Turkey’s 10-day-old offensive, its first major incursion into Syria since the war started five years ago, has alarmed the West. The US has voiced concerns about Turkish strikes on Kurdish-aligned groups that Washington has backed in its battle against Islamic State. Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies began the Aug. 24 offensive by seizing Jarablus, a Syrian frontier town, from Islamic State, before turning their sights on what the army said were YPG positions. Concerned at the arrival of a new military player in the already complex conflict in Syria, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier cautioned Turkey against keeping its military there. Erdogan said the Turkish operation dubbed “Euphrates Shield” had been successful in clearing Islamic State and Kurdish YPG from a 400-sq-km (150-square mile) area.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 02, 2016 19:07 UTC