Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to an area of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/military-police-have-arrived-in-syria-to-help-kurdish-forces-withdraw-russia-258163">Syria</a> near the border where it aims to set up a "safe zone" even though the conflict there has not ended, Amnesty International said in a report published on Friday.

Human Rights Watch said in a separate report Friday that authorities had arbitrarily detained and deported dozens of Syrians to northern Syria between January and September.

Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million refugees who fled Syria's eight-year-long civil war. But, with Turkish public sentiment towards them souring, Ankara hopes to resettle up to two million in the planned safe zone in northeast Syria.

Ankara says more than 350,000 Syrian refugees have already voluntarily returned to their country.

In its report, Amnesty said refugees it had spoken to complained of being threatened or physically forced by Turkish police to sign documents stating that they were voluntarily returning to Syria.

"In reality, Turkey put the lives of Syrian refugees under serious danger by forcing them to return to a war zone," the British-based human rights group said.

Amnesty said it believed the number of forced returns in recent months to be in the hundreds, based on interviews it conducted between July and October but said it was able to confirm 20 cases.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-kurds-accuse-turkey-of-violations-russia-says-peace-plan-on-track-258059">Syrians who are deported</a> are generally told they are not registered or live outside the Turkish province in which they are registered, the report said, adding that people were also deported from provinces in which they had been registered.

Anna Shea, Amnesty's Researcher on Refugee and Migrant Rights, said Turkey deserved recognition for hosting so many Syrians over many years, "but it cannot use this generosity as an excuse to flout international and domestic law by deporting people to an active conflict zone." 
&nbsp;

Watch: Turkey-Kurds conflict: Kurdish commander supports German plan

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'False and imaginary'

&nbsp;

The Turkish foreign ministry said later on Friday that Turkey was fulfilling all of its responsibilities towards the refugees in accordance with international laws.

"The claims in the report about Syrians being forcibly sent back, threatened and mistreated are false and imaginary," said Hami Aksoy, the foreign ministry's spokesman.

"Our country is reiterating at every opportunity that the return of migrants needs to be done voluntarily and safely, and that this process must be carried out in line with international laws," Aksoy said in a statement.

A plan agreed between Turkey and Russia this week envisages Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters being removed from a 30 km&nbsp;strip of territory along the Turkish border and refugees being allowed to return there "in a safe and voluntary manner".

Addressing world leaders at the United Nations in September, President Tayyip Erdogan set out ambitious proposals to build dozens of new villages and towns in the planned safe zone.

Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak said on Friday that life would "normalise" in the Syrian border towns of Tel Abyad and Ras Al Ain now that Turkey has taken control of the area.

It said Turkey would reconstruct the two towns ravaged by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sleeper-cells-abandoned-us-bases-russian-military-police-in-syrias-manbij-258076">years of war</a>, establish security forces and a judiciary there and work to bring economic stability to the region.

Aksoy said the international community needed to be more active in facilitating the safe return of refugees to the zone.

Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to an area of Syria near the border where it aims to set up a "safe zone" even though the conflict there has not ended, Amnesty International said in a report published on Friday.

Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to an area of Syria near the border where it aims to set up a "safe zone" even though the conflict there has not ended, Amnesty International said in a report published on Friday. Human Rights Watch said in a separate report Friday that authorities had arbitrarily detained and deported dozens of Syrians to northern Syria between January and September. Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million refugees who fled Syria's eight-year-long civil war. But, with Turkish public sentiment towards them souring, Ankara hopes to resettle up to two million in the planned safe zone in northeast Syria. Ankara says more than 350,000 Syrian refugees have already voluntarily returned to their country. In its report, Amnesty said refugees it had spoken to complained of being threatened or physically forced by Turkish police to sign documents stating that they were voluntarily returning to Syria. "In reality, Turkey put the lives of Syrian refugees under serious danger by forcing them to return to a war zone," the British-based human rights group said. Amnesty said it believed the number of forced returns in recent months to be in the hundreds, based on interviews it conducted between July and October but said it was able to confirm 20 cases. Syrians who are deported are generally told they are not registered or live outside the Turkish province in which they are registered, the report said, adding that people were also deported from provinces in which they had been registered. Anna Shea, Amnesty's Researcher on Refugee and Migrant Rights, said Turkey deserved recognition for hosting so many Syrians over many years, "but it cannot use this generosity as an excuse to flout international and domestic law by deporting people to an active conflict zone." Watch: Turkey-Kurds conflict: Kurdish commander supports German plan 'False and imaginary' The Turkish foreign ministry said later on Friday that Turkey was fulfilling all of its responsibilities towards the refugees in accordance with international laws. "The claims in the report about Syrians being forcibly sent back, threatened and mistreated are false and imaginary," said Hami Aksoy, the foreign ministry's spokesman. "Our country is reiterating at every opportunity that the return of migrants needs to be done voluntarily and safely, and that this process must be carried out in line with international laws," Aksoy said in a statement. A plan agreed between Turkey and Russia this week envisages Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters being removed from a 30 km strip of territory along the Turkish border and refugees being allowed to return there "in a safe and voluntary manner". Addressing world leaders at the United Nations in September, President Tayyip Erdogan set out ambitious proposals to build dozens of new villages and towns in the planned safe zone. Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak said on Friday that life would "normalise" in the Syrian border towns of Tel Abyad and Ras Al Ain now that Turkey has taken control of the area. It said Turkey would reconstruct the two towns ravaged by years of war, establish security forces and a judiciary there and work to bring economic stability to the region. Aksoy said the international community needed to be more active in facilitating the safe return of refugees to the zone.

Amnesty International says Turkey deporting Syrians to planned 'safe zone' region

For what is now nearly two weeks, Syrian military and Kurdish fighters have been jointly controlling Manbij, the northern city near the border with Turkey that used to host three US military bases before the hasty American troop withdrawal.

Despite permission to enter the city, our vehicle’s driver is told to stop on a roadside and wait.

Strategic city

The Syrian troops crossed into Manbij earlier in October in accordance with the agreements between Damascus and the Kurdish administration. The decision was made very timely – after Ankara launched its offensive against Kurdish militia in northern Syria and pro-Turkish militant groups moved close to the suburbs of Manbij from the north and northwest. Local civilians were all set to flee in the fear of the looming assault.

The picture, however, changed overnight after Syrian heavy military equipment was deployed to the area and national flags were flown at the frontline.

Manbij is a strategic city. Before the war hit the country in 2011, the authorities mulled the possibility of creating a new province "Reef Aleppo," with the administrative centre in Manbij.

Its population today, according to various estimates, is from 600,000 to 800,000 people, coupled with the inhabitants of nearby villages.

The checkpoint at the city’s entrance is located on the M4 highway. Turkey aims to clear the 30-kilometre (18-mile) zone up to the M4 highway, which runs from Aleppo toward the Iraqi border.

Small columns of the Syrian military pass by from time to time.

"They are going to the north, toward Kobane, to strengthen their positions on the border. The army is deploying armoured vehicles and artillery. For the first time since the [2011] events hit this part of the country, the population again sees regular troops back," a Syrian reporter told a Sputnik correspondent.

‘Patchwork' Kurdish movement

Manbij clearly illustrates how Kurdish militias are fragmented, both here and in the entire northeast of Syria. The core is represented by the Self-Defense Forces. The Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces and guerrilla groups of the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) are also present here.

"There is no central authority uniting all the formations. They coordinate among themselves. But each militia has their own bosses," a Kurdish guide, Abdi, explained.

The rest of the Manbij population is also rather heterogeneous. A small group of residents is considered a vanguard of sleeper cells of radical groups, including the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia).

"They represent a small part of the population. But they're dangerous," Abdi pointed out.

The first impression upon arriving in Manbij is that it is an absolutely peaceful city with rather well-functioning municipal services. Its streets are cleaner than in some areas of Aleppo. Many shops are open, with "cafe" signboards also seen across the city.

Residents stare at an unknown column of vehicles, with some of them waving their hands and the others just warily peering into vehicles’ windows.

Manbij is a largely Arab city. Kurds are a minority here; their number has, however, increased with the arrival of refugees from the area of the Turkish military operation. A third of the population supports the Kurdish self-rule and feels rather comfortable.

"The thing is that these are the people who are afraid that they will be enlisted in the army, who once broke the law and fled here from the authorities or for other reasons. It is noteworthy that for years people were told that the authorities would come and start arresting and robbing everyone. The military came, so did patrols of the Russian military police, and people are now breathing a sigh of relief because they have realized that with the arrival of the authorities and army, it is getting only better," Abdi noted.

US presence

The United States used to have three military bases in Manbij, retaining military presence here for a few years. Two bases were stationed on the M4 highway, while another one was in the settlement of Dadat, located to the west of the city.

"With their presence, people felt neither good nor bad. They were arrogant. They didn't communicate with anyone and didn't help in any way. Last year, when they were still here, terrorist sleeper cells felt calmer. Their [US] soldiers were blown up by a suicide attacker in a restaurant last year when contrary to our [Kurdish] recommendations, they decided to eat out in the city," Abdi said, pointing to the street where the building is located.

Leaving Manbij toward the Euphrates, one can see a neat military cemetery, where soldiers who had been killed while liberating the city from IS terrorists, were buried.

"It's like a reminder to the Kurds about the price they have had to pay for freedom," Abdi explained.

Russia's security guarantees

At the talks in Sochi, presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan struck a memorandum on the northeast of Syria. Now, the Russian military police are patrolling Manbij, Kobane and the border area.

"You should have seen how people reacted to the appearance of a Russian military police column in Manbij. Still, the majority respects and welcomes the Russians and the Syrian army. People gathered in a large crowd, waving hands and shouting slogans in support of the army and the Russians. That is very telling. They sent each other videos from their phones to prove that what has happened was not a fiction," the Kurdish guide said.

The same picture was in place when the Russian military police entered Kobane.

Shelling from the Turkish side did not resume on Wednesday. The people who fled to Manbij have started returning to their villages.

In the coming days, the number of patrols and the presence of Syrian border guards will increase in the area. Perhaps, a few years later, the Syrian authorities will return to the idea of creating a new province with the centre in Manbij.

For what is now nearly two weeks, Syrian military and Kurdish fighters have been jointly controlling Manbij, the northern city near the border with Turkey that used to host three US military bases before the hasty American troop withdrawal.

