Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war: Difference between revisions
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A joint communiqué issued by the United States and 10 Arab states to stop the flow of volunteers to ISIS was signed by all participating countries except Turkey.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/world/middleeast/john-kerry-saudi-arabia-isis-strategy.html</ref> |
A joint communiqué issued by the United States and 10 Arab states to stop the flow of volunteers to ISIS was signed by all participating countries except Turkey.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/world/middleeast/john-kerry-saudi-arabia-isis-strategy.html</ref> |
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==March to the Edge of War== |
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For a while in the late summer and early fall, it appeared that Turkey would join the anti-ISIS coalition, and while fighting on it's southern border resulted in shots being fired into Turkey itself, it refused to join, causing blowback and rioting throughout the country. |
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===The Refugee problem and the battle of Kobanē=== |
===The Refugee problem and the battle of Kobanē=== |
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===Siege of the Süleyman Shah Tomb === |
===Siege of the Süleyman Shah Tomb === |
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On 30 September, the pro-government '''Yeni Şafak''' daily claimed that ISIL has been reinforcing militants around the tomb of the burial place of [[ |
On 30 September, the pro-government '''Yeni Şafak''' daily claimed that ISIL has been reinforcing militants around the tomb of the burial place of [[Suleyman Shah]] (the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire) for the previous three days.<ref>http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_pro-government-daily-says-turkish-tomb-in-syria-besieged-by-isil_360284.html</ref> Government spokesman later confirmed that ISIL troops were approaching the [[enclave]].<ref>http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_government-confirms-isil-militants-advancing-on-turkish-tomb-in-syria_360284.html</ref><ref>http://www.todayszaman.com/national_government-confirms-isil-advancing-on-turkish-tomb-in-syria_360462.html</ref> |
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30-36 Turkish soldiers are stationed there to guard the tomb. An attack on the tomb, considered Turkish territory under a 1921 Franco-Turkish agreement, was under threat earlier in the year, prompting the government to declare that it would retaliate against any such attack, and would serve as a [[causus belli]]. |
30-36 Turkish soldiers are stationed there to guard the tomb. An attack on the tomb, considered Turkish territory under a 1921 Franco-Turkish agreement, was under threat earlier in the year, prompting the government to declare that it would retaliate against any such attack, and would serve as a [[causus belli]]. |
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== Blowback and the Siege of Kobanē == |
== Blowback and the Siege of Kobanē == |
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{{ |
{{see|Siege of Kobane }} |
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With the Turkish government thinking that the declaration was enough, and with only a minimum of western airstrikes helping the defenders of Kobanē, ISIL troops edged closer to the city, eventually entering it from the south and east. <ref>http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kobane-is-about-to-fall-says-erdogan-calling-for-no-fly-zone-and-safe-havens.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72650&NewsCatID=510</ref> |
With the Turkish government thinking that the declaration was enough, and with only a minimum of western airstrikes helping the defenders of Kobanē, ISIL troops edged closer to the city, eventually entering it from the south and east. <ref>http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kobane-is-about-to-fall-says-erdogan-calling-for-no-fly-zone-and-safe-havens.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72650&NewsCatID=510</ref> |
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Feeling betrayed by the Turkish government and that Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu previous |
Feeling betrayed by the Turkish government and that Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu previous vow not to let Kobane fall was in fact a lie, refugees on the border and citizens in the cities of Istanbul, Ankara, Antakya, Antalya, Eskişehir, Denizli, Kocaeli, Diyarbakır, Siirt, Batman and elsewhere began to protest. Turkish police responded with tear gas and water cannons, and live fire in the southern province of [[Adana]], killing protestors. <ref>http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/istanbul-police-resort-to-tear-gas-and-water-cannon-as-anti-isil-protests-staged-across-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72659&NewsCatID=341</ref><ref>http://rt.com/news/193844-protests-turkey-isis-kurdish/</ref> |
