Headlines
- Guardian’s today Timeline
- Syrian troops enter towns in northeast as Erdogan warns of wider offensive
- Trump to impose sanctions on Turkey on Turkey
- NATO’s Stoltenberg defends stance on Turkey’s offensive in Syria
- EU condemns Turkey over Syria, but no formal arms ban
Reports
- The Kurds’ commander in chief explains why his forces are finally ready to partner with Assad and Putin.
Good Read
- Domestic politics, Idlib sway timing of Turkey’s Syrian operation. KadriGursel
- After Syria incursion, White House mulls sanctions on Erdogan. Amberin Zaman
- Northeastern Syrians await their fate. Elizabeth Tsurkov
- Turkish-backed forces are freeing Islamic State prisoners. Lara Seligman
From Twitter
Statement from President Donald J. Trump Regarding Turkey’s Actions in Northeast Syria pic.twitter.com/ZCQC7nzmME
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2019
This destabilizing operation by Turkey continues, and has now created a growing and disastrous humanitarian crisis. We remain committed to a political solution to the conflict in Syria in line with UNSCR 2254. Turkey’s unilateral actions led to these sanctions. pic.twitter.com/5qWvjyLPYD
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 14, 2019
.@VP says @realDonaldTrump spoke with G Mazlum Kobani & after talked to Erdogan & got "did receive a commitment from Turkish President Erdogan to NOT attack the city of Kobani. Gen Mazlum had raised the issue of Kobani as a paramount importance to the #Kurdish population" pic.twitter.com/fRz4QFDo9X
— Wladimir (@vvanwilgenburg) October 14, 2019
If Erdogan has promised not to attack the Kobani, that is major. First step toward a ceasefire. Kobani is a strategic border town in northeast Syria – under control of YPG/SDF since 2012
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) October 14, 2019
Interesting about Trump statement:
• Sanctions not imposed yet; second warning to Turkey after Mnuchin’s
• Largely economic and trade related
• Focus on hurting ISIS fight
• US staying in Tanf Base: perceived as counter to Iran— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) October 14, 2019
NEW: Trump’s #Syria Withdrawal
• NOT Consulted with Allies
• EU diplomat “learned from TV”
• State Department Marginalized
• US Troops looking for safe exits
• Tanf presence unclear
• US Sanctions expected on #Turkey https://t.co/XVifARTuG2— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) October 14, 2019
#BREAKING Pence says he will soon head to Turkey to discuss Syria pic.twitter.com/DxwH2PIzRC
— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 14, 2019
Kurdish source: opening all the SDF checkpoints for the passage of the Syrian Arab Army in preparation for confronting the Turkish aggression with Russian support.
— INTELSky (@Intel_Sky) October 14, 2019
Wow.
Pres Trump spoke with Gen Mazlum, commander of SDF, who is also most wanted by Turkey as the leader of PKK. https://t.co/GVsVG263ZP— ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) October 14, 2019
That’s a pretty good Tweet. https://t.co/xnXDW0D2De
— Steven A. Cook (@stevenacook) October 14, 2019
If there is a real economic embargo. It would definitely make Turkey weaker https://t.co/tmxs6JItEh
— Wladimir (@vvanwilgenburg) October 14, 2019
#Turkey provided no evidence for its claim that "Kurdish forces emptied an #ISIS prison in N. #Syria." The Kurds may simply have moved the prisoners further S. & out of Turkish hands. Turkey is using Islamist fighters today & facilitated ISIS in Syria. https://t.co/Qt2wLV71kx
— Bill Neely (@BillNeelyNBC) October 14, 2019
Scoop! This is BIG
Turkish reporter on Turkish TV:"Our gov backed forces fighting the Kurds are ISIS,Al-Qaeda and mercenaries. They take money from Qatar… .Turkey can't deny this.These forces are committing war crimes,&our state would be held to account."Anchor:"So what?" pic.twitter.com/YCkHoHG3oi
— Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) October 14, 2019
Guess who else is supporting Turkey in its invasion to genocide the Kurds?
After ISIS, Al-Qaeda and mercenaries, now Hamas, another terror group.
What an alliance.https://t.co/0Fpl7XHb2c— Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) October 14, 2019
#BREAKING: Finally after hours, almost 1,500 #Syria Arab Army troops arrived at the city center of #Manbij. Previously today, the #Syria Arab Army had deployed almost 20 T-55AVs & T-72B3 armoured tanks as well as BMP-1 armoured carriers to #Manbij to confront #Turkish Army. pic.twitter.com/91W0MnILjz
— Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) October 14, 2019
So the US is trying to intervene to prevent the YPG from hooking up with Syrian regime forces after leaving them hanging? US policy is deeply confused.
— Steven A. Cook (@stevenacook) October 14, 2019
U.S. officials tell @FoxNews Turkish artillery units are “intentionally” shelling Kurdish-run prisons in Syria allowing ISIS fighters to escape. Any indication Kurdish forces have released them is Turkish propaganda.
— Benjamin Hall (@BenjaminHallFNC) October 14, 2019
After taking control of Tabqa, Tabqa Airbase and Mansoura, SAA enter dozens of villages in Raqqa countryside and reportedly reach Ayn Issa. SAA from Hasakah extended control over Tell Tamer south-east of Ras al-Ayn. As part of deal reached with SDF/SDC following US withdrawal
— Hassan Ridha (@sayed_ridha) October 14, 2019
A land grab is under way in northern #Syria, as Turkish-backed militias aim to drive out the Kurds, who are seeking help from Assad. @RichardEngel for @MSNBC pic.twitter.com/NYjtTZGSrq
— On Assignment with Richard Engel (@OARichardEngel) October 14, 2019
This Trump tweet consists of five sentences. Each is false and irresponsible.