For what is now nearly two weeks, Syrian military and Kurdish fighters have been jointly controlling Manbij, the northern city near the border with Turkey that used to host three US military bases before the hasty American troop withdrawal. Despite permission to enter the city, our vehicle’s driver is told to stop on a roadside and wait. Strategic city The Syrian troops crossed into Manbij earlier in October in accordance with the agreements between Damascus and the Kurdish administration. The decision was made very timely – after Ankara launched its offensive against Kurdish militia in northern Syria and pro-Turkish militant groups moved close to the suburbs of Manbij from the north and northwest. Local civilians were all set to flee in the fear of the looming assault. The picture, however, changed overnight after Syrian heavy military equipment was deployed to the area and national flags were flown at the frontline. Manbij is a strategic city. Before the war hit the country in 2011, the authorities mulled the possibility of creating a new province "Reef Aleppo," with the administrative centre in Manbij. Its population today, according to various estimates, is from 600,000 to 800,000 people, coupled with the inhabitants of nearby villages. The checkpoint at the city’s entrance is located on the M4 highway. Turkey aims to clear the 30-kilometre (18-mile) zone up to the M4 highway, which runs from Aleppo toward the Iraqi border. Small columns of the Syrian military pass by from time to time. "They are going to the north, toward Kobane, to strengthen their positions on the border. The army is deploying armoured vehicles and artillery. For the first time since the [2011] events hit this part of the country, the population again sees regular troops back," a Syrian reporter told a Sputnik correspondent. ‘Patchwork' Kurdish movement Manbij clearly illustrates how Kurdish militias are fragmented, both here and in the entire northeast of Syria. The core is represented by the Self-Defense Forces. The Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces and guerrilla groups of the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) are also present here. "There is no central authority uniting all the formations. They coordinate among themselves. But each militia has their own bosses," a Kurdish guide, Abdi, explained. The rest of the Manbij population is also rather heterogeneous. A small group of residents is considered a vanguard of sleeper cells of radical groups, including the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia). "They represent a small part of the population. But they're dangerous," Abdi pointed out. The first impression upon arriving in Manbij is that it is an absolutely peaceful city with rather well-functioning municipal services. Its streets are cleaner than in some areas of Aleppo. Many shops are open, with "cafe" signboards also seen across the city. Residents stare at an unknown column of vehicles, with some of them waving their hands and the others just warily peering into vehicles’ windows. Manbij is a largely Arab city. Kurds are a minority here; their number has, however, increased with the arrival of refugees from the area of the Turkish military operation. A third of the population supports the Kurdish self-rule and feels rather comfortable. "The thing is that these are the people who are afraid that they will be enlisted in the army, who once broke the law and fled here from the authorities or for other reasons. It is noteworthy that for years people were told that the authorities would come and start arresting and robbing everyone. The military came, so did patrols of the Russian military police, and people are now breathing a sigh of relief because they have realized that with the arrival of the authorities and army, it is getting only better," Abdi noted. US presence The United States used to have three military bases in Manbij, retaining military presence here for a few years. Two bases were stationed on the M4 highway, while another one was in the settlement of Dadat, located to the west of the city. "With their presence, people felt neither good nor bad. They were arrogant. They didn't communicate with anyone and didn't help in any way. Last year, when they were still here, terrorist sleeper cells felt calmer. Their [US] soldiers were blown up by a suicide attacker in a restaurant last year when contrary to our [Kurdish] recommendations, they decided to eat out in the city," Abdi said, pointing to the street where the building is located. Leaving Manbij toward the Euphrates, one can see a neat military cemetery, where soldiers who had been killed while liberating the city from IS terrorists, were buried. "It's like a reminder to the Kurds about the price they have had to pay for freedom," Abdi explained. Russia's security guarantees At the talks in Sochi, presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan struck a memorandum on the northeast of Syria. Now, the Russian military police are patrolling Manbij, Kobane and the border area. "You should have seen how people reacted to the appearance of a Russian military police column in Manbij. Still, the majority respects and welcomes the Russians and the Syrian army. People gathered in a large crowd, waving hands and shouting slogans in support of the army and the Russians. That is very telling. They sent each other videos from their phones to prove that what has happened was not a fiction," the Kurdish guide said. The same picture was in place when the Russian military police entered Kobane. Shelling from the Turkish side did not resume on Wednesday. The people who fled to Manbij have started returning to their villages. In the coming days, the number of patrols and the presence of Syrian border guards will increase in the area. Perhaps, a few years later, the Syrian authorities will return to the idea of creating a new province with the centre in Manbij.

Sleeper cells, abandoned US bases, Russian military police in Syria's Manbij

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kurds-welcome-german-plan-for-international-force-in-syria-258015">The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces</a> (SDF) accused <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-warns-syria-offensive-will-resume-unless-kurds-complete-pull-out-257497">Turkey</a> on Thursday of launching a large land offensive targeting three villages in northeast Syria despite a truce, but Russia said a peace plan hammered out this week was going ahead smoothly.

Under the plan, agreed by Presidents <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-heading-in-wrong-direction-with-syria-incursion-us-defence-secretary-mark-esper-257941">Tayyip Erdogan</a> and Vladimir Putin, Syrian Kurdish forces are to withdraw more than 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, a goal Russia's RIA news agency, quoting an SDF official, said was already achieved.

Russia said it was sending more military police and heavy equipment to help implement the deal, which has already prompted US&nbsp;President Donald Trump to lift sanctions against Turkey and drawn lavish praise for Erdogan in the Turkish media.

Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia, the main component in the SDF, as terrorists linked to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. It launched a cross-border offensive against them on October 9 after Trump ordered US&nbsp;forces out of northeast Syria.

The deal agreed with Putin, which builds on and widens a previous US-brokered ceasefire, helped end the fighting.

But the SDF said in its statement on Thursday that Turkish forces had attacked three villages "outside the area of the ceasefire process," forcing thousands of civilians to flee.

"Despite our forces' commitment to the ceasefire decision and the withdrawal of our forces from the entire ceasefire area, the Turkish state and the terrorist factions allied to it are still violating the ceasefire process," it said.

"Our forces are still clashing," it said, urging the United States to intervene to halt the renewed fighting.

Turkey's Defence Ministry did not comment directly on the SDF report but said five of its military personnel had been wounded in an attack by the YPG militia around the border town of Ras al Ain, near where the three villages are located.

Turkey previously said it reserved the right to self-defence against any militants who remain in the area despite the truce, a pledge repeated by Erdogan on Thursday.

A US&nbsp;defence official said on Thursday that Washington was committed to reinforcing its military position in Syria "with additional military assets" - one of the clearest signs yet that it had not just ended plans for a full withdrawal from Syria but may add capabilities to strengthen American forces remaining in the country.

The UN&nbsp;special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told Reuters the ceasefire seemed to be holding "by and large" as major powers gather in Geneva ahead of the first meeting of Syria's Constitutional Committee next week.

Erdogan also said Turkey had agreed with Russia to maintain an "observation post" on the northwestern part of Syria's Manbij.

'Everything is being implemented'

Russia, a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad that has emerged as the key geopolitical player in Syria, has begun deploying military police near the Turkish border as part of the deal agreed on Tuesday in the Russian city of Sochi.

"Everything is being implemented," Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying.

RIA, citing an SDF official, said the Kurdish fighters had already withdrawn to 32 km (20 miles) away from the border. It also said the Kurds were ready to discuss joining the Syrian army once the crisis in Syria had been settled politically.

Russia will send a further 276 military police officers and 33 units of military hardware to Syria in a week, RIA news agency cited a Defence Ministry source as saying. It also quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying Russian military police had patrolled along a new 60-km (37-mile) route on the border.

Next Tuesday, under the terms of the Sochi deal, Russian and Turkish forces will start to patrol a 10-km (6-mile) strip of land in northeast Syria where US&nbsp;troops had been deployed for years along with their former Kurdish allies.

The arrival of the Russian police marks a shift in the regional balance of power just two weeks after Trump began pulling out US&nbsp;forces, a move criticised in Washington and elsewhere as a betrayal of the Americans' former Kurdish allies.

Turkey's military operation was also widely condemned by its NATO allies, which said it was causing a fresh humanitarian crisis in Syria's eight-year conflict and could let Islamic State prisoners held by the YPG escape and regroup.

At a monthly UN&nbsp;Security Council meeting on Syria on Thursday, Syria's UN&nbsp;ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, slammed Turkey's military action and "vehemently rejects attempts by the Turkish regime to justify its actions under the pretext of self-defence or countering terrorism."

The Russian deployments have also highlighted growing ties between Russia and NATO member Turkey.

US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaking in Brussels on Thursday ahead of a NATO meeting, said Turkey - which annoyed Washington this year by buying Russian-made S400 missile defence systems - was moving in the wrong direction.

"We see them spinning closer to Russia's orbit than in the Western orbit and I think that is unfortunate," Esper said.

'Super-power of peace'

Despite Trump's lifting of sanctions on Turkey, distrust persists between Ankara and Washington, and a top Erdogan aide on Thursday criticised US&nbsp;politicians for treating SDF commander Mazloum Kobani as a "legitimate political figure."

The aide, Fahrettin Altun, told Reuters that Mazloum was a senior leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkey and which Ankara's Western allies also deem a terrorist group.

Republican and Democratic US&nbsp;senators urged the State Department on Wednesday to quickly give Mazloum a US&nbsp;visa so he can visit to discuss the situation.

Erdogan said, however, he had told his justice minister to draw up papers demanding Mazloum's extradition.

The Turkish public has shown strong support for the military operation, encouraged by an overwhelmingly pro-government media.

"The super-power of peace, Turkey," said the main headline in Thursday's edition of the pro-government Sabah newspaper.