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By October 7, ISIL militents and Kurdish defenders were fighting in the streets of Kobane, with many dead and scores wounded on both sides.<ref>http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_16-dead-across-turkey-as-fate-of-kobani-stirs-up-tensions_360981.html</ref> American and Arab states conducted airstrikes but US officials said they were not concerned with |
By October 7, ISIL militents and Kurdish defenders were fighting in the streets of Kobane, with many dead and scores wounded on both sides.<ref>http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_16-dead-across-turkey-as-fate-of-kobani-stirs-up-tensions_360981.html</ref> American and Arab states conducted airstrikes but US officials said they were not concerned with Kobanē falling or protecting cities in Syria and that they had other priorities for attacking ISIL. <ref name="US will not save Kobane">{{cite web|title=ISIS threat|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/08/world/meast/isis-threat/index.html|website=cnn.com|accessdate=9 October 2014}}</ref> |
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As the fate of Kobanē was sealed, rioting continued, and almost 40 people have been killed so far. ISIL began shelling the border post near there,<ref>http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_isil-shells-syrian-border-crossing-with-turkey-in-kobani-offensive_361195.html</ref> while the President complained bitterly about the Kurds of Turkey wanting to help their brothers and sisters south of the border.<ref>http://www.todayszaman.com/_erdogan-what-does-kobani-have-to-do-with-turkey_361306.html</ref> |
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On October 12, the Turkish air force finally sprang into action, not by attacking ISIS in Syria, but by attacking suspected PKK bases in Turkey itself.<ref>http://transmontanus.blogspot.com/2007/04/socialism-of-fools-reports-from-front.html</ref> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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Revision as of 13:56, 14 October 2014
Turkey, whose relations with Syria had been friendly over the last decade, condemned Assad over the violent crackdown and has requested his departure from office. Turkey trained defectors of the Syrian Army on its territory, and in July 2011 a group of them announced the birth of the Free Syrian Army under the supervision of Turkish military intelligence.[1] In October 2011, Turkey began sheltering the Free Syrian Army, offering the group a safe zone and a base of operation.Together with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Turkey has also provided the rebels with arms and other military equipment. Tensions between Syria and Turkey significantly worsened after Syrian forces shot down a Turkish fighter jet in June 2012 and border clashes in October 2012.[2]
Turkey provided refuge for Syrian dissidents. Syrian opposition activists convened in Istanbul in May to discuss regime change,[3] and Turkey hosts the head of the Free Syrian Army, Colonel Riad al-Asaad.[4] Turkey has become increasingly hostile to the Assad government's policies and has encouraged reconciliation among dissident factions. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been trying to "cultivate a favorable relationship with whatever government would take the place of Assad."[5] Beginning in May 2012, some Syrian opposition fighters began being armed and trained by the Turkish Intelligence.[6]
Turkey maintains a small enclave within Syria itself, the Tomb of Suleyman Shah on the right bank of the Euphrates in Aleppo Province near the village of Qarah Qawzak (Karakozak). The Tomb is guarded by a small permanent garrison of Turkish soldiers, who rotate in from a battalion based at the Turkish border some 25 kilometres (16 mi) away—even as the civil war unfolded around them.[7] Up until Syrian forces shot down a Turkish warplane in June 2012, the garrison numbered 15 men in total. Following the incident, the Turkish government doubled the number of soldiers stationed at the tomb to 30, while Prime Minister Erdoğan warned that "the tomb of Suleyman Shah and the land that surrounds it are Turkish territory. Any act of aggression against it would be an attack on our territory and NATO territory." Analysts have cited the Tomb as a potential future flashpoint in Turkish-Syrian relations.[8]
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜIK), Turkey sold 16, 026 tons of isopropyl alcohol to Syria in 2013, also known as[dubious ] the main ingredient in sarin gas. The figures indicate that it was sold most during[dubious ] the chemical attacks in Guta in August 2013.[unreliable source?] [9]
The Start of the Jihadi highway 2011-12
During the 5 December 2011 night, about 35 armed fighters tried to cross the border of Syria from Turkey, but were engaged immediately by the Syrian border forces who inflicted several wounds to them and were able to repel them back to Turkey. Once they were back on Turkish soil, the Turkish army allegedly picked them up in trucks and took care of the injured fighters. A further attempt happened during the night of 12 December, when 15 infiltrators tried again to cross the border. They were unsuccessful and two of them were killed by Syrian border patrols.[citation needed]
Over the following three years, the Turkish government were able to avoid such incindents and let various Jihadist groups use what came to be called the Jihandi highway."
