Key points about the operation in Afrin:
1. Turkey says the YPG has ambitions of carving out an autonomous territory near its southeastern border
The YPG with the help of US military began its fight against Daesh in 2014. It controls a quarter of the Syrian territory now. Turkey says the YPG is using the support of the global powers to retain its grip on northeast Syria and that its fight against Daesh is an excuse. Three years later, Daesh has been virtually eradicated from the region, the YPG is still being backed by the US. That raises questions about its main objectives in the region and the continuous US support it garners.
On January 13, the US-led coalition forces announced that they will form a 30,000-member "Border Security Force" that also included YPG members near Turkey's border in northern Syria.
2. Turkey’s biggest concern is the security threat from the YPG
The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and EU. PKK has been fighting the Turkish state for more than 30 years in a bloody campaign that has left more than 40,000 dead, including civilians.
Attempts have often been made by the YPG/PKK to infiltrate into Turkish territory through the Afrin Mountains. They have also made continuous efforts to support terrorism in Turkey by smuggling militants, arms, and ammunition from Syria to Turkey.
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