1. The Kurds aren't releasing ISIS fighters to get us involved.
2. ISIS fighters won't be easily recaptured.
3. Sanctions won't be big.
4. War with Turkey wasn't the alternative.
5. The wars won't end. https://t.co/PzM3ca7KIk— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) October 14, 2019
The U.S. evacuated the small number of American diplomats assigned to northeastern Syria as the Trump administration prepares to withdraw military forces from the country, @DionNissenbaum reports https://t.co/meQ9m0NLCv
— Robbie Gramer (@RobbieGramer) October 14, 2019
My journalist friends currently in Syria are heading to the border to cross back into Iraq. Word is that Assad’s forces will be taking control of the border today and foreign journalists are no longer safe. Is this the end of the Kurdish experiment in self governance?
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) October 14, 2019
A funeral has been held for Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf, 35, who was “taken out of her car during a Turkish-backed attack and executed" pic.twitter.com/NYoz9R4geQ
— The National (@TheNationalUAE) October 14, 2019
Trump's handling of this withdrawal has been mind-boggling in its irresponsibility. Hard to imagine that his Syria team could not have impressed on him Turkey's history of collaboration with Nusra and even ISIS members in its efforts to destroy Kobani and roll back Kurdish forces https://t.co/G7YMrt8ttC
— Joshua Landis (@joshua_landis) October 14, 2019
Turkey has not been able to finish off PKK within Turkish territories since 1980s.
Now Turkey ventures into another country to finish off PKK off-shoot there.
Those experts who are telling you 'Erdogan is right at this time intervening' know this fact very well too. #Openended— ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) October 13, 2019
Did Ankara really try to talk with PYD/YPG?
Did Ankara try diplomacy to try to get peaceful settlement w/Syrian Kurds?
No.
Would you support going to war without negotiating first and negotiating hard?
Apparently some well known regional experts do. Shame.— ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) October 13, 2019
#Turkey-backed Syrian Interim govt leader Abdul Rahman Mustafa predicts the offensive will be expanded and says their fight will continue until every inch of #Syrian territory gets cleared from murderer #Assad regime elements and 'terror' groups. pic.twitter.com/4FDxjV2Pmu
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 13, 2019
As expected, #IlhanOmar is siding by her beloved Sultan Erdogan, but still bashes Trump too. #Epic
No tweet for a fellow Muslim politician #HevrinKhalaf Ilhan? Or her brutal murder is ok by you? https://t.co/TvuOeLVVok— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) October 14, 2019
As expected, #IlhanOmar is siding by her beloved Sultan Erdogan, but still bashes Trump too. #Epic
No tweet for a fellow Muslim politician #HevrinKhalaf Ilhan? Or her brutal murder is ok by you? https://t.co/TvuOeLVVok— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) October 14, 2019
By turning his war into a “holy war”, and aligning with the world’s worst thugs, #Erdogan has singlehandedly reduced #Turkey, a @NATO ally, to be worse than Assad.
Take a moment to absorb that!#KurdsBetrayed
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) October 13, 2019
A follower of mine has made me aware of the fact that there exists a Turkish online platform which cooperates with Turkish police. They make a database of critical voices online, mass report them to shut them down & arrest them if they are in Turkey.@Twitter#TwitterKurds
1/2 pic.twitter.com/nkhY7Xwzlx— Heidar (@TheorePhysics) October 13, 2019
Extremely hot take: Maybe #Turkey failed to shape narrative in #Syria because #Erdogan publicly announced at #UNGA that he intends to carry out an #EthnicCleansingOperation in Syria?
In Turkey, ethnic cleansing of #Kurds may sound fine and normal, but else it is #barbaric. https://t.co/kPJTI5sl5g
— Konstantin Krammer (@KonstantinKlug) October 14, 2019
1/ This photograph to remember: cemetery in #Kobane, #Syria, for the #SDF fighters who died fighting against ISIS. I'll post the link to the story in a tweet below, but the NYT link uses a different photo. This is the image we should remember. pic.twitter.com/LsP2LZyRow
— Tom Warrick (@TomWarrickAC) October 13, 2019
Russia no fly zone in Syria👇🏻
Remember when US officials went on & on about how complex & expensive a Syria no fly zone would be?
Russia’s “can do” attitude & it’s unwavering stand with allies carries the day. Putin picking up the pieces of US failures in Mid East. https://t.co/Rxf5C2ODCA
— Firas Maksad (@FirasMaksad) October 14, 2019
TV reporter Mohammed Hussein Rasho from Afrin was killed in a Turkish airstrike on Serekaniye . Mohammed worked for Cira TV; an Ezidi channel. RIP. https://t.co/V54fVCUQmc
— Rasha Al Aqeedi (@RashaAlAqeedi) October 14, 2019
Bashar Assad's biggest supporter and enabler turned out to be Erdogan.
— Rasha Al Aqeedi (@RashaAlAqeedi) October 14, 2019
Spare me the nonsense on sanctions.
People are being slaughtered RIGHT NOW.
Bombs are dropping on children RIGHT NOW.
Instead of drafting sanctions bills, Republicans should use their massive leverage over the President to get him to change course. RIGHT NOW.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) October 14, 2019
O̶p̶e̶r̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶P̶e̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶S̶p̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ : Operation Unleash Isis
— Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) October 11, 2019