Early invasion plans
On March 27, 2014 an audio tape recording of high-level Turkish officials discussing Turkey's Syria strategy was leaked on YouTube.[10] The tapes said they were considering a false flag operation that would lead to an invasion of Syria. YouTube was subsequently banned.
Turkey and ISIS
During much of the Syrian Civil War, the Turkish government has allowed the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS; sometimes ISIL) army to use the "jihadi highway."[11][12] just inside the Turkish side of the Syrian border. While there were a few incidents, detailed below, relations between Turkey and ISIS remained cordial. As late as the end of September 2014, there have been reports of the Turkish government arming ISIS with heavy weapons.[13]
May 2013 border bombing
On 11 May 2013, two car bombs exploded in the town of Reyhanlı, Hatay Province, Turkey. At least 51 people were killed and 140 injured in the attack.[14] The attack was the deadliest single act of terrorism to occur on Turkish soil.[15][16]
In response to the attacks, the Turkish government sent large numbers of air and ground forces to increase the already heavy military presence in the area.[17]
By 12 May 2013, nine Turkish citizens, alleged to have links to the Syrian intelligence agency, had been detained.[18] On 21 May 2013, the Turkish authorities charged the prime suspect, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. Four other suspects were also charged. 12 people had been charged in total. All suspects were Turkish nationals that Ankara believed were backed by the Syrian government.[19]
On 30 September 2013, some websites claimed that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS; sometimes ISIL), operating in Iraq and Syria, accepted responsibility for the attack, threatening further attacks against Turkey.[20][21][22][23][24][25] In January 2014, Turkey launched an airstrike on ISIS bases in Syria.
Mosul consulate hostage crisis
During the June 2014 takeover of Mosul, ISIS captured the Turkish consulate and held its staff hostage.[26] This three months-long captivity of 49 people severely restricted Turkey's freedom of action. The hostages were freed in mid September 2014. Turkey denied paying ransom [27] but prisoner swaps were hinted at.[28] It was later revealed that Turkish authorities had initially paid a certain amount of money to ISIS officials and the hostages were later swapped for 180 militants who had been apprehended or undergoing medical treatment in Turkey.[29]
The Anti-ISIS coalition
A joint communiqué issued by the United States and 10 Arab states to stop the flow of volunteers to ISIS was signed by all participating countries except Turkey.[30]
March to the Edge of War
For a while in the late summer and early fall, it appeared that Turkey would join the anti-ISIS coalition, and while fighting on it's southern border resulted in shots being fired into Turkey itself, it refused to join, causing blowback and rioting throughout the country.
The Refugee problem and the battle of Kobanē
In the Summer of 2014, there were riots in Istanbul over relations with locals and refugee,[31] and along the border with Syria as during the September battles with ISIS the army refused to let any more enter the country[32] before relenting.[33]
This has led to a revival of planning for a Turkish buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border to house the refugees.[34]
Around Sept. 20th, the so-called Islamic State launched an offensive to try to capture the border town of Kobanē besieging it from three sides. More than 140,000 Kurds have fled the town and surrounding villages, crossing into Turkey and leading to protests and riots on the Turkish side.[35] and the ending of the two year old cease fire between Turkey and the PKK[36]
ISIS troops had taken control of a hill from where fighters from the YPG, the main Kurdish armed group in northern Syria, had been attacking them, 10 km (6 miles) west of Kobanē. The fighting has gotten so close to the border that errant shells have landed in Turkish territory.[37]
On 29 September, thousands of people in many cities across the country marched in solidarity with the people of Kobnē, putting pressure on the government to do something.[38] The next day, HDP Co-Chairman Selahattin Demirtaş, the deputy leader of the Kurdish party in the Turkish parliament, slipped over the border to visit the besieged city, crossing back to demand more action by the government.[39]
Siege of the Süleyman Shah Tomb
On 30 September, the pro-government Yeni Şafak daily claimed that ISIL has been reinforcing militants around the tomb of the burial place of Suleyman Shah (the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire) for the previous three days.[40] Government spokesman later confirmed that ISIL troops were approaching the enclave.[41][42]
30-36 Turkish soldiers are stationed there to guard the tomb. An attack on the tomb, considered Turkish territory under a 1921 Franco-Turkish agreement, was under threat earlier in the year, prompting the government to declare that it would retaliate against any such attack, and would serve as a causus belli.
