Turkish Peace Operations in Syria (Operation Olive Branch) Updates & Discussions

[Mucahit]

TAF created a new base in Syria, near Akhtaren town north Aleppo. Only Officers allowed to enter.

 

[Random111]

I think that video of IS double atgm attack is actually vs a tank and possible mlrs rather than bulldozer. Hence the larger explosion?

 

[BordoEnes]

Its very long front with little manpower right now. Still they made good advance in 3 months (more than 1,800 km2 of arable land). If u want fast results u need to send boots on the ground.

Turkish artillery shells Aylan villags in YPG hands:

http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=36.524122&lon=37.718639&z=13&m=b

Thats what i have been saying for weeks already. We gained alot of ground with what little we had but there is a limit to what you can do with it. We couldnt even take back Qabasin from ISIS, how are we suppose to liberate Al-Bab. We either needs greater involvement of Turkish air force(which is limited as of right now due to Russian/Syrian air force) or we need more boots on the ground.

 

[mahatir]

You think they have the luxury to separate, who may and who may not to fight?



Maybe. But they could fight for their homeland.

They will not break away , simply they will seek to have their own autonomous administration inside Syria under Turkish protection similar to the Kurdish cantons in Syria and KRJ in Iraq .

Turkey need security zone 5000KM to setup FOB bases against Kurdish cantons in Afrin and Kobane also to prevent them from connecting all their 3 cantons .

Some Sunni Arabs were included in Euphrates shield force but majority of fighters are Syrian Turkmen .

The operation is now in its final stage which will take some more time to complete . Taking over Albab is not easy , its basically string of 3 big towns Al-BAB , Qabasin and Bazah . Isil has retreated from northern countryside to defend these 3 strategic towns .

Currently Turkish Backed forces need to secure first Western and Eastern Albab countryside to put these 3 towns under siege and avoid back stabbing from Kurdish forces .

Syrians don't have any ideology into "being a Nation". They created a century ago out of nowhere, they were in the same country with Egpyt, Iraq and Syria. First, Egypt left, then Iraq left and lost Hatay to Turkish Republic meanwhile their education quality kept low with bad economy.

As a result, they dont have any big "will to die" for a nation that they dont believe. They are much like a group of people trying to survive at any cost.

This is not entirely accurate , political islam wiped out the belief in nation state among most syrians . They would die to fight for an islamic project but not a national cause .

The only solution right now is creating buffer zones along Syrian border and setting up forces focused on fighting Isil and PYD militias .

I am sure Turkey will be able to eventually build a militias made up of around 20,000 - 25000 fighters to secure buffer zone .

 

[OguzSenturk]

political islam wiped out the belief in nation state among most syrians

Well, political islam didnt do such thing to Turkish People, hopefully. In Turkey, most religious cities are most Nationalist cities as well lol.

They would die to fight for an islamic project

This doesnt work as well. It seems like they are not Nationalist, nor give any value to islam. They instead just run for their lifes like a earth citizen that doesnt support anything and doesnt belong anywhere.

 

[brokk]

The only solution right now is creating buffer zones along Syrian border and setting up forces focused on fighting Isil and PYD militias .
.

Though Turkey isn't interested in it, I'd say the only real solution is annexing this area as a semi-autonomous state, eventually this is what will happen, I mean even if not now, with this idiotic mentality that they have of 'nation', 'cantons' I'd give them (the kurds) at the most 2-5 years to be wiped out anyway, if not by Turkey, then by Iran, or by any Arab country (take your pick). I really doubt that they will have a "golden ticket" as Israel has, so their best option was and is to integrate into Iran or Turkey in Iraq, but for Syria their options are limited, PYD/YPJ and their PKK connections are their biggest undoing...

That said I would have preferred Syria stayed absolutely as it was before all this crap started, ie. before the US trying to theater a regime change / Arab spring there.. but as they say s..t happens.

 

[mahatir]

Well, political islam didnt do such thing to Turkish People, hopefully. In Turkey, most religious cities are most Nationalist cities as well lol.



This doesnt work as well. It seems like they are not Nationalist, nor give any value to islam. They instead just run for their lifes like a earth citizen that doesnt support anything and doesnt belong anywhere.

The difference between Syrian and Turkish islamists is one thing . For Turkish Islamists , their national identity comes first then religion , while for Syrians its the opposite .

A Turkish Islamist would never accept to be ruled by a non-Turk while a syrian islamist would accept to be ruled by anyone as long as they come from their sect .

Erdogan with all his flaws and errors gave up on his own ideology to save Turkey's national interests.

If an Arab Islamist was ruling Turkey today he would have continued with his rhetoric and fought both Russia and USA directly for his ideological wet dreams .

I think what Syrian Arab Sunnis lack is pragmatism and Nation Building skills , after all they have always been ruled by Foreign powers , ottmans , french and then recently Alawite minority .

Though Turkey isn't interested in it, I'd say the only real solution is annexing this area as a semi-autonomous state, eventually this is what will happen, I mean even if not now, with this idiotic mentality that they have of 'nation', 'cantons' I'd give them (the kurds) at the most 2-5 years to be wiped out anyway, if not by Turkey, then by Iran, or by any Arab country (take your pick). I really doubt that they will have a "golden ticket" as Israel has, so their best option was and is to integrate into Iran or Turkey in Iraq, but for Syria their options are limited, PYD/YPJ and their PKK connections are their biggest undoing...

That said I would have preferred Syria stayed absolutely as it was before all this crap started, ie. before the US trying to theater a regime change / Arab spring there.. but as they say s..t happens.

We thought the same about KGR in iraq and they survived for over 2 decades now thanks to American support and destruction of Iraqi Army.

Buffer zones are the only solution to contain Kurdish Cantons until a strong central government recovers in Syria which I dought will ever happen .

The current situation in both Syria and Iraq will continue for decades , these states are actually fake where various ethnic/Sects were forced to live together under the control of strong central military regimes .

After the collapse of Syrian and Iraqi armies these countries will eventually end up being split .

 

[era_shield]

Turkey's proxies' advance on al-Bab to be contested by Syrian government with support from SDF and Iran

Key Points

• The Syrian government, the US-backed and predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) share an interest in preventing Turkey from controlling al-Bab, and they are likely to co-operate militarily against Turkey, even in the event of Russian objections.
• Russia and Turkey risk being dragged into a confrontation by their respective proxies, despite their likely intent to impose a 'spheres of influence' arrangement in northern Syria.
• Turkish allegations of Iran backing Kurdish militants against it would indicate increasing risk of an escalating scale of Turkish cross-border operations into both Iraq and Syria.

According to social media, the Syrian government dropped leaflets over the town of al-Bab on 14 November warning the inhabitants that it would soon begin an operation to retake the town from the Islamic State.

 

[brokk]

The difference between Syrian and Turkish islamists is one thing . For Turkish Islamists , their national identity comes first then religion , while for Syrians its the opposite .

We thought the same about KGR in iraq and they survived for over 2 decades now thanks to American support and destruction of Iraqi Army.

Buffer zones are the only solution to contain Kurdish Cantons until a strong central government recovers in Syria which I dought will ever happen .

The current situation in both Syria and Iraq will continue for decades , these states are actually fake where various ethnic/Sects were forced to live together under the control of strong central military regimes .

After the collapse of Syrian and Iraqi armies these countries will eventually end up being split .

The difference between then and now, is that now Turkey has run out of options to delay things, shouts of 'don't pursue your national interests' masquerading behind 'human rights' from the US, EU is beginning to fall on to deaf ears... Turks in Turkey are boiling for something to be done against terrorists pouring in from these regions and it is a very dangerous matter to ignore, Iran will annex, Israel will annex parts... so it will get ugly very fast, and decent into a worse version of what is going on there now...

 

[era_shield]

Good analysis -
Russia Moves in For the Kill in Syria

 

[what]

Why not just surround Al-Bab and play the long game?
No supplies coming in from Raqqah or anywhere. ISIS is busy fighting everywhere. No need to take it now.

 

[passo_del_bosniako]

Speaking of manpower problems....and very stupid solutions

https://twitter.com/x/status/800780069790695424

 

[Random111]

Why not just surround Al-Bab and play the long game?
No supplies coming in from Raqqah or anywhere. ISIS is busy fighting everywhere. No need to take it now.

Vulnerable from the sides.

 

[A friend]

Great shot .

Btw I don't think it's graphic (you don't see any body parts/blood) but if it is can you delete my post instead of warning me? Thanks

 

[Kitco]

Nice shoot! But how come it detonated so close to people and still 2 guys could walk away from there?