After the deployment of US troops near the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkey issued a stark warning that American soldiers may become targets of Turkish strikes as it battles with Kurdish forces in Syria. The warning was transmitted by Turkish senior adviser, Ilnur Cevik.
What is the scope of Turkish threats on American soldiers in Northern Syria?
The Turkish government have been constantly at war with the Kurdish rebels in Syria. These rebels are being backed by the United States as it fights ISIS and Assad's regime. Turkish interference in Syria is severely limited due to the US military stationing troops alongside Kurdish soldiers in joint patrols near the Turkish-Syrian border.
Cevik said in an interview with a Turkish radio station that US soldiers may become unwanted casualties as a result of Turkish strikes as they continue to destroy Kurdish positions in Syria. Turkey has been targeting Kurdish locations in Iraq and Northern Syria for years.
The Pentagon reiterated that the presence of US forces in Northern Syria is not to back the Kurdistan Workers party but to assure the safety of US allies in the region. The US have backed the rebels fighting off Assad, providing funds and training.
However, US interference in the area during Obama's administration resulted in the creation of ISIS. This complication further convoluted the Syrian civil war as US policy shifted to destroying ISIS rather than toppling Assad.
Thus, the US is drawn into the picture due to a failed program that aims to depose Assad's regime.
Russia continues its support of Assad, along with Iran
Similar to the United States, Russia backs Assad against the rebels and Kurds. Putin has put forth measures to keep the Russian presence in Assad-controlled Syria as a deterrent to US strikes.
This effectively increases the tension in the area as it emboldens Assad to continue destroying the rebels, which is completely backed by the US.
The power struggle in Syria is not entirely between Assad and his enemies, but the tactical workings of the United States and Russia on carving up the Middle East to conform with their diverging policies. At the moment, Syria continues to be a quagmire of unrest, war and death. The civilians and their children bear the continued horror of living in such a volatile environment.