On 1 October, President Erdogan said that there were no ISIL troops anywhere near the tomb, contradicting many party spokesmen, and government ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç .[43] and calling the veracity of the government into question.
The Vote in Parliament
A vote in the Turkish parliament was scheduled for October 1 on whether or not to invade Syria as part of the war on ISIL.[44] while preparations for a possible invasion were made.[45] It was later delayed a day.
The de facto "declaration of war" is to take the form of two separate motions—one on Iraq and one on Syria, which would authorize Turkish troops to invade those countries.[46] the opposition said they hadn't been able to read either motion, as the exact text had been delayed.
Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said that the gist of the resolutions was to extend the current mandate for "hot pursuit" against the PKK and Syrian Army into Syria and Iraq, which was to end the second week in October, and to add ISIS to the list and set up a buffer zone on the Syrian side of the border.[47]
President Tayyip Erdogan opened the parliamentary session by saying that Turkey would fight against so called Islamic State and other "terrorist" groups in the region but it would stick to its aim of seeing Bashar al-Assad removed from power.[48]
After two days of heated debate, the motion passed 298-98,[49]
Blowback and the Siege of Kobanē
With the Turkish government thinking that the declaration was enough, and with only a minimum of western airstrikes helping the defenders of Kobanē, ISIL troops edged closer to the city, eventually entering it from the south and east. [50]
Feeling betrayed by the Turkish government and that Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu previous vow not to let Kobane fall was in fact a lie, refugees on the border and citizens in the cities of Istanbul, Ankara, Antakya, Antalya, Eskişehir, Denizli, Kocaeli, Diyarbakır, Siirt, Batman and elsewhere began to protest. Turkish police responded with tear gas and water cannons, and live fire in the southern province of Adana, killing protestors. [51][52]
By October 7, ISIL militents and Kurdish defenders were fighting in the streets of Kobane, with many dead and scores wounded on both sides.[53] American and Arab states conducted airstrikes but US officials said they were not concerned with Kobanē falling or protecting cities in Syria and that they had other priorities for attacking ISIL. [54]
As the fate of Kobanē was sealed, rioting continued, and almost 40 people have been killed so far. ISIL began shelling the border post near there,[55] while the President complained bitterly about the Kurds of Turkey wanting to help their brothers and sisters south of the border.[56]
On October 12, the Turkish air force finally sprang into action, not by attacking ISIS in Syria, but by attacking suspected PKK bases in Turkey itself.[57]
See also
References
- ^ Manna, Haytham (22 June 2012). "Syria's opposition has been led astray by violence". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ Mackey, Robert. "Syria News". New York Times. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ "Syrian dissidents convene in Turkey to discuss regime change". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ Karam, Zeina (5 October 2011). "Syrian dissident colonel takes refuge in Turkey". The Guardian. Beirut. Associated Press. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ Epatko, Larisa (November 15, 2012). "Syria and Turkey: A Complex Relationship". PBS NEWSHOUR. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
- ^ Weiss, Michael (22 May 2012). "Syrian rebels say Turkey is arming and training them". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
- ^ AP (2 May 2012). "Turkish soldiers still guard sacred tomb in Syria". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ al-Faisal, Sophie (4 October 2012). "Turkish Enclaves in Syria are Newest Crisis Point". Nuqudy. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ "Turkey Sells Sarin Gas Items to Terrorists in Syria". aydinlikdaily.com. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
- ^ Turkey's ISIS problem - The Long War Journal
- ^ Turkey should close its border to ISIS - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
- ^ Turkey paying price for jihadist highway on border - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
- ^ http://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/2014/09/30/empathy-might-work-turkey-delivers-tanks-to-isis
- ^ "Death toll rises to 42 as explosions hit Turkish town on border with Syria". Hurriyet Daily News. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Deadliest Terror Attack in Turkey's History Might Be Another Attempt to Derail Peace Talks? But Which One? Syria or PKK?". The Istanbulian. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Turkey Blames Syria's Assad for Its Deadliest Terror Attack". Bloomberg News. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ "Turkey sends military reinforcements to Syrian border after blast". Cihan. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ^ USA Today, 12 May 2013
- ^ AFP, 21 May 2013
- ^ "ISIL threatens Erdoğan with suicide bombings in Ankara, İstanbul". Today's Zaman. 30 September 2013.
- ^ ""Reyhanlı'yı El Kaide üstlendi"... Erdoğan'ı da tehdit ettiler". Gazeteciler. 30 September 2013.
- ^ ""El Kaide, Reyhanlı'yı üstlendi" iddiası". CNN Türk. 01.10.2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Reyhanlı saldırısını El Kaide üstlendi". Oda TV. 01.10.2013.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "دولة الإسلام في العراق والشام تتبنى تفجيرات الريحانية وتهدد أردوغان "بسلسلة من الهجمات الإستشهادية"". Radio Nawa. 30 September 2013.
- ^ "داعش تهدد أردوغان: إفتح معبري باب السلامة و باب الهوى.. وإلا". Sham Times. 30 September 2013.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/world/middleeast/militants-seize-turkish-consulate-staff-in-mosul.html?_r=0
- ^ http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Sep-21/271395-erdogan-no-ransom-paid-for-release-of-turkish-hostages-held-by-isis.ashx#axzz3DmiczHPM
- ^ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29322562
- ^ "Turkey swapped 180 IS militants for 49 hostages". Al-Monitor. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/world/middleeast/john-kerry-saudi-arabia-isis-strategy.html
- ^ http://news.yahoo.com/istanbul-residents-violent-protest-over-syrian-refugees-reports-133628073.html
- ^ http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Sep-19/271246-turkish-protesters-tear-gassed-near-syrian-border.ashx#axzz3DmiczHPM
- ^ http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/19/Turkey-opens-border-to-Syrian-Kurds-PM-.html
- ^ http://online.wsj.com/articles/turkey-renews-syria-buffer-zone-push-as-u-s-builds-coalition-1410872021
- ^ http://www.timesofisrael.com/kurds-suspect-turkey-of-backing-islamic-state/
- ^ http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/kurdish-militants-claim-deadly-ambush-turkeys-southeast-1343877279#comment-1276
- ^ http://www.jpost.com/International/Shells-hit-Turkish-soil-as-Islamic-State-advances-on-Syria-border-town-376371
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/national_protests-against-isils-kobane-siege-continue-across-turkey_360242.html
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_demirtas-visits-kobani-urges-turkey-to-join-kurds-fight-against-isil_360285.html
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_pro-government-daily-says-turkish-tomb-in-syria-besieged-by-isil_360284.html
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_government-confirms-isil-militants-advancing-on-turkish-tomb-in-syria_360284.html
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/national_government-confirms-isil-advancing-on-turkish-tomb-in-syria_360462.html
- ^ http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/10/01/president-erdogan-denies-claims-isis-encircled-suleiman-shah-tomb
- ^ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/29/turkey-role-fight-islamic-state-isis
- ^ http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-tanks-take-up-position-on-syrian-border-next-to-besieged-kurdish-town.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72319&NewsCatID=352
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_syria-and-iraq-motions-expected-to-come-to-parliament-on-tuesday_360234.html
- ^ http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/09/29/turkey-to-give-army-greater-crossborder-authorization
- ^ http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Turkey-to-fight-Islamic-State-Erdogan-says-377766
- ^ http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/10/02/turkish-parliament-votes-for-crossborder-troop-mandate
- ^ http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kobane-is-about-to-fall-says-erdogan-calling-for-no-fly-zone-and-safe-havens.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72650&NewsCatID=510
- ^ http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/istanbul-police-resort-to-tear-gas-and-water-cannon-as-anti-isil-protests-staged-across-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72659&NewsCatID=341
- ^ http://rt.com/news/193844-protests-turkey-isis-kurdish/
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_16-dead-across-turkey-as-fate-of-kobani-stirs-up-tensions_360981.html
- ^ "ISIS threat". cnn.com. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/latest-news_isil-shells-syrian-border-crossing-with-turkey-in-kobani-offensive_361195.html
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/_erdogan-what-does-kobani-have-to-do-with-turkey_361306.html
- ^ http://transmontanus.blogspot.com/2007/04/socialism-of-fools-reports-from-front.html