The incursion has deepened a sense of alienation, however, among Turkey's Kurds, which is also being fuelled by a crackdown on the country's main pro-Kurdish party.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) accused Turkey on Thursday of launching a large land offensive targeting three villages in northeast Syria despite a truce, but Russia said a peace plan hammered out this week was going ahead smoothly.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) accused Turkey on Thursday of launching a large land offensive targeting three villages in northeast Syria despite a truce, but Russia said a peace plan hammered out this week was going ahead smoothly. Under the plan, agreed by Presidents Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, Syrian Kurdish forces are to withdraw more than 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, a goal Russia's RIA news agency, quoting an SDF official, said was already achieved. Russia said it was sending more military police and heavy equipment to help implement the deal, which has already prompted US President Donald Trump to lift sanctions against Turkey and drawn lavish praise for Erdogan in the Turkish media. Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia, the main component in the SDF, as terrorists linked to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. It launched a cross-border offensive against them on October 9 after Trump ordered US forces out of northeast Syria. The deal agreed with Putin, which builds on and widens a previous US-brokered ceasefire, helped end the fighting. But the SDF said in its statement on Thursday that Turkish forces had attacked three villages "outside the area of the ceasefire process," forcing thousands of civilians to flee. "Despite our forces' commitment to the ceasefire decision and the withdrawal of our forces from the entire ceasefire area, the Turkish state and the terrorist factions allied to it are still violating the ceasefire process," it said. "Our forces are still clashing," it said, urging the United States to intervene to halt the renewed fighting. Turkey's Defence Ministry did not comment directly on the SDF report but said five of its military personnel had been wounded in an attack by the YPG militia around the border town of Ras al Ain, near where the three villages are located. Turkey previously said it reserved the right to self-defence against any militants who remain in the area despite the truce, a pledge repeated by Erdogan on Thursday. A US defence official said on Thursday that Washington was committed to reinforcing its military position in Syria "with additional military assets" - one of the clearest signs yet that it had not just ended plans for a full withdrawal from Syria but may add capabilities to strengthen American forces remaining in the country. The UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told Reuters the ceasefire seemed to be holding "by and large" as major powers gather in Geneva ahead of the first meeting of Syria's Constitutional Committee next week. Erdogan also said Turkey had agreed with Russia to maintain an "observation post" on the northwestern part of Syria's Manbij. 'Everything is being implemented' Russia, a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad that has emerged as the key geopolitical player in Syria, has begun deploying military police near the Turkish border as part of the deal agreed on Tuesday in the Russian city of Sochi. "Everything is being implemented," Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying. RIA, citing an SDF official, said the Kurdish fighters had already withdrawn to 32 km (20 miles) away from the border. It also said the Kurds were ready to discuss joining the Syrian army once the crisis in Syria had been settled politically. Russia will send a further 276 military police officers and 33 units of military hardware to Syria in a week, RIA news agency cited a Defence Ministry source as saying. It also quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying Russian military police had patrolled along a new 60-km (37-mile) route on the border. Next Tuesday, under the terms of the Sochi deal, Russian and Turkish forces will start to patrol a 10-km (6-mile) strip of land in northeast Syria where US troops had been deployed for years along with their former Kurdish allies. The arrival of the Russian police marks a shift in the regional balance of power just two weeks after Trump began pulling out US forces, a move criticised in Washington and elsewhere as a betrayal of the Americans' former Kurdish allies. Turkey's military operation was also widely condemned by its NATO allies, which said it was causing a fresh humanitarian crisis in Syria's eight-year conflict and could let Islamic State prisoners held by the YPG escape and regroup. At a monthly UN Security Council meeting on Syria on Thursday, Syria's UN ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, slammed Turkey's military action and "vehemently rejects attempts by the Turkish regime to justify its actions under the pretext of self-defence or countering terrorism." The Russian deployments have also highlighted growing ties between Russia and NATO member Turkey. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaking in Brussels on Thursday ahead of a NATO meeting, said Turkey - which annoyed Washington this year by buying Russian-made S400 missile defence systems - was moving in the wrong direction. "We see them spinning closer to Russia's orbit than in the Western orbit and I think that is unfortunate," Esper said. 'Super-power of peace' Despite Trump's lifting of sanctions on Turkey, distrust persists between Ankara and Washington, and a top Erdogan aide on Thursday criticised US politicians for treating SDF commander Mazloum Kobani as a "legitimate political figure." The aide, Fahrettin Altun, told Reuters that Mazloum was a senior leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkey and which Ankara's Western allies also deem a terrorist group. Republican and Democratic US senators urged the State Department on Wednesday to quickly give Mazloum a US visa so he can visit to discuss the situation. Erdogan said, however, he had told his justice minister to draw up papers demanding Mazloum's extradition. The Turkish public has shown strong support for the military operation, encouraged by an overwhelmingly pro-government media. "The super-power of peace, Turkey," said the main headline in Thursday's edition of the pro-government Sabah newspaper. The incursion has deepened a sense of alienation, however, among Turkey's Kurds, which is also being fuelled by a crackdown on the country's main pro-Kurdish party.

Syrian Kurds accuse Turkey of violations, Russia says peace plan on track

Kurdish commander supports German plan. Turkey & Syria even clashed at the UNSC meeting. Watch this video to know more.

Turkey-Kurds conflict: Kurdish commander supports German plan

Kurdish Women's Protection Unit: YPJ, the fierce all-women force which fought to eliminate Islamic State

The Russian defence ministry said today that around 300 more Russian "military police" have arrived in Syria nearly a week after President Putin and Turkey President Erdogan concluded an agreement to bring hostilities <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kurds-welcome-german-plan-for-international-force-in-syria-258015">to an end in northern Syria</a>.

According to the deal, Russian police and Syrian guards will be removing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sleeper-cells-abandoned-us-bases-russian-military-police-in-syrias-manbij-258076">all Kurdish YPG militia</a> in the 30 km radius of the Turkish border.

The military police, who arrived from the Russian region of Chechnya, will work to ensure the safety of the population and help Kurdish forces withdraw to a line 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border, Russia said in a statement.

More than 20 armoured vehicles were also sent to Syria to help carry out the tasks, the defence ministry said in a statement.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoting the Russian defence ministry said the military police would oversee the withdrawal of Kurdish forces along the Syrian-Turkish border. Northern Syria has seen a fortnight of fighting after Turkish forces crossed into the border area on October 9 after US President Donald Trump decided to pull the remaining US troops out of the region.

Russia is set to send more military police, local news agencies said.

Hosilities were halted after a US-brokered ceasefire but the area continued to be tense due to presence of Turkish forces. Amid the peace moves, The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in a statement said that Turkish forces had attacked three villages "outside the area of the ceasefire process".

"Despite our forces' commitment to the ceasefire decision and the withdrawal of our forces from the entire ceasefire area, the Turkish state and the terrorist factions allied to it are still violating the ceasefire process," the statement said.

Turkey considers the YPG, which is part of the SDF as a terrorist organization. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Russian defence ministry said today that around 300 more Russian "military police" have arrived in Syria nearly a week after President Putin and Turkey President Erdogan concluded an agreement to bring hostilities to an end in northern Syria.

The Russian defence ministry said today that around 300 more Russian "military police" have arrived in Syria nearly a week after President Putin and Turkey President Erdogan concluded an agreement to bring hostilities to an end in northern Syria. According to the deal, Russian police and Syrian guards will be removing all Kurdish YPG militia in the 30 km radius of the Turkish border. The military police, who arrived from the Russian region of Chechnya, will work to ensure the safety of the population and help Kurdish forces withdraw to a line 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border, Russia said in a statement. More than 20 armoured vehicles were also sent to Syria to help carry out the tasks, the defence ministry said in a statement. Russia's Interfax news agency quoting the Russian defence ministry said the military police would oversee the withdrawal of Kurdish forces along the Syrian-Turkish border. Northern Syria has seen a fortnight of fighting after Turkish forces crossed into the border area on October 9 after US President Donald Trump decided to pull the remaining US troops out of the region. Russia is set to send more military police, local news agencies said. Hosilities were halted after a US-brokered ceasefire but the area continued to be tense due to presence of Turkish forces. Amid the peace moves, The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in a statement said that Turkish forces had attacked three villages "outside the area of the ceasefire process". "Despite our forces' commitment to the ceasefire decision and the withdrawal of our forces from the entire ceasefire area, the Turkish state and the terrorist factions allied to it are still violating the ceasefire process," the statement said. Turkey considers the YPG, which is part of the SDF as a terrorist organization.

Military police have arrived in Syria to help Kurdish forces withdraw: Russia

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched legal proceedings against a French magazine which branded Turkey's president "The Eradicator" after he sent <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-pushes-offensive-in-syria-despite-sanctions-and-calls-to-stop-256184">troops into Syria</a> to push back Kurdish forces, media reported Friday.

The complaint was filed against Le Point director Etienne Gernelle and the head of the magazine's international service Romain Gubert, the official Anadolu news agency reported.

On this week's cover, Le Point published a picture of Erdogan giving a military salute with the subtitle "Ethnic cleansing: the Erdogan method", provoking sharp criticism from Turkish government officials.

The cover's headline called Erdogan "The Eradicator" and asked: "Will he be allowed to massacre the Kurds,&nbsp;and threaten Europe?"

In a petition presented to the Ankara prosecutor's office, Erdogan's lawyer Huseyin Aydin said the cover was "publicly insulting" to the president, a crime in Turkey.

"It is a typical example of stupidity from a country whose history is full of dramatic examples of genocide and massacres to attempt to teach something to Mr President... and level baseless accusations," the lawyer said, quoted by Anadolu.

A source in the Ankara public prosecutor's office told AFP that an investigation had been launched after the complaint.

Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin took to Twitter on Thursday, writing in French: "The Kurds are not your agents and will never be. Your days of colonisation are over."

The Turkish army launched a military offensive on October 9 against Kurdish militants in Syria, sparking widespread condemnation from the West -- including France, which saw Kurdish forces as an effective tool in the fight against Islamic State jihadists.

French President Emmanuel Macron this month called for an end to Turkey's offensive which he said risked creating "unbearable humanitarian conditions" while helping IS jihadists "re-emerge in the region".

On Thursday, Erdogan, without referring explicitly to Le Point, lashed out at France for criticising the Turkish military action.

"First look in the mirror, look at yourself at where you are. There is no such thing in our history," he said, referring to France's colonial past.

Last year Le Point said it had suffered harassment and intimidation by Erdogan's supporters after labelling him "The Dictator" on the front cover.

A poster of the cover was targeted at a newspaper kiosk in the town of Valence.

Macron had then rallied behind the magazine calling the harassment "totally unacceptable".

"You cannot put a price on freedom of the press, without it, it's a dictatorship," he tweeted.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched legal proceedings against a French magazine which branded Turkey's president "The Eradicator" after he sent troops into Syria to push back Kurdish forces, media reported Friday.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched legal proceedings against a French magazine which branded Turkey's president "The Eradicator" after he sent troops into Syria to push back Kurdish forces, media reported Friday. The complaint was filed against Le Point director Etienne Gernelle and the head of the magazine's international service Romain Gubert, the official Anadolu news agency reported. On this week's cover, Le Point published a picture of Erdogan giving a military salute with the subtitle "Ethnic cleansing: the Erdogan method", provoking sharp criticism from Turkish government officials. The cover's headline called Erdogan "The Eradicator" and asked: "Will he be allowed to massacre the Kurds, and threaten Europe?" In a petition presented to the Ankara prosecutor's office, Erdogan's lawyer Huseyin Aydin said the cover was "publicly insulting" to the president, a crime in Turkey. "It is a typical example of stupidity from a country whose history is full of dramatic examples of genocide and massacres to attempt to teach something to Mr President... and level baseless accusations," the lawyer said, quoted by Anadolu. A source in the Ankara public prosecutor's office told AFP that an investigation had been launched after the complaint. Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin took to Twitter on Thursday, writing in French: "The Kurds are not your agents and will never be. Your days of colonisation are over." The Turkish army launched a military offensive on October 9 against Kurdish militants in Syria, sparking widespread condemnation from the West -- including France, which saw Kurdish forces as an effective tool in the fight against Islamic State jihadists. French President Emmanuel Macron this month called for an end to Turkey's offensive which he said risked creating "unbearable humanitarian conditions" while helping IS jihadists "re-emerge in the region". On Thursday, Erdogan, without referring explicitly to Le Point, lashed out at France for criticising the Turkish military action. "First look in the mirror, look at yourself at where you are. There is no such thing in our history," he said, referring to France's colonial past. Last year Le Point said it had suffered harassment and intimidation by Erdogan's supporters after labelling him "The Dictator" on the front cover. A poster of the cover was targeted at a newspaper kiosk in the town of Valence. Macron had then rallied behind the magazine calling the harassment "totally unacceptable". "You cannot put a price on freedom of the press, without it, it's a dictatorship," he tweeted.

