Is Erdogan planning a wider military operation in Syria?
Turkish fighter jets carried out dozens of airstrikes in northern Syria and Iraq on Sunday, in what Turkish officials said was a retaliation for a bombing in Istanbul last week. Ankara has blamed the PKK and the YPG in Syria for the bombing, despite both denying any involvement, and, as many have pointed out, there are still a number of questions around the attack that have yet to be answered. As the dust settles following Turkey’s airstrikes, Erdogan is now suggesting the offensive could be widened into a ground operation. Expert Alan Makovsky joins Thanos Davelis to discuss whether these airstrikes are the precursor to another Turkish incursion into Syria, look at how this fits in with Erdogan’s political calculations ahead of elections next year, and examine what such a move by Turkey would mean for its relations with the US.
You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:
Erdogan says Turkey's strikes in Syria, Iraq may lead to ground offensive
Syrian Kurdish commander says Kobani likely target of threatened Turkish ground offensive
The Istanbul Terror Attack Is More Than It Seems