{"id":72028,"date":"2019-08-07T00:36:16","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T00:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/08\/07\/turkish-military-move-into-syria-is-high-risk\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:42:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:42:45","slug":"turkish-military-move-into-syria-is-high-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/08\/07\/turkish-military-move-into-syria-is-high-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish military move into Syria is high risk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ISTANBUL \u2014 Turkey\u2019s combative president is threatening to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/2019\/08\/06\/esper-us-intends-to-prevent-turkey-invasion-into-syria\/\" target=_blank>launch a military operation in northeastern Syria<\/a> that is designed to push back U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish forces \u2014 an invasion that carries major risks for a highly combustible region in war-devastated Syria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An operation would mark the third Turkish incursion into Syria in the past four years \u2014 all seeking to limit the growing influence of Syrian Kurdish fighters, which Turkey views as terrorist along its border. Turkish and American military officials were meeting Monday and Tuesday in Ankara for last-ditch negotiations amid warnings from Turkish officials about a military buildup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a look at what Turkey wants and what could happen if it invades northern Syria: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"738\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18156404187936.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18156404187936.jpg.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18156404187936.jpg.jpg?resize=300,216 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18156404187936.jpg.jpg?resize=768,554 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this April 4, 2018, file photo, a U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council soldier passes a U.S. position near the tense front line with Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. The People&#8217;s Protection Units, known by their Kurdish acronym YPG, said in a statement Tuesday, June 5, 2018, that it&#8217;s pulling out of the key northern Syrian town of Manbij, potentially easing a serious rift between the United States and Turkey. (Hussein Malla\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WHAT DOES TURKEY WANT?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/07\/24\/turkey-not-satisfied-with-us-proposal-for-safe-zone-with-syrian-kurdish-fighters\/\" target=_blank>Turkey wants to establish a safe zone<\/a> 19 to 25 miles (30 to 40 kilometers) deep east of the Euphrates River in Syria, all the way to the Iraqi border. That effectively amounts to almost all the territory in northeastern Syria that is currently controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters from the People\u2019s Protection Units, or YPG.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/07\/28\/turkey-determined-to-destroy-terror-corridor-in-syria-despite-talks-with-us-to-establish-a-safe-zone\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19207398284217.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Turkey determined to destroy \u2018terror corridor\u2019 in Syria despite talks with US to establish a safe zone<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday his country is determined to destroy what he called a &quot;terror corridor&quot; in northern Syria \u2014 regardless of whether or not Turkey and the United States agree on the establishment of a so-called &quot;safe zone&quot; there.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The YPG forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, America\u2019s only partners on the ground in Syria. This has deeply infuriated Turkey and been a major source of tensions between Washington and Ankara in the past few years. With U.S. backing, the SDF has spearheaded the fight against the Islamic State group on the ground, announcing the territorial defeat of the extremist group in March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turkey considers the YPG an existential threat and as terrorists with close links to a decades-long insurgency within its own border led by the Kurdistan Workers\u2019 Party, or PKK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"782\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299460435.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"In this file photo dated May 1, 2019, a woman and child sit on a hill overlooking the Euphrates River as families picnic on May Day, in Derik, Syria.\" class=\"wp-image-79689\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299460435.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299460435.jpg.jpg?resize=300,196 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299460435.jpg.jpg?resize=768,500 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299460435.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,667 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this file photo dated May 1, 2019, a woman and child sit on a hill overlooking the Euphrates River as families picnic on May Day, in Derik, Syria. (Baderkhan Ahmad\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HOW WILL THIS BE DIFFERENT TO PREVIOUS TURKISH INVASIONS?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This time the purported Turkish operation would target areas east of the Euphrates River where hundreds of U.S. troops are stationed, raising the possibility of an unintended confrontation between two NATO members playing out in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/02\/05\/turkeys-erdogan-slams-us-over-delays-in-syria-buffer-zone\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4886900.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Turkey\u2019s Erdogan slams US over delays in Syria buffer zone<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Turkey\u2019s president heavily criticized the U.S. on Tuesday over delays in establishing a buffer zone in Syria, saying that if Washington won\u2019t contribute to the effort, Ankara will do it alone.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Months-long talks between the U.S. and Turkey over the creation of a so-called safe zone in northern Syria that addresses Ankara\u2019s concerns have failed to reach an agreement, with Turkey\u2019s foreign minister calling the U.S. proposals unsatisfactory last month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073946762.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-56830\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073946762.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073946762.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073946762.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073946762.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This picture shows U.S. Army vehicles supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces in Hajin, in the Deir Ezzor province, eastern Syria, on Dec. 15, 2018. (Delil Souleiman\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WHAT ARE TOP ISSUES IN THE TALKS?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After inconclusive talks last month with James Jeffrey, the U.S. Special Envoy to Syria, Turkey\u2019s defense minister told his American counterpart that the YPG must give up their arms and leave the proposed safe zone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sides have been unable to agree on the size of the zone, how it would be patrolled and who would control it. Turkey demands that its military run the proposed safe zone, while coordinating with the U.S. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1020\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1031218250.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47172\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1031218250.jpg.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1031218250.jpg.jpg?resize=300,204 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1031218250.jpg.jpg?resize=768,522 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1031218250.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,696 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the People&#8217;s Protection Units (YPG), part of the of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), gather in the town of Shadadi, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of the northeastern Syrian city of Hassakeh, on Sept. 11, 2018. (Delil Souleiman\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf we cannot meet at a common point with the U.S., we will have to set up the safe zone alone,\u201d Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the Turkish ministry said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esper told reporters Tuesday the U.S. would \u201cprevent unilateral incursions that would upset, again, these mutual interests that the United States, Turkey and the SDF share with regard to northern Syria,\u201d He said Washington wanted to work with Ankara to address Turkey\u2019s \u201clegitimate security concerns\u201d on the PKK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073947164.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073947164.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073947164.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073947164.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1073947164.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Smoke billows after bombings in the Deir Ezzor province as a vehicle of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stops in Hajin, in the Deir Ezzor province, eastern Syria, on Dec. 15, 2018. (Delil Souleiman\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IS A TURKISH MILITARY OPERATION IMMINENT?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been threatening an offensive into northeastern Syria since at least September, aiming to prevent a \u201cterror corridor\u201d along Turkey\u2019s southern border and wanting to create safe zones. In December, he said the operation would happen \u201cwithin a few days\u201d but shelved the plan after a call with U.S. President Donald Trump, who was then looking for a way out of Syria. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/12\/17\/erdogan-positive-answers-in-call-with-trump-but-says-turkey-could-act-against-us-backed-syrian-kurds-anytime\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1069059136.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Erdogan: Positive answers in call with Trump, but says Turkey could act against US-backed Syrian Kurds \u2018anytime\u2019<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Turkey\u2019s leader said Monday he received \u201cpositive answers\u201d from President Donald Trump on the situation in northeastern Syria, where Turkey has threatened to launch a new operation against American-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Sunday, Erdogan upped the ante. \u201cWe\u2019ve entered Afrin, Jarablus, al-Bab. Now we will enter the east of the Euphrates,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299448936.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"In this file photo dated July 15, 2019, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech at a rally to honor the victims of the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt, in Istanbul.\" class=\"wp-image-79700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299448936.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299448936.jpg.jpg?resize=300,199 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299448936.jpg.jpg?resize=768,509 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19218299448936.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,678 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this file photo dated July 15, 2019, Turkey&#8217;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech at a rally to honor the victims of the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt, in Istanbul. (Lefteris Pitarakis\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Erdogan was referring to two cross-border operations into northern Syria in 2016 and 2018 along with allied Syrian opposition fighters. Turkey ousted IS and YPG from these areas and established two Turkey-controlled zones in northern Syria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe can be patient up to a point and that patience has a limit,\u201d Erdogan said, arguing Turkey would protect itself from YPG \u201charassment.\u201d Last month, five people were lightly wounded in the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar after a rocket thought to have been fired from YPG-held territory exploded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While both Turkey and the Syrian Kurds say they have completed preparations for a military confrontation, there are no large-scale military movements suggesting an imminent kick off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4694\" height=\"3129\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4833765.jpg_b77888.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-68963\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4833765.jpg_b77888.jpg 4694w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4833765.jpg_b77888.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4833765.jpg_b77888.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4833765.jpg_b77888.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4833765.jpg_b77888.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4833765.jpg_b77888.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4694px) 100vw, 4694px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Army Special Forces canine team provides security for a mortar firing position from an abandoned rooftop in the Middle Euphrates River Valley&#8217;s Deir Ezzor province in Syria on Oct. 11, 2018.(Sgt. Matthew Crane\/Army)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WHAT ARE THE MAJOR RISKS OF A TURKISH INVASION?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Turkish operation east of the Euphrates, where American troops are stationed alongside the Kurdish fighters, heightens risks of a confrontation between two NATO members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Syrian Kurdish fighters have vowed to fight a Turkish incursion, increasing the risk of drawing retaliatory fire that could threaten U.S. forces. There are hundreds of American military personnel in the area, including troops manning U.S. observation posts in towns and cities along the border. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2018\/10\/24\/us-troops-in-syria-take-take-fire-from-turkish-proxy-fighters\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4651254.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US troops in Syria take fire from Turkish proxy fighters<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Tensions persist between the U.S. military and its NATO ally in the Syrian region of Manbij.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Considering the high level of risk, Turkey may opt for a limited operation to take control of the mostly-Arab border town of Tal Abyad, just east of Manbij. But even that risks igniting battles in which American personnel find themselves caught between two hostile parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"6012\" height=\"4204\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1084651610.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79702\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1084651610.jpg.jpg 6012w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1084651610.jpg.jpg?resize=300,210 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1084651610.jpg.jpg?resize=768,537 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1084651610.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,716 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1084651610.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1074 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1084651610.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1432 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 6012px) 100vw, 6012px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) attend the funeral of a fellow fighter, who was killed while fighting against the Islamic State (IS), in northeastern Syrian Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli on January 18, 2019. (Photo by Delil souleiman \/ AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HOW WOULD A TURKISH MILITARY OPERATION AFFECT SYRIANS?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A wide-scale Turkish operation is likely to cause new waves of displacement for those in northern Syria, sending thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people fleeing to safer ground \u2014 likely to SDF-controlled areas further south. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ankara hopes that some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it is already hosting would go back if Turkey can secure these areas. The government says some 337,000 people have already returned to the two Turkey-controlled zones west of the Euphrates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19082401847121.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-68993\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19082401847121.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19082401847121.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19082401847121.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19082401847121.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter stands on a rooftop overlooking Baghouz, Syria, after the SDF declared the area free of Islamic State militants after months of fighting on March 23, 2019. (Maya Alleruzzo\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WHAT ABOUT THE FIGHT AGAINST THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An offensive against the Kurdish fighters will likely also undermine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/08\/06\/report-isis-has-been-rebuilding-as-us-troops-withdraw-from-syria\/\" target=\"_blank\">the war against the Islamic State<\/a>, giving the group\u2019s sleeper cells the chance to regroup and resurge. SDF forces have also suggested that in case of a Turkish assault, they would not be able to guarantee that thousands of IS prisoners now in SDF-run detention centers would remain under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Karam reported from Beirut. Lolita C. Baldor contributed from Tokyo.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Turkey\u2019s combative president is threatening to launch a military operation in northeastern Syria that is designed to push back U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish forces \u2014 an invasion that carries major risks for a highly combustible region in war-devastated 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