The Turkish military activities continue in the region of Afrin north of Syria to achieve its objectives in seeking to protect its national and home security from the Kurdish presence and the Syrian democratic fighters and units of the Kurdish people where the Turkish security and intelligence services and political leaders in Ankara see a threat to its security and disturbing the security situation on the common Turkish-Syrian border, thus by this manner and orientation of Turkey, the region will witness a lot of ongoing confrontations that may undermine the security situation and make it more negative in the north of Syria with the absence of international and regional will in the face of Turkish move and the objectives of the Turkish state .
In the contexts of the military operation and the field vision of it and the turns that the Turkish administration is trying hard to make it a reality on the ground and everyone to deal with it as a fact , the follower of the events can face and read the Turkish ideas and its field objectives according to the following:
1. The Turkish administration is trying hard to have a big say, and to do so in order to influence the internal political situation in Syria, that is, to be an important party in any future political change in Syria and the region.
2. The use of all the tools and means that have been dealt with by all the Turkish security and intelligence services in the support in mid-2011 of the factions and forces of the Syrian Free Army and so we see Turkey uses its fighters to contribute to the removal of the Kurdish factions in the area of Afrin.
3. Send an important message to all the strategic and regional allies that the Turkish political vision is based on the principle of (preventing the establishment of any state or Kurdish entity) close or far from the common border between Syria and Turkey and is a stable position and independent political will committed by the Turkish government and its executive, military and security services .
4. The future Turkish political vision is to go to the Manbaj area and complete the operation of removing the Kurdish forces from this important city, near the strategic city of Aleppo, to achieve two goals Turkey seeks to and they are: Securing these areas in terms of security to enhance its internal security and return the displaced Syrian people existed in the Turkish cities of 3 million and 500 thousand people to these areas and support them.
5. To strengthen the security concept of the real policy adopted by the Turkish state and make it clear to all and that is Turkey to be a strong state and based on solid foundations and pillars to prevent the impact on the internal and national security and therefore it began to send a lot of political messages that once the end of military operations in northern Syria , it will go to address the security situation on the Iraqi-Turkish border to follow up and pursuit the leaders and fighters of elements of the Turkish Workers Party.
6. The international and regional forces are still dealing cautiously with the Turkish military action. This is America indicating that its troops will remain around the Syrian city of Manbij and not withdraw its troops from it. It will therefore constitute a political confrontation, not a military confrontation with the Turkish side. There will be a lot of mutual understandings between the two parties to achieve their interests in the Syrian deteriorated internal situation in which all are wrestling to achieve their interests and goals.
7. The political situation in Syria and the acceleration of events in it and the decisions of the United Nations system to its representative (de Mistura) to speed up to find a comprehensive solution to the Syrian problem and in coordination with all the international powers including Russia at the next conference in the Russian city of Sochi.
And this is what drives the Turks to exploit this situation to speed up their military operations at a time when everyone is waiting the outcomes and decisions of the conference.
8. Stability of the Turkish decision and not affected by the reactions of regional and international actions and its continuation in achieving its military and security objectives within the depth of Syria and this proves that US policy has become hostage to the alliances and common interests among the countries of the region and can not, as before, to strengthen its role by its power and influence, but other allied countries also have their say .
Arab Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies