Türkiye's thankless struggle: Fighting terror in northern Iraq and Syria
In the aftermath of the recent terror attacks on Turkish military bases in northern Iraq, it has become imperative to revisit the reasons behind Türkiye's presence in the region and consider its potential next steps.
Clashes with terrorists attempting to infiltrate the Operation Claw-Lock base area in northern Iraq last week resulted in the tragic loss of 12 Turkish soldiers. This attack was not the first of its kind.
PKK’s first terror attack against Türkiye was back in 1984, since then the terror group has declared open war against the Turkish state. In total, PKK terror attacks have claimed over 40,000 lives.
Initially a predominantly domestic issue, Türkiye's struggle against PKK underwent a significant shift following the Arab uprising, which created a power vacuum in Syria. Seizing its "right of self-defence" under Article 51 of the United Nations (UN) Charter, Türkiye announced the start of Operation Euphrates Shield (OES) on August 24, 2016.
Under which, the country successfully launched several military operations in northern Iraq and Syria, aimed at establishing safe zones up to 30 kilometres deep along its southern borders. The objectives included combating the PKK in northern Iraq, neutralising the YPG/PYD (PKK's Syria offshoot) along the Syrian-Turkish border, safeguarding the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq, halting the flow of refugees into Türkiye and facilitating secure zones for the eventual voluntary return of Syrian refugees.
In the last seven years, Türkiye has accomplished most of these objectives. However, while Türkiye continues to secure its territory and people, what significance does the country’s presence, in northern Iraq and Syria, hold for the region?
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