Turkey's Erdogan sues French magazine over 'eradicator' cover

Turkey on Friday warned Washington that any meeting with the leader of a US-backed Syrian Kurdish-led force risked "legitimising terrorists".

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had talked with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-lifts-turkey-sanctions-quits-blood-stained-syria-257796">Mazlum Abdi</a>, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which fought against extremists in Syria, and that he had "really enjoyed" the conversation.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Trump thanked Mazlum and said: "I look forward to seeing you soon", raising fears in Turkey of a possible face-to-face meeting between the two men in the United States..

"If you start legitimising terrorists like this, tomorrow you will end up meeting with Baghdadi as well," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in televised remarks.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the head of the Islamic State extremist group.

"It is not acceptable for our allies to meet with a terrorist wanted under a red notice," Cavusoglu told reporters in Baku.

"We have informed the US of all of this in a written note," the minister added.

Turkey says there is an Interpol red notice for Abdi, which Turkish NTV broadcaster reported had been issued in 2011.

A group of American senators including Lindsey Graham earlier this week urged the US State Department to expedite a visa for Abdi to enable a visit where he can speak to officials and lawmakers on the situation on the ground in Syria.

Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul earlier on Friday said if Abdi entered the US, "because there is a red bulletin, because there is an arrest warrant..., this person should be caught, arrested and extradited to Turkey."

Gul told reporters in the Turkish border town of Akcakale that Turkish diplomats had contacted their US counterparts to remind them that Abdi was a wanted individual.

Relations between Turkey and the US are particularly tense after Ankara launched a cross-border offensive on October 9 against the Kurdish YPG militia, whose fighters make up the bulk of the SDF.

But there have also been strains over Washington's failure to extradite Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of ordering the 2016 failed coup. which Gulen has denied.

Turkey on Friday warned Washington that any meeting with the leader of a US-backed Syrian Kurdish-led force risked "legitimising terrorists". US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had talked with Mazlum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which fought against extremists in Syria, and that he had "really enjoyed" the conversation.

Turkey on Friday warned Washington that any meeting with the leader of a US-backed Syrian Kurdish-led force risked "legitimising terrorists". US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had talked with Mazlum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which fought against extremists in Syria, and that he had "really enjoyed" the conversation. In a tweet on Wednesday, Trump thanked Mazlum and said: "I look forward to seeing you soon", raising fears in Turkey of a possible face-to-face meeting between the two men in the United States.. "If you start legitimising terrorists like this, tomorrow you will end up meeting with Baghdadi as well," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in televised remarks. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the head of the Islamic State extremist group. "It is not acceptable for our allies to meet with a terrorist wanted under a red notice," Cavusoglu told reporters in Baku. "We have informed the US of all of this in a written note," the minister added. Turkey says there is an Interpol red notice for Abdi, which Turkish NTV broadcaster reported had been issued in 2011. A group of American senators including Lindsey Graham earlier this week urged the US State Department to expedite a visa for Abdi to enable a visit where he can speak to officials and lawmakers on the situation on the ground in Syria. Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul earlier on Friday said if Abdi entered the US, "because there is a red bulletin, because there is an arrest warrant..., this person should be caught, arrested and extradited to Turkey." Gul told reporters in the Turkish border town of Akcakale that Turkish diplomats had contacted their US counterparts to remind them that Abdi was a wanted individual. Relations between Turkey and the US are particularly tense after Ankara launched a cross-border offensive on October 9 against the Kurdish YPG militia, whose fighters make up the bulk of the SDF. But there have also been strains over Washington's failure to extradite Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of ordering the 2016 failed coup. which Gulen has denied.

Turkey warns US meeting with SDF chief would 'legitimise terrorists'

The top commander of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pentagon-chief-looks-to-focus-on-turkey-syria-at-nato-but-has-few-good-options-257946">Syria's Kurdish force</a> on Thursday welcomed a German proposal for an international force to establish a security zone in the north of the country.

"We demand and agree to this," Mazloum Abdi, head of the Syrian Democratic Forces,&nbsp;the moribund autonomous Kurdish region's de facto army, told reporters.

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has said she would raise the plan with her counterparts at an ongoing NATO meeting in Brussels.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the German proposal would need U.N. approval to be implemented and therefore "needs to be discussed more in detail before any decision can be made".

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-heading-in-wrong-direction-with-syria-incursion-us-defence-secretary-mark-esper-257941">withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria</a> earlier this month was followed by a string of rapid changes on the ground, with a Turkish invasion and Russian and Syrian government forces also rushing to fill the vacuum.

Moscow and Ankara signed a deal requiring all Kurdish forces to pull back from the border to behind a line 30 kilometres inside Syria, meaning they lost control over a huge slice of the Kurdish heartland.

Abdi has thanked Russia for its new role as the guarantor of a buffer between his forces and those of the Kurds' archfoe Ankara but added he had "reservations" because <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-lifts-turkey-sanctions-quits-blood-stained-syria-257796">Kurdish people in that zone</a> would be left unprotected.

The German initiative was embraced by the United States but has so far struggled to gain traction, and few details are yet available.

Abdi said he had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron but admitted that the plan was still embryonic and needed an endorsement from Russia, the dominant foreign broker on the Syrian conflict.

"We have communicated with many European countries, including those who announced the initiative. Two days ago I had a phone call with President Macron and we spoke about this project," Abdi said.

"I think it is under development... It needs American and Russian support," he said.

The top commander of Syria's Kurdish force on Thursday welcomed a German proposal for an international force to establish a security zone in the north of the country.

The top commander of Syria's Kurdish force on Thursday welcomed a German proposal for an international force to establish a security zone in the north of the country. "We demand and agree to this," Mazloum Abdi, head of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the moribund autonomous Kurdish region's de facto army, told reporters. German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has said she would raise the plan with her counterparts at an ongoing NATO meeting in Brussels. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the German proposal would need U.N. approval to be implemented and therefore "needs to be discussed more in detail before any decision can be made". The withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria earlier this month was followed by a string of rapid changes on the ground, with a Turkish invasion and Russian and Syrian government forces also rushing to fill the vacuum. Moscow and Ankara signed a deal requiring all Kurdish forces to pull back from the border to behind a line 30 kilometres inside Syria, meaning they lost control over a huge slice of the Kurdish heartland. Abdi has thanked Russia for its new role as the guarantor of a buffer between his forces and those of the Kurds' archfoe Ankara but added he had "reservations" because Kurdish people in that zone would be left unprotected. The German initiative was embraced by the United States but has so far struggled to gain traction, and few details are yet available. Abdi said he had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron but admitted that the plan was still embryonic and needed an endorsement from Russia, the dominant foreign broker on the Syrian conflict. "We have communicated with many European countries, including those who announced the initiative. Two days ago I had a phone call with President Macron and we spoke about this project," Abdi said. "I think it is under development... It needs American and Russian support," he said.

Kurds welcome German plan for international force in Syria

The US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will be lifting sanctions on Turkey.

Donald Trump lifts sanctions on Turkey

India has come out strongly against Malaysia and Turkey for raking up Kashmir and said traders are can't be "impervious" to ties between any two countries.

India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar met with his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah in Baku, Azerbaijan on the sidelines of Non-AlignedMovement (NAM) and along with a host of issues, raised the issue of extradition of Zakir Naik, the Islamic preacher who has taken permanent residency in the east Asian country.

Noting the comments made by the Malaysian PM, MEA said, "his statements are unacceptable and are not keeping with the facts and we hope Malaysia will do serious introspection on the position it has taken."

Asked about the impact on trade between the two countries, the MEA spokesperson said while "decision to import any commodity or otherwise, is the prerogative of the importing company" but at the "same time they are not impervious to the state of affairs between any two countries."

Reports have suggested India is cutting down its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/malaysia-offers-to-buy-more-imports-from-india-after-threat-of-palm-oil-curbs-256078">import of palm oil from Malaysia </a>due to the recent statements being made by Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad on Kashmir. In the last financial year, trade between the two countries was $17.24 billion.

On Turkey, he said, "We have said in the past these statements are not factually accurate and we have made our view very clear to them" and do expect the "Turkish government to show better understanding" before they make any further comments.

Earlier this week, India had issued a travel advisory for Indian tourists going to the West Asian country, which can impact the number of Indians going to the country. New Delhi had also slammed Turkey's "unilateral military offensive" in northern Syria and asked the country to "exercise restraint and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria."

India has come out strongly against Malaysia and Turkey for raking up Kashmir and said traders are can't be "impervious" to ties between any two countries. India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar met with his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah in Baku, Azerbaijan on the sidelines of Non-AlignedMovement (NAM) and along with a host of issues, raised the issue of extradition of Zakir Naik, the Islamic preacher who has taken permanent residency in the east Asian country.

India has come out strongly against Malaysia and Turkey for raking up Kashmir and said traders are can't be "impervious" to ties between any two countries. India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar met with his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah in Baku, Azerbaijan on the sidelines of Non-AlignedMovement (NAM) and along with a host of issues, raised the issue of extradition of Zakir Naik, the Islamic preacher who has taken permanent residency in the east Asian country. Noting the comments made by the Malaysian PM, MEA said, "his statements are unacceptable and are not keeping with the facts and we hope Malaysia will do serious introspection on the position it has taken." Asked about the impact on trade between the two countries, the MEA spokesperson said while "decision to import any commodity or otherwise, is the prerogative of the importing company" but at the "same time they are not impervious to the state of affairs between any two countries." Reports have suggested India is cutting down its import of palm oil from Malaysia due to the recent statements being made by Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad on Kashmir. In the last financial year, trade between the two countries was $17.24 billion. On Turkey, he said, "We have said in the past these statements are not factually accurate and we have made our view very clear to them" and do expect the "Turkish government to show better understanding" before they make any further comments. Earlier this week, India had issued a travel advisory for Indian tourists going to the West Asian country, which can impact the number of Indians going to the country. New Delhi had also slammed Turkey's "unilateral military offensive" in northern Syria and asked the country to "exercise restraint and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria."

India slams Turkey, Malaysia again for raking up Kashmir issue

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-heading-in-wrong-direction-with-syria-incursion-us-defence-secretary-mark-esper-257941">United States&nbsp;Defence Secretary Mark Esper</a> is expected to focus on Turkey's recent offensive into northeastern Syria and the future of the fight against Islamic State when he meets with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) partners in Brussels this week, but he has limited options in dealing with either issue.

Earlier this month, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump announced that he&nbsp;would be withdrawing their&nbsp;troops from northeastern Syria, clearing the way for Turkish troops to launch an offensive against Kurdish fighters in the area.

Since then, Trump has said he will keep a small number of troops in parts of northeastern Syria where there is oil. Russian military police started deploying on Syria's border with Turkey on Wednesday under a deal with Ankara to drive Kurdish fighters from the region.

Last week, Esper said he would press NATO allies "to take collective and individual diplomatic and economic measures in response" to Turkey's incursion into northeastern Syria, even as critics have pointed out that Trump's decision enabled the Turkish offensive.

In a speech on Thursday in Brussels before the NATO meeting, Esper is expected to call out Turkey's actions.

According to prepared remarks, Esper will say Turkey's actions jeopardise the progress made in Syria.

Statements by the Pentagon criticising Turkey in the past month have had little impact on Ankara.

Rachel Rizzo, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security think-tank, said Esper has few options to punish NATO member Turkey at NATO.

"As far as NATO-level punishment, I don't see really what is possible," Rizzo said.

She said Trump's initial decision to pull out of northeast Syria was seen in Europe as enabling Turkey to carry out the incursion and the latest sign that they could not rely on the Trump administration.

A number of European countries have suspended weapons sales to Turkey.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday decried NATO's inability to react to what he called Turkey's "crazy" offensive and said it was time Europe stopped acting like a junior ally when it came to the Middle East.

Germany's defence minister has told lawmakers she wants to get the U.N. Security Council to approve a safe zone in northern Syria.

Trump has defended his decision to move most troops out of Syria. He said on Wednesday that the ceasefire in northern Syria is now permanent and lifted sanctions on Turkey as a result. 
 
Future of ISIS fight

The American pullout from northeastern Syria has raised concern that it could allow a resurgence of Islamic State militants.

Esper is expected to meet with counterparts from Germany, France and Britain to discuss how the fight against Islamic State militants can continue and what it would look like, a senior US&nbsp;defence official said.

Many US&nbsp;lawmakers, both Democrats and Trump's fellow Republicans, have expressed dismay over Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria, clearing the way for Turkish troops to battle Kurdish forces who for years helped US&nbsp;troops fight Islamic State militants, taking the brunt of the casualties.

The fate of Islamic State militants in Syrian Kurdish prisons remains up in the air.

A senior Trump administration official said while most ISIS (Islamic State) fighters remained under lock and key, it appeared that a small number had escaped from prisons.

United States Defence Secretary Mark Esper is expected to focus on Turkey's recent offensive into northeastern Syria and the future of the fight against Islamic State when he meets with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) partners in Brussels this week, but he has limited options in dealing with either issue.

United States Defence Secretary Mark Esper is expected to focus on Turkey's recent offensive into northeastern Syria and the future of the fight against Islamic State when he meets with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) partners in Brussels this week, but he has limited options in dealing with either issue. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced that he would be withdrawing their troops from northeastern Syria, clearing the way for Turkish troops to launch an offensive against Kurdish fighters in the area. Since then, Trump has said he will keep a small number of troops in parts of northeastern Syria where there is oil. Russian military police started deploying on Syria's border with Turkey on Wednesday under a deal with Ankara to drive Kurdish fighters from the region. Last week, Esper said he would press NATO allies "to take collective and individual diplomatic and economic measures in response" to Turkey's incursion into northeastern Syria, even as critics have pointed out that Trump's decision enabled the Turkish offensive. In a speech on Thursday in Brussels before the NATO meeting, Esper is expected to call out Turkey's actions. According to prepared remarks, Esper will say Turkey's actions jeopardise the progress made in Syria. Statements by the Pentagon criticising Turkey in the past month have had little impact on Ankara. Rachel Rizzo, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security think-tank, said Esper has few options to punish NATO member Turkey at NATO. "As far as NATO-level punishment, I don't see really what is possible," Rizzo said. She said Trump's initial decision to pull out of northeast Syria was seen in Europe as enabling Turkey to carry out the incursion and the latest sign that they could not rely on the Trump administration. A number of European countries have suspended weapons sales to Turkey. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday decried NATO's inability to react to what he called Turkey's "crazy" offensive and said it was time Europe stopped acting like a junior ally when it came to the Middle East. Germany's defence minister has told lawmakers she wants to get the U.N. Security Council to approve a safe zone in northern Syria. Trump has defended his decision to move most troops out of Syria. He said on Wednesday that the ceasefire in northern Syria is now permanent and lifted sanctions on Turkey as a result. Future of ISIS fight The American pullout from northeastern Syria has raised concern that it could allow a resurgence of Islamic State militants. Esper is expected to meet with counterparts from Germany, France and Britain to discuss how the fight against Islamic State militants can continue and what it would look like, a senior US defence official said. Many US lawmakers, both Democrats and Trump's fellow Republicans, have expressed dismay over Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria, clearing the way for Turkish troops to battle Kurdish forces who for years helped US troops fight Islamic State militants, taking the brunt of the casualties. The fate of Islamic State militants in Syrian Kurdish prisons remains up in the air. A senior Trump administration official said while most ISIS (Islamic State) fighters remained under lock and key, it appeared that a small number had escaped from prisons.

Pentagon chief looks to focus on Turkey, Syria at NATO but has few good options

By Miles A Pomper

As the Syrian crisis pits Turkish troops against former US-allied Kurdish forces, Pentagon officials have been reviewing plans to remove 50 nuclear bombs stored at a US airbase in Turkey.

A congressional directive to the Pentagon to quickly assess alternative homes for the US. “Personnel and assets” currently stationed at Incirlik Air Base is part of a broader bipartisan bill, still being debated, that proposes sanctions against Turkey. President Donald Trump has been forced to issue public reassurances that the weapons are secure.

During the Cold War, the US stationed B-61 nuclear bombs in Turkey, among other NATO countries. Formally, the US-controlled the weapons during peacetime, but the host countries’ forces trained and equipped planes so they could drop the bombs with US support in the case of war. The idea was to deter Soviet ground forces and reassure US allies by making clear that the US would be willing to risk nuclear war to block a Soviet invasion of a country hosting the bombs.

In addition, in the years before the US developed intercontinental ballistic missiles, they presented a way for NATO to demonstrate it could act quickly to respond to a Soviet attack.

The 50 bombs still at Incirlik Air Base, in southern Turkey – and others in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands – are the last nuclear remnants of that Cold War strategy. The US began pulling nuclear bombs out of NATO countries after the Cold War ended, and since 2000 has removed 40 bombs from Turkey.

Two decades ago, the Turkish Air Force stopped equipping its planes to drop B-61s. Now the bombs at Incirlik could only be used if US pilots first flew nuclear-weapon-capable planes there to load them up. The bombs were left in Turkey even after a 2016 coup attempt raised serious concerns about their safety. After that event, the US Defense and Energy departments began planning how to remove them – but didn’t actually bring them back to the US.

How secure are they?

US nuclear weapons are stored in hardened bunkers, protected by electronic systems and heavily armed US troops. The Pentagon has recently reinforced both of those methods of defence.

The bombs themselves also require 12-digit codes to activate them, However, those protections are only strong enough to delay unauthorised use, rather than actually prevent it. If those barriers were overcome, US forces could disable the weapons by destroying electrical components or detonating their chemical high explosive without causing a nuclear release. In the worst case, they could blow up the weapons or the facilities at Incirlik.

Still the US procedures are not designed to prevent skilled attacks or sabotage, especially from an ally. With enough time, Turkey could make use of the nuclear material – if not to detonate in an actual nuclear explosion, then to “release disastrous and deadly radiation.”

What’s wrong with removing them?

Taking the weapons out of Turkey carries some physical risks. The bombs aren’t terribly heavy – roughly 700 pounds each – but moving nuclear material requires significant security. In addition, the Turkish government would have to help – or at least not stand in the way – of landing transport planes or sending cargo convoys by land or sea.

The greater risks are likely to be political. Those concerns have discouraged previous US administrations from removing the bombs, even though Turkey’s defence community isn’t particularly interested in using them.

One US concern is that Turkey could perceive the move as a push away from NATO. That could lead to Turkey seeking closer ties with Russia.

In addition, pulling the nuclear weapons out of Turkey could prompt requests to remove other bombs from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, where they are publicly unpopular.

A new worry just arose, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently mused whether perhaps Turkey should leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and develop its own nuclear arsenal US officials have long feared that pulling the American nuclear bombs out could encourage Ergodan to try to turn that bluster into reality.

Unintentionally, Trump’s efforts to provide reassurance may have made this challenge more difficult. The presence of B-61s in the five countries is an open secret, confirmed by independent observers. But it has nonetheless been NATO policy not to acknowledge the deployments, giving local politicians and the US&nbsp;a shield from parliamentary and public oversight.

By publicly confirming that the weapons were in Turkey, Trump has raised the political stakes should he try to remove them, and made it more difficult for the United States and Turkey to strike a quiet deal to that effect.&nbsp; 
 
(Miles A Pomper is Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-us-has-nuclear-weapons-in-turkey-and-may-try-to-put-the-bombs-away-125477">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Miles A Pomper As the Syrian crisis pits Turkish troops against former US-allied Kurdish forces, Pentagon officials have been reviewing plans to remove 50 nuclear bombs stored at a US airbase in Turkey.

By Miles A Pomper As the Syrian crisis pits Turkish troops against former US-allied Kurdish forces, Pentagon officials have been reviewing plans to remove 50 nuclear bombs stored at a US airbase in Turkey. A congressional directive to the Pentagon to quickly assess alternative homes for the US. “Personnel and assets” currently stationed at Incirlik Air Base is part of a broader bipartisan bill, still being debated, that proposes sanctions against Turkey. President Donald Trump has been forced to issue public reassurances that the weapons are secure. During the Cold War, the US stationed B-61 nuclear bombs in Turkey, among other NATO countries. Formally, the US-controlled the weapons during peacetime, but the host countries’ forces trained and equipped planes so they could drop the bombs with US support in the case of war. The idea was to deter Soviet ground forces and reassure US allies by making clear that the US would be willing to risk nuclear war to block a Soviet invasion of a country hosting the bombs. In addition, in the years before the US developed intercontinental ballistic missiles, they presented a way for NATO to demonstrate it could act quickly to respond to a Soviet attack. The 50 bombs still at Incirlik Air Base, in southern Turkey – and others in Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands – are the last nuclear remnants of that Cold War strategy. The US began pulling nuclear bombs out of NATO countries after the Cold War ended, and since 2000 has removed 40 bombs from Turkey. Two decades ago, the Turkish Air Force stopped equipping its planes to drop B-61s. Now the bombs at Incirlik could only be used if US pilots first flew nuclear-weapon-capable planes there to load them up. The bombs were left in Turkey even after a 2016 coup attempt raised serious concerns about their safety. After that event, the US Defense and Energy departments began planning how to remove them – but didn’t actually bring them back to the US. How secure are they? US nuclear weapons are stored in hardened bunkers, protected by electronic systems and heavily armed US troops. The Pentagon has recently reinforced both of those methods of defence. The bombs themselves also require 12-digit codes to activate them, However, those protections are only strong enough to delay unauthorised use, rather than actually prevent it. If those barriers were overcome, US forces could disable the weapons by destroying electrical components or detonating their chemical high explosive without causing a nuclear release. In the worst case, they could blow up the weapons or the facilities at Incirlik. Still the US procedures are not designed to prevent skilled attacks or sabotage, especially from an ally. With enough time, Turkey could make use of the nuclear material – if not to detonate in an actual nuclear explosion, then to “release disastrous and deadly radiation.” What’s wrong with removing them? Taking the weapons out of Turkey carries some physical risks. The bombs aren’t terribly heavy – roughly 700 pounds each – but moving nuclear material requires significant security. In addition, the Turkish government would have to help – or at least not stand in the way – of landing transport planes or sending cargo convoys by land or sea. The greater risks are likely to be political. Those concerns have discouraged previous US administrations from removing the bombs, even though Turkey’s defence community isn’t particularly interested in using them. One US concern is that Turkey could perceive the move as a push away from NATO. That could lead to Turkey seeking closer ties with Russia. In addition, pulling the nuclear weapons out of Turkey could prompt requests to remove other bombs from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, where they are publicly unpopular. A new worry just arose, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently mused whether perhaps Turkey should leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and develop its own nuclear arsenal US officials have long feared that pulling the American nuclear bombs out could encourage Ergodan to try to turn that bluster into reality. Unintentionally, Trump’s efforts to provide reassurance may have made this challenge more difficult. The presence of B-61s in the five countries is an open secret, confirmed by independent observers. But it has nonetheless been NATO policy not to acknowledge the deployments, giving local politicians and the US a shield from parliamentary and public oversight. By publicly confirming that the weapons were in Turkey, Trump has raised the political stakes should he try to remove them, and made it more difficult for the United States and Turkey to strike a quiet deal to that effect. (Miles A Pomper is Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why US has nuclear weapons in Turkey – and may try to put the bombs away

More than 100 prisoners of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-have-taken-most-dangerous-isis-fighters-in-syria-trump-254848">Islamic State</a> extremist movement have escaped in Syria in the chaos since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/key-developments-in-turkeys-offensive-in-syria-256638">Turkey's incursion</a>, a senior US official said Wednesday.

"We would say the number is now over 100. We do not know where they are," James Jeffrey, the State Department pointman on Syria, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee when asked about the detainees.

Turkey launched a military operation in Syria after President Donald Trump agreed to pull US troops who were allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish-led group that bore the brunt of the fight against the Islamic State group.

Jeffrey said that the Kurdish fighters were still guarding prisoners from the extremist group, despite their warnings that they will need to devote resources to fight Turkey instead.

"Almost all of the prisons that the SDF were guarding are still secured. The SDF still has people there," Jeffrey said.

"We are monitoring that as best we can. We still have people in Syria working with the SDF and one of those priorities is these prisons," he said.

The Kurdish fighters have pulled out of a key border area as part of a US-brokered agreement with Turkey to end the offensive.

Turkey links the Syrian Kurdish fighters to PKK separatists at home, who are considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

 
&nbsp;

More than 100 prisoners of the Islamic State extremist movement have escaped in Syria in the chaos since Turkey's incursion, a senior US official said Wednesday.

More than 100 prisoners of the Islamic State extremist movement have escaped in Syria in the chaos since Turkey's incursion, a senior US official said Wednesday. "We would say the number is now over 100. We do not know where they are," James Jeffrey, the State Department pointman on Syria, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee when asked about the detainees. Turkey launched a military operation in Syria after President Donald Trump agreed to pull US troops who were allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish-led group that bore the brunt of the fight against the Islamic State group. Jeffrey said that the Kurdish fighters were still guarding prisoners from the extremist group, despite their warnings that they will need to devote resources to fight Turkey instead. "Almost all of the prisons that the SDF were guarding are still secured. The SDF still has people there," Jeffrey said. "We are monitoring that as best we can. We still have people in Syria working with the SDF and one of those priorities is these prisons," he said. The Kurdish fighters have pulled out of a key border area as part of a US-brokered agreement with Turkey to end the offensive. Turkey links the Syrian Kurdish fighters to PKK separatists at home, who are considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

More than 100 Islamic State prisoners have escaped in Syria: US envoy

Mike Pompeo said that its too early to judge the deal's success in Syria and Turkey has legitimate concerns in region

Pompeo Justifying Turkey's Invasion?

Turkey and Russia agreed on Tuesday (October 22) to remove the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to beyond 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, after which their troops will jointly patrol a narrower strip of land in the "safe zone" that Ankara has long sought in northern Syria.

Turkey, Russia agree Kurdish YPG withdrawal

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made a rare visit to a frontline of Syria's conflict on Tuesday (October 22), touring an area in war-torn northwestern Idlib province close to the last major bastion of Turkey-backed rebel forces.

Syria's Assad tours Idlib frontline near rebels

The leaders of Russia and Turkey agreed Tuesday after more than five hours of talks on how to jointly patrol parts of Syria that until recently were controlled by Kurdish forces.

Russia-Turkey reaches new deal on Syria

Turkey’s ambassador to China, Emin Onen, didn’t mince his words this week when he took his Chinese hosts to task for failing to support Turkey’s military campaign against a Kurdish militia in Syria.

Speaking in Turkish through a translator at a news conference at his Beijing embassy, Onen implicitly put China on the spot by calling on it to stand with Turkey in its fight against political violence.

In doing so, Onen was laying bare long-standing strains in Turkish-Chinese relations as well as contradictions that link Turkey’s long-standing refusal to fully recognise Kurdish rights to China’s brutal crackdown in its troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang.

Chinese officials have long sought to prevent Turkey from speaking out on the crackdown by privately arguing in discussions with their Turkish counterparts that China’s massive effort to fundamentally alter the belief system of Turkic Muslims, packaged as a fight against political violence, was no different from Turkish attitudes towards the Kurds.

Turkey has justified its decades-old policy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and its more recent interventions in Syria as a struggle against the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) that has been designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, and its Syrian affiliate, the People's Protection Units (YPG).

The PKK has waged an insurgency in south-eastern Turkey for more than three decades. Tens of thousands have been killed in PKK attacks and Turkish military operations.

The YPG, which has not been designated by either the US or the EU, served in recent years as the United States’ ground troops in the battle to defeat the Islamic State’s Syria-based Caliphate.

“What we hope for is that China, whether internally or externally, is an anti-terrorist nation. They are a member of the (United Nations) Security Council, so they should understand our present situation,” Onen said.

“Certainly, we know that China is a country that is fighting against terror ... We are also fighting against ... (political violence) and it’s one of the most important issues,” Onen went on to say.

Onen was responding to what amounted to a Chinese condemnation of the Turkish incursion into Syria when Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, urged “Turkey to halt military action and to return to the right track, resolving the issue with political solutions.”

China had earlier called on Turkey to “exercise restraint,” insisting that Syria’s “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be respected and upheld.”

The stakes for both Turkey and China are high.

Both are likely hoping that Russian execution of an enhanced ceasefire initially negotiated by US Vice president Mike Pence on a visit to Ankara last week will enable them to avoid a further deterioration in relations. Russia took ownership of the Syrian process during talks on Tuesday between presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey, home to the largest Chinese Turkic Muslim exile community, and long a supporter of political and cultural rights for Uighurs, has on occasion breached the Muslim’s world’s wall of silence about the Chinese crackdown.

If Turkey, one of the Islamic world’s most powerful nations that compete with Saudi Arabia and Iran for leadership, were to revert to sustained criticism of the Chinese crackdown, it would make it more difficult for other Muslim states to maintain their silence or, in some cases, endorsement of Chinese policy.

It would ironically align Turkey with the United States, which last week imposed sanctions in a bid to force Turkey to halt its Syrian military campaign. The US, unlike the Muslim world, has been vocal in its condemnation of the Chinese crackdown in Xinjiang.

Taking China to task on Xinjiang is risky business, certainly for a country that has seen its economy falter. Turkey has been counting on China to help it resolve its economic problems.

China, transferred in June on the eve of Turkish elections, $1 billion to Turkey as part of a Turkish lira-Chinese yuan currency swap. China, which sees Turkey as a key node in its Belt and Road initiative, has further pledged $3.6 billion in funding for energy and telecommunications infrastructure projects.

Deng Li, China’s ambassador to Turkey, warned in March that public Turkish criticism of China’s Xinjiang policy “will negatively affect mutual trust and understanding and will be reflected in commercial and economic relations.”

Li issued his threat after Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his ministry spokesman, Hami Aksoy, in a rare expression of anti-Chinese sentiment used harsh language to condemn events in Xinjiang where some one million Turkic Muslims are believed to have been incarcerated in re-education camps and/or pushed into force labour.

Calling the crackdown an “embarrassment to humanity,” Aksoy demanded that Chinese authorities respect human rights of the Uighurs and close what he termed “concentration camps.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Turkey two months later to support China’s policy in Xinjiang in a bid to “safeguard the overall situation of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.”

The strains in Turkish-Chinese relations were put on public display in July when China’s state news agency Xinhua quoted visiting Erdogan as saying that people in Xinjiang “live happily.”

Turkish officials insisted that Erdogan had expressed the hope that people in China would “live happily in peace and prosperity,” not that they were living happily.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying, clearly believing that this time around it would be Turkey rather than China that blinks first, insisted on Tuesday, “We called on Turkey many times to stop its military action. We hope all sides will form a synergy to combat terrorism, advance the political settlement process of the Syrian issue, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the region.”

It’s a synergy built on sand as long as Turkey and China cloak their refusal to come to grips with minority rights in counterterrorism terms that are opportunistically called into question whenever they contradict their geopolitical ambitions. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

Turkey’s ambassador to China, Emin Onen, didn’t mince his words this week when he took his Chinese hosts to task for failing to support Turkey’s military campaign against a Kurdish militia in Syria.

Turkey’s ambassador to China, Emin Onen, didn’t mince his words this week when he took his Chinese hosts to task for failing to support Turkey’s military campaign against a Kurdish militia in Syria. Speaking in Turkish through a translator at a news conference at his Beijing embassy, Onen implicitly put China on the spot by calling on it to stand with Turkey in its fight against political violence. In doing so, Onen was laying bare long-standing strains in Turkish-Chinese relations as well as contradictions that link Turkey’s long-standing refusal to fully recognise Kurdish rights to China’s brutal crackdown in its troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang. Chinese officials have long sought to prevent Turkey from speaking out on the crackdown by privately arguing in discussions with their Turkish counterparts that China’s massive effort to fundamentally alter the belief system of Turkic Muslims, packaged as a fight against political violence, was no different from Turkish attitudes towards the Kurds. Turkey has justified its decades-old policy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and its more recent interventions in Syria as a struggle against the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) that has been designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, and its Syrian affiliate, the People's Protection Units (YPG). The PKK has waged an insurgency in south-eastern Turkey for more than three decades. Tens of thousands have been killed in PKK attacks and Turkish military operations. The YPG, which has not been designated by either the US or the EU, served in recent years as the United States’ ground troops in the battle to defeat the Islamic State’s Syria-based Caliphate. “What we hope for is that China, whether internally or externally, is an anti-terrorist nation. They are a member of the (United Nations) Security Council, so they should understand our present situation,” Onen said. “Certainly, we know that China is a country that is fighting against terror ... We are also fighting against ... (political violence) and it’s one of the most important issues,” Onen went on to say. Onen was responding to what amounted to a Chinese condemnation of the Turkish incursion into Syria when Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, urged “Turkey to halt military action and to return to the right track, resolving the issue with political solutions.” China had earlier called on Turkey to “exercise restraint,” insisting that Syria’s “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be respected and upheld.” The stakes for both Turkey and China are high. Both are likely hoping that Russian execution of an enhanced ceasefire initially negotiated by US Vice president Mike Pence on a visit to Ankara last week will enable them to avoid a further deterioration in relations. Russia took ownership of the Syrian process during talks on Tuesday between presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey, home to the largest Chinese Turkic Muslim exile community, and long a supporter of political and cultural rights for Uighurs, has on occasion breached the Muslim’s world’s wall of silence about the Chinese crackdown. If Turkey, one of the Islamic world’s most powerful nations that compete with Saudi Arabia and Iran for leadership, were to revert to sustained criticism of the Chinese crackdown, it would make it more difficult for other Muslim states to maintain their silence or, in some cases, endorsement of Chinese policy. It would ironically align Turkey with the United States, which last week imposed sanctions in a bid to force Turkey to halt its Syrian military campaign. The US, unlike the Muslim world, has been vocal in its condemnation of the Chinese crackdown in Xinjiang. Taking China to task on Xinjiang is risky business, certainly for a country that has seen its economy falter. Turkey has been counting on China to help it resolve its economic problems. China, transferred in June on the eve of Turkish elections, $1 billion to Turkey as part of a Turkish lira-Chinese yuan currency swap. China, which sees Turkey as a key node in its Belt and Road initiative, has further pledged $3.6 billion in funding for energy and telecommunications infrastructure projects. Deng Li, China’s ambassador to Turkey, warned in March that public Turkish criticism of China’s Xinjiang policy “will negatively affect mutual trust and understanding and will be reflected in commercial and economic relations.” Li issued his threat after Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his ministry spokesman, Hami Aksoy, in a rare expression of anti-Chinese sentiment used harsh language to condemn events in Xinjiang where some one million Turkic Muslims are believed to have been incarcerated in re-education camps and/or pushed into force labour. Calling the crackdown an “embarrassment to humanity,” Aksoy demanded that Chinese authorities respect human rights of the Uighurs and close what he termed “concentration camps.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Turkey two months later to support China’s policy in Xinjiang in a bid to “safeguard the overall situation of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.” The strains in Turkish-Chinese relations were put on public display in July when China’s state news agency Xinhua quoted visiting Erdogan as saying that people in Xinjiang “live happily.” Turkish officials insisted that Erdogan had expressed the hope that people in China would “live happily in peace and prosperity,” not that they were living happily. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying, clearly believing that this time around it would be Turkey rather than China that blinks first, insisted on Tuesday, “We called on Turkey many times to stop its military action. We hope all sides will form a synergy to combat terrorism, advance the political settlement process of the Syrian issue, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the region.” It’s a synergy built on sand as long as Turkey and China cloak their refusal to come to grips with minority rights in counterterrorism terms that are opportunistically called into question whenever they contradict their geopolitical ambitions. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Turkey and China tie themselves in knots over Syria and Xinjiang

The Kremlin on Wednesday accused Washington of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-after-sealing-russia-deal-says-us-has-not-kept-promises-on-syria-257646">betraying the Kurds </a>by withdrawing its forces from northern Syria and leaving allies alone in the face of a Turkish offensive.

US President Donald Trump had announced in early October that American forces would withdraw from Syria, paving the way for Turkey to push into the border area against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia it considers "terrorists".

"The US were the closest allies for the Kurds for several years. In the end, the US abandoned the Kurds, effectively betraying them," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.&nbsp;

"They prefer to leave the Kurds at the border and practically force them to fight the Turks," he said.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-russia-agree-kurdish-ypg-withdrawal-257604/embed" width="560" height="350" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" autoplay=1 allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Turkey paused its offensive into Syria on October 17. On Tuesday evening, it announced that the offensive would be halted following a retreat of Kurdish forces from border zones.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both involved in the conflict from opposite sides, struck a deal on northern Syria on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, state media reported that Russian forces crossed the Euphrates River in Syria and headed for the border with Turkey under a deal for the withdrawal of Kurdish forces.

The Rossiya-24 television channel and TASS news agency quoted the defence ministry as saying the convoy of Russian military police had crossed the river at noon (0900 GMT) and "advanced towards the Syrian-Turkish border".

 
The agreement will see Russian military police and Syrian border guards "facilitate the removal" of Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters and their weapons from within 30 kilometres (18 miles) of the Turkish-Syrian border.

This withdrawal must be finalised within 150 hours.

It was reached after marathon talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Vladimir Putin in Russia on Tuesday.&nbsp;

It will also see Turkey preserve a "safe zone" inside Syria about 120 kilometres long (75 miles) and 32 kilometres deep. Russia and Turkey will eventually launch joint patrols along the zone.

The Kremlin on Wednesday accused Washington of betraying the Kurds by withdrawing its forces from northern Syria and leaving allies alone in the face of a Turkish offensive.

The Kremlin on Wednesday accused Washington of betraying the Kurds by withdrawing its forces from northern Syria and leaving allies alone in the face of a Turkish offensive. US President Donald Trump had announced in early October that American forces would withdraw from Syria, paving the way for Turkey to push into the border area against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia it considers "terrorists". "The US were the closest allies for the Kurds for several years. In the end, the US abandoned the Kurds, effectively betraying them," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies. "They prefer to leave the Kurds at the border and practically force them to fight the Turks," he said. Watch Video: Turkey paused its offensive into Syria on October 17. On Tuesday evening, it announced that the offensive would be halted following a retreat of Kurdish forces from border zones. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both involved in the conflict from opposite sides, struck a deal on northern Syria on Tuesday. Meanwhile, state media reported that Russian forces crossed the Euphrates River in Syria and headed for the border with Turkey under a deal for the withdrawal of Kurdish forces. The Rossiya-24 television channel and TASS news agency quoted the defence ministry as saying the convoy of Russian military police had crossed the river at noon (0900 GMT) and "advanced towards the Syrian-Turkish border". The agreement will see Russian military police and Syrian border guards "facilitate the removal" of Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters and their weapons from within 30 kilometres (18 miles) of the Turkish-Syrian border. This withdrawal must be finalised within 150 hours. It was reached after marathon talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Vladimir Putin in Russia on Tuesday. It will also see Turkey preserve a "safe zone" inside Syria about 120 kilometres long (75 miles) and 32 kilometres deep. Russia and Turkey will eventually launch joint patrols along the zone.

Russian forces heading to Turkey border after Putin-Erdogan agreement: Report

Pentagon chief Mark Esper arrived in Baghdad for talks on Wednesday as Washington pulled out its remaining troops from northern Syria through Iraq.

Esper was due to meet his Iraqi counterpart Najah al-Shammari to address concerns among some in the government that the troops might stay in Iraq.&nbsp;

Iraq's high command said Tuesday that "no authorisation has been given for these troops to remain on Iraqi soil".

"All of the US troops who have withdrawn from Syria have obtained authorisation to enter Iraqi Kurdistan in order to leave Iraq."

On the previous leg of his tour in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Esper said the redeploying troops would stay in Iraq "temporarily" before returning to the United States.

He said the US forces were pulling out of Syria in phases, and had now moved from the "immediate zone of attack" to a northeastern corridor out of the country.

"Then we'll have another phase that will draw all the forces out. We will temporarily position in Iraq before bringing the troops home. They will be coming home," Esper said in an interview with CNN.

The United States currently has 5,200 troops in Iraq, part of a US-led international coalition against IS.

Their presence at several bases in Iraq has been the subject of debate, with pro-Iranian Shiite militias and politicians making frequent demands for their withdrawal.

Pentagon chief Mark Esper arrived in Baghdad for talks on Wednesday as Washington pulled out its remaining troops from northern Syria through Iraq. Esper was due to meet his Iraqi counterpart Najah al-Shammari to address concerns among some in the government that the troops might stay in Iraq.

Pentagon chief Mark Esper arrived in Baghdad for talks on Wednesday as Washington pulled out its remaining troops from northern Syria through Iraq. Esper was due to meet his Iraqi counterpart Najah al-Shammari to address concerns among some in the government that the troops might stay in Iraq. Iraq's high command said Tuesday that "no authorisation has been given for these troops to remain on Iraqi soil". "All of the US troops who have withdrawn from Syria have obtained authorisation to enter Iraqi Kurdistan in order to leave Iraq." On the previous leg of his tour in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Esper said the redeploying troops would stay in Iraq "temporarily" before returning to the United States. He said the US forces were pulling out of Syria in phases, and had now moved from the "immediate zone of attack" to a northeastern corridor out of the country. "Then we'll have another phase that will draw all the forces out. We will temporarily position in Iraq before bringing the troops home. They will be coming home," Esper said in an interview with CNN. The United States currently has 5,200 troops in Iraq, part of a US-led international coalition against IS. Their presence at several bases in Iraq has been the subject of debate, with pro-Iranian Shiite militias and politicians making frequent demands for their withdrawal.

Pentagon chief visits Iraq as US quits northern Syria

By Deina Abdelkader

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn’t limiting his assault on neighbouring Syria to attacking Kurdish troops that run the country’s northern region. He says the 3.6 million Syrians now living as war refugees in Turkey may also be returned “to their own homes” once northern Syria is wrenched from Kurdish control.

This could be an empty threat. After eight years of welcoming people fleeing Syria’s civil war, the Turkish public is beginning to turn against Syrian refugees. Erdogan may see anti-refugee rhetoric as a way to boost his popularity, which is slumping due to recession in Turkey and years of controversial power grabs.

But if the Turkish president does deport Syrian refugees, he won’t be sending them to a “safe zone,” as promised. These extremely vulnerable people would be deported into the lines of combat in this contested, oil-rich zone.

The forgotten half: Women Syrian refugees 
 
In my experience researching minorities at risk in the Middle East, governments dealing with mass migration often overlook the particular challenges facing the most vulnerable refugees: women, children and LGBTQ people.

The Syrian refugees in Turkey are majorly Sunni Muslim – the same faith that predominates in both Turkey and Syria. However, Syrians are ethnically and linguistically different than Turks.

Syrian refugees differ from the broader Turkish and Syrian public in another way, too: 75 per cent&nbsp;of them are women and children, according to the global nonprofit Migration Policy Institute. Between 2011 and 2017, more than 224,000 babies were born in Turkey to Syrian refugee families. Those children are now stateless, granted neither Turkish nor Syrian citizenship at birth.

Syrian women refugees suffer more discrimination and racism in Turkey than their male counterparts, research shows.

This is partially due to a big gap in Turkish language acquisition: 20 per cent of Syrian refugee women complained that lack of language causes exclusion and discrimination, UN&nbsp;survey data from 2016 shows, compared to 13 per cent&nbsp;of men.

Even so, 73 pere cent of Syrian refugee women told the UN&nbsp;that they feel safe in Turkey. That may be related to their resettlement in cities and towns across Turkey, primarily in Istanbul, where they usually live in poor neighbourhoods.

Those areas surely feel secure compared to war-torn Syria. They are safer, too, than refugee camps along the Turkish-Syrian border, where rape, human trafficking, prostitution and child marriages have all been reported, according to OBC Transeuropa, a think tank.

Half of all Syrian female refugees were under the age of 18 when they were displaced by war to the Turkish border area.

LGBTQ Syrian refugees: An untold story 
 
Turkey’s Syrian refugee community includes other marginalised groups that would face unique dangers back home, including gay, lesbian and trans people.

The exact number of LGBTQ Syrian refugees displaced across the region is unknown, human rights groups say. But Syria – like much of the Middle East and North Africa region – is a dangerous place to be gay.

Homosexuality is illegal in Syria, and both the government and terror groups like the Islamic State persecute sexual minorities. Being gay is culturally unacceptable according to traditional Islamic mores.

Though Turkey does not criminalize homosexuality, it is not always safe for LGBTQ Syrian refugees, either. Gay Syrians have suffered physical and verbal attacks, often with little response from law enforcement or the government.

In August 2016, Muhammed Wisam Sankari was found mutilated and killed in Istanbul, two days after he went missing. Sankari had told police he feared for his life after having previously been abducted, tortured and raped by unknown attackers, according to reports.

Recent crackdowns by the Turkish police in Syrian refugee communities have been detaining and deporting thousands of Syrian refugees, including LGBTQ people.

The Turkish government denies that it is forcibly returning refugees to a war zone, which would be illegal under Turkish and international law.

For LGBTQ Syrians, going home may be a death sentence.

In August 2019 a transgender Syrian woman named Ward told The Guardian newspaper that she feared being deported to the Turkey-Syria border because the al-Nusra terrorist group, a branch of al-Qaida with 5,000 to 10,000 fighters in western Syria, would kill her.

Ward was deported days later. She was last seen in late August being forced into the trunk of a car by militants in Syria, according to the Guardian report.

Collateral damage 
 
Erdogan’s stated purpose in invading Syria is to rid its northern region of the Kurdish Worker’s Party – an armed militia and political party known as the PKK – and create a “buffer zone” between the two countries.

The PKK has been a thorn in Turkey’s side for the past 41 years.

With Syrian government support, PKK leader Abdallah Ocallan has been threatening the Turkish government with a Kurdish separatist insurgency long before Erdogan’s presidency.

The United States, like Turkey, considers the PKK to be a terrorist organisation.

But in Syria the US&nbsp;had, until its recent military withdrawal, allied itself with other secular and progressive Syrian groups, namely the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The Kurdish minority in northern Syria, as in nearby Iraq, has long been stuck between Ocallan’s armed militia, the Turkish government and their own authoritarian leaders – used and abused, my research finds, by politicians seeking to further their own regional agenda in the Mideast.

Returning Syrian refugees to this battleground would make them the “buffer” between these warring forces, turning more vulnerable people into collateral damage of a greater geopolitical war.

 
(Deina Abdelkader is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the<a href="https://theconversation.com/deportation-to-syria-could-mean-death-for-women-children-and-lgbtq-refugees-in-turkey-125195"> original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Deina Abdelkader Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn’t limiting his assault on neighbouring Syria to attacking Kurdish troops that run the country’s northern region.

By Deina Abdelkader Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn’t limiting his assault on neighbouring Syria to attacking Kurdish troops that run the country’s northern region. He says the 3.6 million Syrians now living as war refugees in Turkey may also be returned “to their own homes” once northern Syria is wrenched from Kurdish control. This could be an empty threat. After eight years of welcoming people fleeing Syria’s civil war, the Turkish public is beginning to turn against Syrian refugees. Erdogan may see anti-refugee rhetoric as a way to boost his popularity, which is slumping due to recession in Turkey and years of controversial power grabs. But if the Turkish president does deport Syrian refugees, he won’t be sending them to a “safe zone,” as promised. These extremely vulnerable people would be deported into the lines of combat in this contested, oil-rich zone. The forgotten half: Women Syrian refugees In my experience researching minorities at risk in the Middle East, governments dealing with mass migration often overlook the particular challenges facing the most vulnerable refugees: women, children and LGBTQ people. The Syrian refugees in Turkey are majorly Sunni Muslim – the same faith that predominates in both Turkey and Syria. However, Syrians are ethnically and linguistically different than Turks. Syrian refugees differ from the broader Turkish and Syrian public in another way, too: 75 per cent of them are women and children, according to the global nonprofit Migration Policy Institute. Between 2011 and 2017, more than 224,000 babies were born in Turkey to Syrian refugee families. Those children are now stateless, granted neither Turkish nor Syrian citizenship at birth. Syrian women refugees suffer more discrimination and racism in Turkey than their male counterparts, research shows. This is partially due to a big gap in Turkish language acquisition: 20 per cent of Syrian refugee women complained that lack of language causes exclusion and discrimination, UN survey data from 2016 shows, compared to 13 per cent of men. Even so, 73 pere cent of Syrian refugee women told the UN that they feel safe in Turkey. That may be related to their resettlement in cities and towns across Turkey, primarily in Istanbul, where they usually live in poor neighbourhoods. Those areas surely feel secure compared to war-torn Syria. They are safer, too, than refugee camps along the Turkish-Syrian border, where rape, human trafficking, prostitution and child marriages have all been reported, according to OBC Transeuropa, a think tank. Half of all Syrian female refugees were under the age of 18 when they were displaced by war to the Turkish border area. LGBTQ Syrian refugees: An untold story Turkey’s Syrian refugee community includes other marginalised groups that would face unique dangers back home, including gay, lesbian and trans people. The exact number of LGBTQ Syrian refugees displaced across the region is unknown, human rights groups say. But Syria – like much of the Middle East and North Africa region – is a dangerous place to be gay. Homosexuality is illegal in Syria, and both the government and terror groups like the Islamic State persecute sexual minorities. Being gay is culturally unacceptable according to traditional Islamic mores. Though Turkey does not criminalize homosexuality, it is not always safe for LGBTQ Syrian refugees, either. Gay Syrians have suffered physical and verbal attacks, often with little response from law enforcement or the government. In August 2016, Muhammed Wisam Sankari was found mutilated and killed in Istanbul, two days after he went missing. Sankari had told police he feared for his life after having previously been abducted, tortured and raped by unknown attackers, according to reports. Recent crackdowns by the Turkish police in Syrian refugee communities have been detaining and deporting thousands of Syrian refugees, including LGBTQ people. The Turkish government denies that it is forcibly returning refugees to a war zone, which would be illegal under Turkish and international law. For LGBTQ Syrians, going home may be a death sentence. In August 2019 a transgender Syrian woman named Ward told The Guardian newspaper that she feared being deported to the Turkey-Syria border because the al-Nusra terrorist group, a branch of al-Qaida with 5,000 to 10,000 fighters in western Syria, would kill her. Ward was deported days later. She was last seen in late August being forced into the trunk of a car by militants in Syria, according to the Guardian report. Collateral damage Erdogan’s stated purpose in invading Syria is to rid its northern region of the Kurdish Worker’s Party – an armed militia and political party known as the PKK – and create a “buffer zone” between the two countries. The PKK has been a thorn in Turkey’s side for the past 41 years. With Syrian government support, PKK leader Abdallah Ocallan has been threatening the Turkish government with a Kurdish separatist insurgency long before Erdogan’s presidency. The United States, like Turkey, considers the PKK to be a terrorist organisation. But in Syria the US had, until its recent military withdrawal, allied itself with other secular and progressive Syrian groups, namely the Syrian Democratic Forces. The Kurdish minority in northern Syria, as in nearby Iraq, has long been stuck between Ocallan’s armed militia, the Turkish government and their own authoritarian leaders – used and abused, my research finds, by politicians seeking to further their own regional agenda in the Mideast. Returning Syrian refugees to this battleground would make them the “buffer” between these warring forces, turning more vulnerable people into collateral damage of a greater geopolitical war. (Deina Abdelkader is Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Deportation to Syria could mean death for women, children and LGBTQ refugees in Turkey

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WION Wallet: Campaign against Turkey Military action in Syria

Turkey President Erdogan met Russian President Putin in Sochi today amid growing tensions in Syria as the two leaders hoped to resolve the "complicated issues in the region".

Turkey's President Erdogan meets Russian President Putin in Sochi

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