Why Is Turkey Attacking Kurds In Syria?

FEATURING KANI XULAM – A major clash between Turkish forces and Kurdish fighters is developing on the northern Syrian border with Turkey that could threaten to unravel progress on the Syrian war. Kurdish fighters that have paid a heavy price and been most effective in re-taking control of Syria from Islamic State are now facing a war from the ostensible US ally Turkey.

Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern Syrian province of Afrin in particular are facing a Turkish battlefront. Afrin is part of the Kurdish controlled autonomous region in the north of Syria.

Animosity from Turkey toward Kurdish populations goes back a long time. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been quite open about his desire to push all Kurds from Northern Syria. He appeared on Turkish television saying, “Step by step we will clean our entire border.”

For more information visit www.kurdistan.org.

Kani Xulam, Director of the American Kurdish Information Network.