeaceSpring alongside the Syrian National Army (SNA) yesterday against the PKK/YPG and Daesh (ISIS) terrorist groups in northern Syria. We aim to eliminate the terrorist corridor that is aimed to be established at our southern border and to bring peace to the region.”

Turkey locates at very important geography which is the crossroads of Asia and Europe. Due to the challenges of the dramatic developments in Syria, the country has endured several threats in the southern borders which consist of 911-km. This area has become a nest of PKK and ISIS terrorist groups in the last decade.

Generally, Operation Peace Spring has specific aims to eliminate terrorism and create a safe zone for the Syrian refugees. As a country suffered from terrorism since the early 1980s, Turkey shows a decisive role to change the future of the region because of several reasons. 

First of all, PKK is responsible for the deaths of more than 40.000 people, and therefore this organization has another name as ‘baby killers.’ Secondly, ISIS became another major threat to Turkish national security. As the world countries are aware of the brutal and radical philosophy of ISIS, this operation should be supported immediately. 

Here, some important facts are needed to be listed to inform the world public opinion. 

Firstly, YPG is the Syrian branch of PKK which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the US and EU. Although this group uses the rhetoric of Kurdish ethnicity values, it is just a political game to create a positive image in front of the international system. Kurdish ethnicity is an important element of Turkey, and these people suffered from the threats of these terrorist organizations. We can say that there is no support from Kurds to them. Secondly, the main aim of PKK/YPG is to create a corridor in Northern Syria to control a considerable amount of energy sources to establish its political entity. In doing so, changing the demographic structure of the region has undeniable importance. This situation also directly endangers the security of several countries in the same region.

Operation Peace Spring has a purpose to eliminate this peril to protect Turkish national security. Additionally, this is a very supportive step for Syria’s territorial integrity. Also, the return of Syrian refugees stands as another point because Turkey is currently hosting up to five million refugees by using the state budget and some particular financial assistance from other countries. After the operation, Ankara intends to establish a safe zone and construct facilities here for ensuring the safety of these refugees. Moreover, the remainings of ISIS must be cleaned for a peaceful future. More than 300 Turkish citizens have been killed by the suicide bombings and armed attacks of ISIS in recent years. In this situation, Turkey has nothing to do without launching this operation.

Northern Syria is a key area for regional/global peace and security. Turkey puts a significant effort to stop enemies of world peace. In this important scene of the 21st century, other countries should support this initiative.

Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu