Turkey accused the European Union on Monday of protecting "terror elements" by criticising its military offensive against Kurdish militants in Syria.&nbsp;

Turkey is in the sixth day of an assault against Kurdish militants -- key allies of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-sanctions-coming-on-turkey-declares-us-president-trump-255891">Western powers in the battle</a> to crush the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria -- an operation condemned by European leaders.&nbsp;

"It is unacceptable for the EU to display an approach that protects terror elements," the foreign ministry said in a statement, shortly after the EU condemned Turkey's operation.&nbsp;

"We totally reject and condemn the decisions and calls made to our country," it added.&nbsp;

The EU had earlier stated that it "condemns Turkey's military action, which seriously undermines the stability and the security of the whole region".

The EU also opened the way to sanctions over Turkey's controversial drilling for hydrocarbons off Cyprus.

"We find it unacceptable," the Turkish foreign ministry said in response.&nbsp;

"Because of its unlawful and biased approach, we will seriously review our cooperation with the EU on some areas," it warned.

The discovery of significant gas reserves around Cyprus has aggravated the political dispute around the island, which has been politically divided since a Turkish invasion in 1974.

Turkey does not recognise maritime agreements signed by Cyprus with other countries in the region, and says it has a right to explore for gas in the area.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Turkey accused the European Union on Monday of protecting "terror elements" by criticising its military offensive against Kurdish militants in Syria. Turkey is in the sixth day of an assault against Kurdish militants -- key allies of Western powers in the battle to crush the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria -- an operation condemned by European leaders.

Turkey accused the European Union on Monday of protecting "terror elements" by criticising its military offensive against Kurdish militants in Syria. Turkey is in the sixth day of an assault against Kurdish militants -- key allies of Western powers in the battle to crush the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria -- an operation condemned by European leaders. "It is unacceptable for the EU to display an approach that protects terror elements," the foreign ministry said in a statement, shortly after the EU condemned Turkey's operation. "We totally reject and condemn the decisions and calls made to our country," it added. The EU had earlier stated that it "condemns Turkey's military action, which seriously undermines the stability and the security of the whole region". The EU also opened the way to sanctions over Turkey's controversial drilling for hydrocarbons off Cyprus. "We find it unacceptable," the Turkish foreign ministry said in response. "Because of its unlawful and biased approach, we will seriously review our cooperation with the EU on some areas," it warned. The discovery of significant gas reserves around Cyprus has aggravated the political dispute around the island, which has been politically divided since a Turkish invasion in 1974. Turkey does not recognise maritime agreements signed by Cyprus with other countries in the region, and says it has a right to explore for gas in the area.

Turkey says EU shielding 'terror elements' by criticising Syria offensive

The Syrian regime sent troops towards the Turkish border on Monday to contain Ankara's deadly offensive against the Kurds, stepping in for US forces due to begin a controversial withdrawal.

Outgunned and without US protection, the autonomous Kurds in northeastern Syria had few other options to stop the rapid advance of Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-sanctions-coming-on-turkey-declares-us-president-trump-255891">Big sanctions coming on Turkey, declares US President Trump</a>

Turkey wants to create a roughly 30-kilometre (20-mile) buffer zone along its border to keep Kurdish forces at bay and also to send back some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts.

The United States and its partners, who spent years fighting alongside the Kurds against the Islamic State group in Syria before deserting them, have condemned the Turkish invasion, but their threats of sanctions have failed to stop it.

Washington says that it is planning to pull out 1,000 troops &nbsp;-- almost the entire ground force -- from Syria's north, in a move welcomed Monday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "a positive approach."

The chaos in the areas targeted in the six-day-old Turkish assault has already led to the escape of around 800 foreign women and children linked to IS from a Kurdish-run camp, Kurdish authorities said.

The Kurds had repeatedly warned of that scenario when Western countries refused to repatriate their IS-linked nationals and when US President Donald Trump made it clear he wanted to end the US military presence.

But Trump on Monday said the Kurds "may be releasing" IS prisoners to keep the US involved in Syria.

Wasting no time to fill the void, Moscow -- already the top broker in Syria -- clinched a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/celebrations-erupt-as-kurds-and-syrian-government-reach-a-deal-255737">deal between the Kurds and Damascus</a>, whose ties had been icy since the minority threw its lot with Washington and unilaterally declared self-rule.

"In order to prevent and confront this aggression, an agreement has been reached with the Syrian government," the Kurdish administration said in a statement late Sunday.

Averting 'genocide'

In an editorial published in Foreign Policy magazine, the head of the main Kurdish force wrote: "If we have to choose between compromises and the genocide of our people, we will surely choose life for our people."

By Monday morning, Syrian government forces were already moving to within several kilometres (miles) of the border, AFP correspondents on the ground said.

Residents around the town of Tall Tamr welcomed regime forces with cheers and Syrian state television showed some of them waving national flags and portraits of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian troops also deployed in the areas of Tabqa and Ain Issa in the northern province of Raqa, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor.

According to a newspaper close to the Damascus regime, Syrian forces were also expected to deploy in the areas of Manbij and the border town of Kobane.

The main remaining flashpoint along the border was the town of Ras al-Ain, where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have put up stiff resistance against Turkish air strikes and shelling for almost a week.

"There is a large tunnel network under the town" said Abou Bassam, a Syrian rebel commander fighting with Ankara's forces.

The SDF "are moving swiftly, mostly underground, and all buildings in Ras al Ain have trenches" he told AFP.

According to Observatory, the Turkish attack -- which uses Syrian proxies on the ground -- has already left 128 SDF fighters and 69 civilians dead.

The United Nations says 130,000 people have been displaced.&nbsp;

Rising toll

On the Turkish side, four soldiers and 18 civilians have been confirmed killed in six days, either in fighting or from Kurdish cross-border fire, according to Turkish sources.

The Observatory put the number of pro-Turkish Syrian forces killed in the offensive at 94.

An internal document circulated by the Kurdish administration on Monday, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, stressed the deal with Damascus was purely of a military nature and did not affect the work of the semi-autonomous institutions.

But the de-facto statelet the Kurdish administration had set up in northeastern Syria has fast unravelled in recent days, with its forces losing control of a 120-kilometre-long segment of the border.

The area that is now under the control of Turkey and its proxies is ethnically Arab-dominated and some residents welcomed Turkish-backed forces.

Betrayal

Kurdish officials and residents alike in northeastern Syria have expressed outrage at what they call a US betrayal that shortchanges the sacrifices made in the fight against IS.

Since 2014, the SDF have been the US-led anti-IS coalition's main partner on the ground in Syria, spearheading some key battles on the way to eliminating the jihadists' self-proclaimed "caliphate" earlier this year.

"The United States has lost its defeat mechanism against the Islamic State," the Institute for the Study of War wrote in a brief.

"It took years for the US to realise that the SDF were the only capable partners. They will not partner with us again," it said.

The Syrian regime sent troops towards the Turkish border on Monday to contain Ankara's deadly offensive against the Kurds, stepping in for US forces due to begin a controversial withdrawal.

The Syrian regime sent troops towards the Turkish border on Monday to contain Ankara's deadly offensive against the Kurds, stepping in for US forces due to begin a controversial withdrawal. Outgunned and without US protection, the autonomous Kurds in northeastern Syria had few other options to stop the rapid advance of Turkish troops and their Syrian proxies. Also read: Big sanctions coming on Turkey, declares US President Trump Turkey wants to create a roughly 30-kilometre (20-mile) buffer zone along its border to keep Kurdish forces at bay and also to send back some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosts. The United States and its partners, who spent years fighting alongside the Kurds against the Islamic State group in Syria before deserting them, have condemned the Turkish invasion, but their threats of sanctions have failed to stop it. Washington says that it is planning to pull out 1,000 troops -- almost the entire ground force -- from Syria's north, in a move welcomed Monday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "a positive approach." The chaos in the areas targeted in the six-day-old Turkish assault has already led to the escape of around 800 foreign women and children linked to IS from a Kurdish-run camp, Kurdish authorities said. The Kurds had repeatedly warned of that scenario when Western countries refused to repatriate their IS-linked nationals and when US President Donald Trump made it clear he wanted to end the US military presence. But Trump on Monday said the Kurds "may be releasing" IS prisoners to keep the US involved in Syria. Wasting no time to fill the void, Moscow -- already the top broker in Syria -- clinched a deal between the Kurds and Damascus, whose ties had been icy since the minority threw its lot with Washington and unilaterally declared self-rule. "In order to prevent and confront this aggression, an agreement has been reached with the Syrian government," the Kurdish administration said in a statement late Sunday. Averting 'genocide' In an editorial published in Foreign Policy magazine, the head of the main Kurdish force wrote: "If we have to choose between compromises and the genocide of our people, we will surely choose life for our people." By Monday morning, Syrian government forces were already moving to within several kilometres (miles) of the border, AFP correspondents on the ground said. Residents around the town of Tall Tamr welcomed regime forces with cheers and Syrian state television showed some of them waving national flags and portraits of President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian troops also deployed in the areas of Tabqa and Ain Issa in the northern province of Raqa, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor. According to a newspaper close to the Damascus regime, Syrian forces were also expected to deploy in the areas of Manbij and the border town of Kobane. The main remaining flashpoint along the border was the town of Ras al-Ain, where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have put up stiff resistance against Turkish air strikes and shelling for almost a week. "There is a large tunnel network under the town" said Abou Bassam, a Syrian rebel commander fighting with Ankara's forces. The SDF "are moving swiftly, mostly underground, and all buildings in Ras al Ain have trenches" he told AFP. According to Observatory, the Turkish attack -- which uses Syrian proxies on the ground -- has already left 128 SDF fighters and 69 civilians dead. The United Nations says 130,000 people have been displaced. Rising toll On the Turkish side, four soldiers and 18 civilians have been confirmed killed in six days, either in fighting or from Kurdish cross-border fire, according to Turkish sources. The Observatory put the number of pro-Turkish Syrian forces killed in the offensive at 94. An internal document circulated by the Kurdish administration on Monday, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, stressed the deal with Damascus was purely of a military nature and did not affect the work of the semi-autonomous institutions. But the de-facto statelet the Kurdish administration had set up in northeastern Syria has fast unravelled in recent days, with its forces losing control of a 120-kilometre-long segment of the border. The area that is now under the control of Turkey and its proxies is ethnically Arab-dominated and some residents welcomed Turkish-backed forces. Betrayal Kurdish officials and residents alike in northeastern Syria have expressed outrage at what they call a US betrayal that shortchanges the sacrifices made in the fight against IS. Since 2014, the SDF have been the US-led anti-IS coalition's main partner on the ground in Syria, spearheading some key battles on the way to eliminating the jihadists' self-proclaimed "caliphate" earlier this year. "The United States has lost its defeat mechanism against the Islamic State," the Institute for the Study of War wrote in a brief. "It took years for the US to realise that the SDF were the only capable partners. They will not partner with us again," it said.

Syria regime steps in to halt Turkish assault on Kurds

Turkey denied that its offensive in northern Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to break out of detention camps, charging Monday that Kurdish militants had instead deliberately "emptied" a prison.&nbsp;

"There is only one Daesh (Islamic State) prison in our (operation) region and we have seen it was emptied by the YPG (the Kurdish People's Protection Units militia)," Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters.

"There are pictures and films of it," he added, without naming the prison.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-sanctions-coming-on-turkey-declares-us-president-trump-255891">Big sanctions coming on Turkey, declares US President Trump</a>

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier hit out at "disinformation" reports that Turkey's offensive against Kurdish forces had allowed jihadists to escape.&nbsp;

"This is actually disinformation aimed at provoking America or the West," he said, quoted by the Hurriyet daily.&nbsp;

Kurdish authorities said Sunday that 800 IS family members being held in a camp at Ain Issa had fled due to Turkish bombing.&nbsp;

But relatives back in France told AFP that Kurdish guards had forced the women and children to leave the camp.

"Today (Sunday), the Kurdish guards opened the doors to the foreign women and asked them to leave the camp," said the mother of a 24-year-old woman, who had been kept at the camp with her infant son for the past 18 months.&nbsp;

"They didn't escape. They (the Kurdish forces) didn't want them. They were expecting to be taken over by Syrian or Turkish forces, but they were kicked out. For several days, the bombs were falling closer and closer to the camp, where there were no more NGOs, no more help," she added.&nbsp;

Kurdish forces also claimed that five IS jihadists escaped on Friday from a prison in the region.

Turkey is in the sixth day of its offensive in Syria against the YPG, which it sees as "terrorists" but which were a crucial ally for the United States and western powers against IS.&nbsp;

President Donald Trump denied Monday that removing US troops from the region was risking a mass escape of IS prisoners held by the Kurdish forces.&nbsp;

"Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly," he wrote on Twitter.

France, which accounts for the largest number of European jihadists in Syria, said Sunday it was "worried" by the situation and has called for an end to the Turkish offensive.

Turkey denied that its offensive in northern Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to break out of detention camps, charging Monday that Kurdish militants had instead deliberately "emptied" a prison.

Turkey denied that its offensive in northern Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to break out of detention camps, charging Monday that Kurdish militants had instead deliberately "emptied" a prison. "There is only one Daesh (Islamic State) prison in our (operation) region and we have seen it was emptied by the YPG (the Kurdish People's Protection Units militia)," Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters. "There are pictures and films of it," he added, without naming the prison. Also read: Big sanctions coming on Turkey, declares US President Trump President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier hit out at "disinformation" reports that Turkey's offensive against Kurdish forces had allowed jihadists to escape. "This is actually disinformation aimed at provoking America or the West," he said, quoted by the Hurriyet daily. Kurdish authorities said Sunday that 800 IS family members being held in a camp at Ain Issa had fled due to Turkish bombing. But relatives back in France told AFP that Kurdish guards had forced the women and children to leave the camp. "Today (Sunday), the Kurdish guards opened the doors to the foreign women and asked them to leave the camp," said the mother of a 24-year-old woman, who had been kept at the camp with her infant son for the past 18 months. "They didn't escape. They (the Kurdish forces) didn't want them. They were expecting to be taken over by Syrian or Turkish forces, but they were kicked out. For several days, the bombs were falling closer and closer to the camp, where there were no more NGOs, no more help," she added. Kurdish forces also claimed that five IS jihadists escaped on Friday from a prison in the region. Turkey is in the sixth day of its offensive in Syria against the YPG, which it sees as "terrorists" but which were a crucial ally for the United States and western powers against IS. President Donald Trump denied Monday that removing US troops from the region was risking a mass escape of IS prisoners held by the Kurdish forces. "Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly," he wrote on Twitter. France, which accounts for the largest number of European jihadists in Syria, said Sunday it was "worried" by the situation and has called for an end to the Turkish offensive.

Turkey denies offensive triggered IS prison break

As Turkey continued to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/celebrations-erupt-as-kurds-and-syrian-government-reach-a-deal-255737">push inside northeast Syria</a>, US President Donald Trump said Europe had the chance to get Islamic State terrorists but "did not want the cost".

"We are not going into another war between people who have been fighting with each other for 200 years," the US president said, adding,"Europe had a chance to get their ISIS prisoners, but didn’t want the cost."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Brian Kilmeade over at <a href="https://twitter.com/foxandfriends?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@foxandfriends</a> got it all wrong. We are not going into another war between people who have been fighting with each other for 200 years. Europe had a chance to get their ISIS prisoners, but didn’t want the cost. “Let the USA pay,” they said...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1183702528787189767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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“Let the USA pay,” they said," Trump added.

"Big sanctions on Turkey coming! Do people really think we should go to war with NATO member Turkey? Never ending wars will end!" Trump said.

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....Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly. Big sanctions on Turkey coming! Do people really think we should go to war with NATO Member Turkey? Never ending wars will end!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1183702529403695104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"The same people who got us into the Middle East mess are the people who most want to stay there!&nbsp;he added.

Meanwhile, Turkey denied that its offensive in northern Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to break out of detention camps

Turkey President Erdogan had earlier hit out at "disinformation" reports that Turkey's offensive in notheast Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to escape.&nbsp;

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe src="http://13.235.153.162/videos/day-5-of-turkeys-military-operation-in-syria-255702/embed" width="560" height="350" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" autoplay=1 allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Kurdish authorities had said on Sunday that 800 IS family members being held in a camp at Ain Issa had fled due to Turkish bombing.&nbsp;

NATO member France had said earlier that it was "worried" by the situation and called for an end to the Turkish offensive even as Turkey continued its offensive push.

 
&nbsp;

As Turkey continued to push inside northeast Syria, US President Donald Trump said Europe had the chance to get Islamic State terrorists but "did not want the cost".

As Turkey continued to push inside northeast Syria, US President Donald Trump said Europe had the chance to get Islamic State terrorists but "did not want the cost". "We are not going into another war between people who have been fighting with each other for 200 years," the US president said, adding,"Europe had a chance to get their ISIS prisoners, but didn’t want the cost." Brian Kilmeade over at @foxandfriends got it all wrong. We are not going into another war between people who have been fighting with each other for 200 years. Europe had a chance to get their ISIS prisoners, but didn’t want the cost. “Let the USA pay,” they said... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2019 × “Let the USA pay,” they said," Trump added. "Big sanctions on Turkey coming! Do people really think we should go to war with NATO member Turkey? Never ending wars will end!" Trump said. ....Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly. Big sanctions on Turkey coming! Do people really think we should go to war with NATO Member Turkey? Never ending wars will end! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2019 × "The same people who got us into the Middle East mess are the people who most want to stay there! he added. Meanwhile, Turkey denied that its offensive in northern Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to break out of detention camps Turkey President Erdogan had earlier hit out at "disinformation" reports that Turkey's offensive in notheast Syria had allowed Islamic State prisoners to escape. Watch Video: Kurdish authorities had said on Sunday that 800 IS family members being held in a camp at Ain Issa had fled due to Turkish bombing. NATO member France had said earlier that it was "worried" by the situation and called for an end to the Turkish offensive even as Turkey continued its offensive push.

Big sanctions coming on Turkey, declares US President Trump

The Syria-Turkey border security is worsening due to sustained battles that left large numbers of Syrians fleeing their homes. The U.S. President Donald Trump continued to defend on Saturday his controversial decision to pull some U.S. troops out of an area of Syria where they had been supporting Kurdish forces. Watch this video to know more.

Day 5 of Turkey's military operation in Syria

Thousands of people, some shouting "Erdogan terrorist", took to the streets of Paris and other European cities on Saturday in protest at the Turkish <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-new-syrian-exodus-unfolds-some-fear-they-will-never-go-home-255529">assault on Kurds in Syria</a>.

Protesters marching under the Kurdish green, red and yellow flag waved placards reading "Trump = serial killer" or calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-bans-weapons-sales-to-turkey-over-syria-offensive-255539">Erdogan "the true leader of Daesh,"</a> the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State jihadist group.

Organisers said "more than 20,000 people" took part in the demonstration in Paris after Ankara stepped up its assault on Kurdish-held border towns in northeastern Syria on Saturday, defying mounting threats of international sanctions.

"Turkey is invading Rojava (the self-proclaimed Kurdish zone in northeast Syria) and Europe is watching," they shouted as they marched towards Chatelet in central Paris. Police in the capital estimated 4,000 people had taken part.

In France, a spokesman for one Kurdish group called for US and European Union sanctions against Turkey.

There were similar protests in other French cities including Marseille, Strasbourg -- the seat of the European parliament -- Bordeaux, Lille and Grenoble.

The Turkish offensive began on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump ordered American troops to pull back from the border.

Trump has faced a storm of criticism for abandoning a loyal ally in the US-led campaign against the Islamic State group.

Pro-Kurdish protests were also held across Germany with more than 10,000 participants in Cologne, according to news agency DPA.&nbsp;

Several hundred demonstrated in the Hungarian capital Budapest outside the Turkish and US embassies, chanting &nbsp;"Trump-Orban-Erdogan dictators!". Viktor Orban is Hungary's populist right-wing prime minister.

Scores of Kurds also marched through Cyprus’s capital Nicosia, with one protester holding up a banner that read: "Do not be an accomplice to the genocide of the Kurdish nation."

'Ethnic cleansing'

Thousands marched in Vienna while in Athens, some 1,800 people according to police tried to march on the Turkish embassy, shouting "Erdogan terrorist".

A similar protest was held in Zurich's old quarter to the strains of Kurdish music. "Turkish army out of Kurdistan", the protesters cried. "Stop terror."

About 5,000 people marched to the Swedish parliament in Stockholm. Similar protests were staged in The Hague, Warsaw and Brussels.&nbsp;

"Turkey is trying to carry out ethnic cleansing and reinforce jihadism ... to make the West kneel," said Agit Polat, spokesman for the Kurdish Democratic Council in France, speaking in Paris.

Watch video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-edit-what-led-to-trumps-syria-u-turn-255071/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Since the beginning of the Turkish army invasion operation, dormant Daesh cells have committed attacks.

"At all costs, there must be concrete economic sanctions from the European Union and the United States vis-avis Turkey," he added.

Polat also urged France to recall its ambassador to Turkey.&nbsp;

Several French politicians from leftist to green took part in the Paris march.

"It is historical nonsense what is happening in the north-east of Syria because they are the most faithful allies of France," said Eric Coquerel, a lawmaker for the radical left France Unbowed party.

Just hours before Paris announced the measure, Green Party senator Esther Benbassa called on France to suspend the sale of arms to Turkey -- a measure already announced by Finland, Germany, Norway and The Netherlands.

Thousands of people, some shouting "Erdogan terrorist", took to the streets of Paris and other European cities on Saturday in protest at the Turkish assault on Kurds in Syria.

Thousands of people, some shouting "Erdogan terrorist", took to the streets of Paris and other European cities on Saturday in protest at the Turkish assault on Kurds in Syria. Protesters marching under the Kurdish green, red and yellow flag waved placards reading "Trump = serial killer" or calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "the true leader of Daesh," the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State jihadist group. Organisers said "more than 20,000 people" took part in the demonstration in Paris after Ankara stepped up its assault on Kurdish-held border towns in northeastern Syria on Saturday, defying mounting threats of international sanctions. "Turkey is invading Rojava (the self-proclaimed Kurdish zone in northeast Syria) and Europe is watching," they shouted as they marched towards Chatelet in central Paris. Police in the capital estimated 4,000 people had taken part. In France, a spokesman for one Kurdish group called for US and European Union sanctions against Turkey. There were similar protests in other French cities including Marseille, Strasbourg -- the seat of the European parliament -- Bordeaux, Lille and Grenoble. The Turkish offensive began on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump ordered American troops to pull back from the border. Trump has faced a storm of criticism for abandoning a loyal ally in the US-led campaign against the Islamic State group. Pro-Kurdish protests were also held across Germany with more than 10,000 participants in Cologne, according to news agency DPA. Several hundred demonstrated in the Hungarian capital Budapest outside the Turkish and US embassies, chanting "Trump-Orban-Erdogan dictators!". Viktor Orban is Hungary's populist right-wing prime minister. Scores of Kurds also marched through Cyprus’s capital Nicosia, with one protester holding up a banner that read: "Do not be an accomplice to the genocide of the Kurdish nation." 'Ethnic cleansing' Thousands marched in Vienna while in Athens, some 1,800 people according to police tried to march on the Turkish embassy, shouting "Erdogan terrorist". A similar protest was held in Zurich's old quarter to the strains of Kurdish music. "Turkish army out of Kurdistan", the protesters cried. "Stop terror." About 5,000 people marched to the Swedish parliament in Stockholm. Similar protests were staged in The Hague, Warsaw and Brussels. "Turkey is trying to carry out ethnic cleansing and reinforce jihadism ... to make the West kneel," said Agit Polat, spokesman for the Kurdish Democratic Council in France, speaking in Paris. Watch video: "Since the beginning of the Turkish army invasion operation, dormant Daesh cells have committed attacks. "At all costs, there must be concrete economic sanctions from the European Union and the United States vis-avis Turkey," he added. Polat also urged France to recall its ambassador to Turkey. Several French politicians from leftist to green took part in the Paris march. "It is historical nonsense what is happening in the north-east of Syria because they are the most faithful allies of France," said Eric Coquerel, a lawmaker for the radical left France Unbowed party. Just hours before Paris announced the measure, Green Party senator Esther Benbassa called on France to suspend the sale of arms to Turkey -- a measure already announced by Finland, Germany, Norway and The Netherlands.

Thousands protest in Europe against Turkey's assault on Syria

The Syria-Turkey border security is worsening due to sustained battles that left large numbers of Syrians fleeing their homes. U.S. President Donald Trump continued to defend on Saturday his controversial decision to pull some U.S. troops out of an area of Syria where they had been supporting Kurdish forces.

Security worsening at Turkey-Syria border, Trump continues to defend his decision

Germany said Saturday it is halting sales of weapons to Turkey over its widely criticised operation against Kurdish militias in northern Syria. Germany, along with many of its allies, has condemned the offensive that Ankara says is targeting the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia -- a force that has played a key role against the Islamic State group in Syria.

Germany said Saturday it is halting sales of weapons to Turkey over its widely criticised operation against Kurdish militias in northern Syria. Germany, along with many of its allies, has condemned the offensive that Ankara says is targeting the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia -- a force that has played a key role against the Islamic State group in Syria. It joins the fellow NATO members the Netherlands and Norway, along with Finland, in suspending arms sales to Turkey. "In the context of the Turkish military offensive in northeastern Syria, the government will not issue any new permits for any military equipment that could be used in Syria by Turkey," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was quoted as telling the Sunday edition of Bild. Last year, Germany exported arms totalling almost 243 million euros ($270 million) to Turkey -- also a NATO member -- almost a third of its total weapons sales of 771 million euros. And in the first four months of this year, sales to Turkey -- its biggest customer in the transatlantic military alliance -- reached 184 million euros. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu defended his country's actions in Syria after the German announcement. "(The offensive) is a vital issue for us and a question of national security, a matter of survival. No matter what anyone is doing, whether it is an arms embargo or something else, it only strengthens us," he told Deutsche Welle. "Even if our allies support the terrorist organisation (the YPG), even if we are alone, even if an embargo is imposed, whatever they do, our struggle is directed against the terrorist organisation." Ankara considers the YPG a "terrorist" offshoot of Kurdish rebels who have been fighting an insurgency against the Turkish state for three decades. Germany's population includes about 2.5 million people of Turkish origin. Germany is one of the world's biggest arms exporters along with the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. Last year it imposed an embargo on weapons sales to Saudi Arabia after the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul. Maas this week warned that Turkey's operation risked the resurgence of IS in the region and that it could trigger a humanitarian disaster.

Germany bans weapons sales to Turkey over Syria offensive

Battles raged in Syria as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to press on with a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/turkish-attack-on-syria-endangers-a-remarkable-democratic-experiment-by-the-kurds-255206">deadly assault against Kurdish forces</a>, while the Pentagon said Friday US troops came under artillery fire from Turkish positions.

Erdogan's pledge to keep up the offensive, which the UN says has displaced more than 100,000 people since it began on Wednesday, came as the US Treasury warned President Donald Trump was planning to activate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-intensifies-syria-campaign-washington-warns-of-serious-consequences-255344">"very powerful" sanctions</a> on Ankara.

Trump, whose order to pull back US troops from the border this week effectively triggered the intervention, has faced a firestorm of criticism for appearing to give a green light to the push.

Turkey is targeting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key US ally in the five-year battle to crush the Islamic State group.

A Pentagon spokesman confirmed an explosion within a few hundred meters of its post close to the northern Syrian border, in an area "known by the Turks to have US forces present".

"All US troops are accounted for with no injuries," Navy Captain Brook DeWalt said in a statement. US forces had not withdrawn from their position near the town of Kobani, he said.

"The US demands that Turkey avoid actions that could result in immediate defensive action," warned DeWalt.

Earlier Friday, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper "strongly encouraged" Turkey to halt its offensive as a prelude to such negotiations, warning of "serious consequences".

But Erdogan vowed the assault "will not stop".

"Now there are threats coming from left and right, telling us to stop this," he said. "We will not step back."

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Trump had authorized -- but not yet activated -- new sanctions to dissuade Turkey from further offensive military action.

"We can shut down the Turkish economy if we need to," he said.

'Heavy fighting'

Turkey's third such operation since the start of the war in Syria has been met with international condemnation over what many see as the blatant US betrayal of the Kurdish forces, who have lost 11,000 fighters in the campaign against IS.

As the offensive went into its third day, the SDF were fending for themselves, trying to repulse multiple ground attacks along a roughly 120-kilometre (75-mile) stretch of the border.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the Turkish forces and their Syrian proxies -- mostly Sunni Arab ex-rebels -- were launching airstrikes, heavy artillery and rocket fire.

In Al-Hol, a camp holding relatives of IS suspects that lies outside the area targeted by Turkey, women started riots Friday that Kurdish forces swiftly put down.

Watch video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/first-turkish-soldier-killed-in-syria-operation-255196/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">The risk that thousands of the jihadists they still hold could break free on the back of the Turkish assault could yet spur the international community into action.</div>

However Russia and China on Friday blocked a UN Security Council statement drafted by Washington calling on Turkey to halt its offensive, diplomats told AFP.

Exodus

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said four civilians were killed in Tal Abyad when an airstrike hit the car in which they were fleeing the fighting, while another three were shot dead by snipers around the border town.

That brings the civilian death toll to 17 on the Syrian side, while 17 have also been killed in Turkey.

According to the monitor, 54 SDF fighters have also been killed while Turkey has reported the deaths of four soldiers.

Ras al-Ain, Tal Abyad and other border towns between them have been almost emptied in a huge wave of displacement.

Most of those fleeing were heading east towards the city of Hasakeh, which has not been targeted by Turkey.

"What does Erdogan want from us?" asked one woman, as she and her family settled into a school being used as an emergency shelter. "Is it all simply because we are Kurds?"

Erdogan hopes to create a buffer zone between the border and territory controlled by Syrian Kurdish forces, who have links with Turkey's own Kurdish rebels.

He also plans to use the strip, which he envisions will be about 30 kilometres deep, as an area in which to send back some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees who live on Turkish soil.

Ceasefire?

Aid groups have warned of yet another humanitarian disaster in Syria's eight-year-old war if the offensive is not stopped.

France, a key partner in the US-led anti-IS coalition, has threatened sanctions against NATO member Turkey.

French leader Emmanuel Macron said the Turkish offensive must stop "as soon as possible" in a phone conversation with Trump on Friday, the presidency said.

Turkey is still far from having reached the goals of its military invasion but the risk appears to be growing that detained IS fighters could break free.

Kurdish officials said five IS prisoners managed to escape from a Qamishli facility housing mostly foreign jihadists after shelling struck nearby.

A car bomb claimed by IS also went off Friday in Qamishli, one of the main towns in the Kurdish region, killing at least six people, officials and the Observatory said.

The Kurdish administration says some 12,000 men are held in seven detention centres across Kurdish-controlled areas.

The US says it has already plucked two of the most high-profile IS jihadists to have been captured and spirited them out of Syria.

Battles raged in Syria as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to press on with a deadly assault against Kurdish forces, while the Pentagon said Friday US troops came under artillery fire from Turkish positions.

Battles raged in Syria as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to press on with a deadly assault against Kurdish forces, while the Pentagon said Friday US troops came under artillery fire from Turkish positions. Erdogan's pledge to keep up the offensive, which the UN says has displaced more than 100,000 people since it began on Wednesday, came as the US Treasury warned President Donald Trump was planning to activate "very powerful" sanctions on Ankara. Trump, whose order to pull back US troops from the border this week effectively triggered the intervention, has faced a firestorm of criticism for appearing to give a green light to the push. Turkey is targeting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key US ally in the five-year battle to crush the Islamic State group. A Pentagon spokesman confirmed an explosion within a few hundred meters of its post close to the northern Syrian border, in an area "known by the Turks to have US forces present". "All US troops are accounted for with no injuries," Navy Captain Brook DeWalt said in a statement. US forces had not withdrawn from their position near the town of Kobani, he said. "The US demands that Turkey avoid actions that could result in immediate defensive action," warned DeWalt. Earlier Friday, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper "strongly encouraged" Turkey to halt its offensive as a prelude to such negotiations, warning of "serious consequences". But Erdogan vowed the assault "will not stop". "Now there are threats coming from left and right, telling us to stop this," he said. "We will not step back." Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Trump had authorized -- but not yet activated -- new sanctions to dissuade Turkey from further offensive military action. "We can shut down the Turkish economy if we need to," he said. 'Heavy fighting' Turkey's third such operation since the start of the war in Syria has been met with international condemnation over what many see as the blatant US betrayal of the Kurdish forces, who have lost 11,000 fighters in the campaign against IS. As the offensive went into its third day, the SDF were fending for themselves, trying to repulse multiple ground attacks along a roughly 120-kilometre (75-mile) stretch of the border. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the Turkish forces and their Syrian proxies -- mostly Sunni Arab ex-rebels -- were launching airstrikes, heavy artillery and rocket fire. In Al-Hol, a camp holding relatives of IS suspects that lies outside the area targeted by Turkey, women started riots Friday that Kurdish forces swiftly put down. Watch video: The risk that thousands of the jihadists they still hold could break free on the back of the Turkish assault could yet spur the international community into action. However Russia and China on Friday blocked a UN Security Council statement drafted by Washington calling on Turkey to halt its offensive, diplomats told AFP. Exodus The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said four civilians were killed in Tal Abyad when an airstrike hit the car in which they were fleeing the fighting, while another three were shot dead by snipers around the border town. That brings the civilian death toll to 17 on the Syrian side, while 17 have also been killed in Turkey. According to the monitor, 54 SDF fighters have also been killed while Turkey has reported the deaths of four soldiers. Ras al-Ain, Tal Abyad and other border towns between them have been almost emptied in a huge wave of displacement. Most of those fleeing were heading east towards the city of Hasakeh, which has not been targeted by Turkey. "What does Erdogan want from us?" asked one woman, as she and her family settled into a school being used as an emergency shelter. "Is it all simply because we are Kurds?" Erdogan hopes to create a buffer zone between the border and territory controlled by Syrian Kurdish forces, who have links with Turkey's own Kurdish rebels. He also plans to use the strip, which he envisions will be about 30 kilometres deep, as an area in which to send back some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees who live on Turkish soil. Ceasefire? Aid groups have warned of yet another humanitarian disaster in Syria's eight-year-old war if the offensive is not stopped. France, a key partner in the US-led anti-IS coalition, has threatened sanctions against NATO member Turkey. French leader Emmanuel Macron said the Turkish offensive must stop "as soon as possible" in a phone conversation with Trump on Friday, the presidency said. Turkey is still far from having reached the goals of its military invasion but the risk appears to be growing that detained IS fighters could break free. Kurdish officials said five IS prisoners managed to escape from a Qamishli facility housing mostly foreign jihadists after shelling struck nearby. A car bomb claimed by IS also went off Friday in Qamishli, one of the main towns in the Kurdish region, killing at least six people, officials and the Observatory said. The Kurdish administration says some 12,000 men are held in seven detention centres across Kurdish-controlled areas. The US says it has already plucked two of the most high-profile IS jihadists to have been captured and spirited them out of Syria.

Turkey vows to keep up Syria assault as US says troops came under fire

In the vanguard of Syrian revolt before being ripped apart by division and indiscipline, the Free Syrian Army has returned as a key component of Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militants.

The broad-ranging coalition styled itself as the moderate force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but lacked the funding and support to compete with extremist groups such as Al-Nusra and the Islamic State (IS) when they emerged around 2012.

Having all but disappeared for several years, the Free Syrian Army regained the spotlight in 2016 when it participated alongside Turkish forces in Ankara's first incursion into northern Syria against IS.

But images of FSA fighters posing with mutilated bodies of Kurdish militants and looting stores during a second Turkish operation in Afrin two years later undermined their reputation for moderation.

The group recently rebranded itself as the Syrian National Army (SNA), under the authority of the opposition's "interim government" in exile, based in Turkey.

They are armed, trained and paid by Ankara, and once again joined Turkish soldiers this week as part of "Operation Peace Spring", launched on Wednesday against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.&nbsp;

"The Syrian National Army is the indigenous component of the Turkish operation. It's an important infantry force for the offensive," said Emre Kursat Kaya, of the EDAM think-tank in Istanbul.

"The group is formed around Sunni Arab and Turkmen fighters who are locals of the region. Thus, their presence in the operation provides an undeniable intelligence advantage."

The SNA now claims to have some 80,000 men at its disposal, having boosted its ranks earlier this month by integrating another coalition, the National Liberation Front, based primarily in Idlib province.

Some 14,000 of its fighters have been mobilised for the new operation, according to the group's spokesman, Major Yusuf Hamoud.&nbsp;

"That number can increase as the battle unfolds," he told AFP.

A large number of these fighters come from areas targeted by the Turkish offensive, he said, which is aimed at pushing back the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

"These soldiers were forced to leave when the YPG took control" of territories such as Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain, he added.

<h2>'Tight control'</h2>

Turkey has so far deployed around 1,000 SNA soldiers in the Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain areas, estimates Charles Lister, of the Middle East Institute.&nbsp;

"For now, the SNA appears to be operating under the tight control of the Turkish military and Ankara is using them as the primary force," he told AFP.&nbsp;

Lister said this mirrored the way that the US had used the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their battle against the Islamic State group.&nbsp;

"Their role is crucial for now," Lister said. "Turkey's strategy is not just to train these forces, but to give them sufficient operational experience so that once territory is captured they will operate as capable hold-forces wholly loyal to Ankara."

The challenge now will be to ensure that there is no repeat of the rights violations seen during their last deployment in Afrin.&nbsp;

The United States has warned Turkey that any abuses will result in severe economic sanctions.

In a statement published on Saturday, the SNA's "chief of staff" called on all commanders in the field "permanently supervise fighters on the frontline to prevent any violations or abuses."

Kaya, of the EDAM think-tank, believes Turkey will have taken measures to minimise these risks.

"These forces have been intensively trained by Turkish forces for this operation," he said.

"Turkey chose the most professional Syrian moderate forces to participate in this operation. We should also mention that elite Turkish commando forces on the ground will supervise the offensives and react to any excesses," he added.

In the vanguard of Syrian revolt before being ripped apart by division and indiscipline, the Free Syrian Army has returned as a key component of Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militants.

In the vanguard of Syrian revolt before being ripped apart by division and indiscipline, the Free Syrian Army has returned as a key component of Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militants. The broad-ranging coalition styled itself as the moderate force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but lacked the funding and support to compete with extremist groups such as Al-Nusra and the Islamic State (IS) when they emerged around 2012. Having all but disappeared for several years, the Free Syrian Army regained the spotlight in 2016 when it participated alongside Turkish forces in Ankara's first incursion into northern Syria against IS. But images of FSA fighters posing with mutilated bodies of Kurdish militants and looting stores during a second Turkish operation in Afrin two years later undermined their reputation for moderation. The group recently rebranded itself as the Syrian National Army (SNA), under the authority of the opposition's "interim government" in exile, based in Turkey. They are armed, trained and paid by Ankara, and once again joined Turkish soldiers this week as part of "Operation Peace Spring", launched on Wednesday against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria. "The Syrian National Army is the indigenous component of the Turkish operation. It's an important infantry force for the offensive," said Emre Kursat Kaya, of the EDAM think-tank in Istanbul. "The group is formed around Sunni Arab and Turkmen fighters who are locals of the region. Thus, their presence in the operation provides an undeniable intelligence advantage." The SNA now claims to have some 80,000 men at its disposal, having boosted its ranks earlier this month by integrating another coalition, the National Liberation Front, based primarily in Idlib province. Some 14,000 of its fighters have been mobilised for the new operation, according to the group's spokesman, Major Yusuf Hamoud. "That number can increase as the battle unfolds," he told AFP. A large number of these fighters come from areas targeted by the Turkish offensive, he said, which is aimed at pushing back the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia. "These soldiers were forced to leave when the YPG took control" of territories such as Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain, he added. 'Tight control' Turkey has so far deployed around 1,000 SNA soldiers in the Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain areas, estimates Charles Lister, of the Middle East Institute. "For now, the SNA appears to be operating under the tight control of the Turkish military and Ankara is using them as the primary force," he told AFP. Lister said this mirrored the way that the US had used the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in their battle against the Islamic State group. "Their role is crucial for now," Lister said. "Turkey's strategy is not just to train these forces, but to give them sufficient operational experience so that once territory is captured they will operate as capable hold-forces wholly loyal to Ankara." The challenge now will be to ensure that there is no repeat of the rights violations seen during their last deployment in Afrin. The United States has warned Turkey that any abuses will result in severe economic sanctions. In a statement published on Saturday, the SNA's "chief of staff" called on all commanders in the field "permanently supervise fighters on the frontline to prevent any violations or abuses." Kaya, of the EDAM think-tank, believes Turkey will have taken measures to minimise these risks. "These forces have been intensively trained by Turkish forces for this operation," he said. "Turkey chose the most professional Syrian moderate forces to participate in this operation. We should also mention that elite Turkish commando forces on the ground will supervise the offensives and react to any excesses," he added.

Rebel faction takes frontline role in Turkey offensive

Iran&nbsp;has offered to engage&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;Kurds, Syria's government and&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;in talks to establish security along the Turkish-Syrian&nbsp;border following&nbsp;Turkey's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-opposes-syria-military-action-javad-zarif-tells-turkey-254396">military incursion</a> into northern Syria to fight Kurdish forces.

In making the mediation offer during an interview shot on Monday (October 7),&nbsp;Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to a 21-year-old security accord that required Damascus to stop harbouring Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants waging an insurgency against the Turkish state.&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;has said that pact was never implemented.

The United States has ramped up its efforts to persuade Ankara to halt the incursion, saying Ankara was causing "great harm" to ties and could face sanctions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday the 1998 accord could only be implemented if there was a political settlement to Syria's eight-year-old war. He also said implementing the Adana pact would require the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;government to be in control of northeastern Syria - which it is not.

Iran, a close ally of&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;President Bashar al-Assad, has regularly urged&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;to respect Syria's territorial integrity and avoid military action in northeastern Syria.

Iran has offered to engage Syrian Kurds, Syria's government and Turkey in talks to establish security along the Turkish-Syrian border following Turkey's military incursion into northern Syria to fight Kurdish forces.

Iran has offered to engage Syrian Kurds, Syria's government and Turkey in talks to establish security along the Turkish-Syrian border following Turkey's military incursion into northern Syria to fight Kurdish forces. In making the mediation offer during an interview shot on Monday (October 7), Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to a 21-year-old security accord that required Damascus to stop harbouring Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants waging an insurgency against the Turkish state. Turkey has said that pact was never implemented. The United States has ramped up its efforts to persuade Ankara to halt the incursion, saying Ankara was causing "great harm" to ties and could face sanctions. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday the 1998 accord could only be implemented if there was a political settlement to Syria's eight-year-old war. He also said implementing the Adana pact would require the Syrian government to be in control of northeastern Syria - which it is not. Iran, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has regularly urged Turkey to respect Syria's territorial integrity and avoid military action in northeastern Syria.

Iran offers to mediate between Syrian Kurds and Turkey

Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria denied on Saturday claims by the Turkish defence ministry that its forces had taken the battleground border town of Ras al-Ain, the first in its four-day-old offensive.

"Ras al-Ain is still resisting and clashes are ongoing," said an official of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The official said Kurdish fighters had temporarily pulled back from the town before launching a counter-offensive against Ankara's forces.&nbsp;

An AFP correspondent in the area said Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels had entered the town but had yet to capture it.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights too reported that Ras al-Ain, a major target of the Turkish offensive, had yet to be overrun.

A Syrian rebel commander fighting alongside Turkish forces said they seized a neighbourhood in Ras al-Ain and sealed the main routes leading to the area but SDF defences were impeding further advances.&nbsp;

"There is fierce resistance ... we are not able to advance because of the large number of snipers," the rebel commander told AFP.

Ras al-Ain would be the first town to fall to Ankara's forces since the launch of its cross-border offensive on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Both it and Tal Abyad further west have been major goals of the invasion as Turkey seeks to impose its control over the area between them which although &nbsp;Kurdish-controlled, is mainly ethnic Arab.

Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria denied on Saturday claims by the Turkish defence ministry that its forces had taken the battleground border town of Ras al-Ain, the first in its four-day-old offensive.

Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria denied on Saturday claims by the Turkish defence ministry that its forces had taken the battleground border town of Ras al-Ain, the first in its four-day-old offensive. "Ras al-Ain is still resisting and clashes are ongoing," said an official of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The official said Kurdish fighters had temporarily pulled back from the town before launching a counter-offensive against Ankara's forces. An AFP correspondent in the area said Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels had entered the town but had yet to capture it. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights too reported that Ras al-Ain, a major target of the Turkish offensive, had yet to be overrun. A Syrian rebel commander fighting alongside Turkish forces said they seized a neighbourhood in Ras al-Ain and sealed the main routes leading to the area but SDF defences were impeding further advances. "There is fierce resistance ... we are not able to advance because of the large number of snipers," the rebel commander told AFP. Ras al-Ain would be the first town to fall to Ankara's forces since the launch of its cross-border offensive on Wednesday. Both it and Tal Abyad further west have been major goals of the invasion as Turkey seeks to impose its control over the area between them which although Kurdish-controlled, is mainly ethnic Arab.

Syria Kurds deny Turkey has taken battleground border town

For the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights. Under President Donald J&nbsp;Trump, the US has lost that moral high ground.

This week's US sanctioning of 28 Chinese government entities and companies for their involvement in China's brutal clampdown on Turkic Muslims in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang, the first such measure by any country since the crackdown began, is a case in point.

So is the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese officials suspected of being involved in the detention and human rights abuses of millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.

The irony is that the Trump administration has for the first time elevated human rights to a US foreign policy goal in export control policy despite its overall lack of concern for such rights.

The sanctions should put the Muslim world, always the first to ring the alarm bell when Muslims rights are trampled upon, on the spot.

It probably won't even though Muslim nations are out on a limb, having remained conspicuously silent in a bid not to damage relations with China, and in some cases even having endorsed the Chinese campaign, the most frontal assault on Islam in recent history.

This week’s seeming endorsement by Mr Trump of Turkey's military offensive against Syrian Kurds, who backed by the United States, fought the Islamic State and were guarding its captured fighters and their families drove the final nail into the coffin of US moral claims.

The endorsement came on the back of Mr Trump’s transactional approach towards foreign policy and relations with America’s allies, his hesitancy to respond robustly to last month’s missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, his refusal to ensure Saudi transparency on the killing a year ago of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his perceived empathy for illiberals and authoritarians symbolized by his reference to Egyptian field marshal-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as “my favourite dictator.”

Rejecting Saudi and Egyptian criticism of his intervention in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the United States and Mr. Trump a blunt preview of what they can expect next time they come calling, whether it is for support of their holding China to account for its actions in Xinjiang, issues of religious freedom that are dear to the Trump administration’s heart, or specific infractions on human rights that the US opportunistically wishes to emphasize.

"Let me start with Saudi Arabia," Mr. Erdogan said in blistering remarks to members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP). "Look in the mirror first. Who brought Yemen to this state? Did tens of thousands of people not die in Yemen?" he asked, referring to the kingdom's disastrous military intervention in Yemen's ruinous civil war.

Addressing Mr. Al-Sisi, Mr. Erdogan charged: “Egypt, you can't talk at all. You are a country with a democracy killer." The Turkish leader asserted that Mr Al-Sisi had "held a meeting with some others and condemned the (Turkish) operation - so what if you do?"

The fact that the United States is likely to encounter similar responses, even if they are less belligerent in tone, as well as the fact that Mr Trump’s sanctioning of Chinese entities is unlikely to shame the Muslim world into action, signals a far more fundamental paradigm shift: the loss of the US and Western moral high ground that gave them an undisputed advantage in the battle of ideas, a key battleground in the struggle to shape a new world order.

China, Russia, Middle Eastern autocrats and other authoritarians and illiberals have no credible response to notions of personal and political freedom, human rights and the rule of law.

As a result, they countered the ideational appeal of greater freedoms by going through the motions. They often maintained or erected democratic facades and paid lip service to democratic concepts while cloaking their repression in terms employed by the West like the fight against terrorism.

By surrendering the West’s ideological edge, Mr Trump reduced the shaping of the new world order to a competition in which the power with the deeper pockets had the upper hand.

Former US national security advisor John Bolton admitted as much when he identified in late 2018 Africa as a new battleground and unveiled a new strategy focused on commercial ties, counterterrorism, and better-targeted US&nbsp;foreign aid.

Said international affairs scholar Keren Yarhi-Milo: “The United States has already paid a significant price for Trump’s behaviour: the president is no longer considered the ultimate voice on foreign policy. Foreign leaders are turning elsewhere to gauge American intentions… With Trump’s reputation compromised, the price tag on US&nbsp;deterrence, coercion, and reassurance has risen, along with the probability of miscalculation and inadvertent escalation.”

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

For the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights.

For the better part of a century, the United States could claim the moral high ground despite allegations of hypocrisy because its policies continuously contradicted its proclaimed propagation of democracy and human rights. Under President Donald J Trump, the US has lost that moral high ground. This week's US sanctioning of 28 Chinese government entities and companies for their involvement in China's brutal clampdown on Turkic Muslims in its troubled north-western province of Xinjiang, the first such measure by any country since the crackdown began, is a case in point. So is the imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese officials suspected of being involved in the detention and human rights abuses of millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims. The irony is that the Trump administration has for the first time elevated human rights to a US foreign policy goal in export control policy despite its overall lack of concern for such rights. The sanctions should put the Muslim world, always the first to ring the alarm bell when Muslims rights are trampled upon, on the spot. It probably won't even though Muslim nations are out on a limb, having remained conspicuously silent in a bid not to damage relations with China, and in some cases even having endorsed the Chinese campaign, the most frontal assault on Islam in recent history. This week’s seeming endorsement by Mr Trump of Turkey's military offensive against Syrian Kurds, who backed by the United States, fought the Islamic State and were guarding its captured fighters and their families drove the final nail into the coffin of US moral claims. The endorsement came on the back of Mr Trump’s transactional approach towards foreign policy and relations with America’s allies, his hesitancy to respond robustly to last month’s missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, his refusal to ensure Saudi transparency on the killing a year ago of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his perceived empathy for illiberals and authoritarians symbolized by his reference to Egyptian field marshal-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as “my favourite dictator.” Rejecting Saudi and Egyptian criticism of his intervention in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the United States and Mr. Trump a blunt preview of what they can expect next time they come calling, whether it is for support of their holding China to account for its actions in Xinjiang, issues of religious freedom that are dear to the Trump administration’s heart, or specific infractions on human rights that the US opportunistically wishes to emphasize. "Let me start with Saudi Arabia," Mr. Erdogan said in blistering remarks to members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP). "Look in the mirror first. Who brought Yemen to this state? Did tens of thousands of people not die in Yemen?" he asked, referring to the kingdom's disastrous military intervention in Yemen's ruinous civil war. Addressing Mr. Al-Sisi, Mr. Erdogan charged: “Egypt, you can't talk at all. You are a country with a democracy killer." The Turkish leader asserted that Mr Al-Sisi had "held a meeting with some others and condemned the (Turkish) operation - so what if you do?" The fact that the United States is likely to encounter similar responses, even if they are less belligerent in tone, as well as the fact that Mr Trump’s sanctioning of Chinese entities is unlikely to shame the Muslim world into action, signals a far more fundamental paradigm shift: the loss of the US and Western moral high ground that gave them an undisputed advantage in the battle of ideas, a key battleground in the struggle to shape a new world order. China, Russia, Middle Eastern autocrats and other authoritarians and illiberals have no credible response to notions of personal and political freedom, human rights and the rule of law. As a result, they countered the ideational appeal of greater freedoms by going through the motions. They often maintained or erected democratic facades and paid lip service to democratic concepts while cloaking their repression in terms employed by the West like the fight against terrorism. By surrendering the West’s ideological edge, Mr Trump reduced the shaping of the new world order to a competition in which the power with the deeper pockets had the upper hand. Former US national security advisor John Bolton admitted as much when he identified in late 2018 Africa as a new battleground and unveiled a new strategy focused on commercial ties, counterterrorism, and better-targeted US foreign aid. Said international affairs scholar Keren Yarhi-Milo: “The United States has already paid a significant price for Trump’s behaviour: the president is no longer considered the ultimate voice on foreign policy. Foreign leaders are turning elsewhere to gauge American intentions… With Trump’s reputation compromised, the price tag on US deterrence, coercion, and reassurance has risen, along with the probability of miscalculation and inadvertent escalation.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Trump surrenders the West's moral high ground

Pakistan has offered rare backing to Turkey in its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-vows-to-keep-up-syria-assault-as-us-says-troops-came-under-fire-255364">offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria</a>, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expected to visit Islamabad later this month.

Turkey on Wednesday launched an offensive in northern Syria targeting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, a key US ally in the five-year battle to crush the Islamic State group. The SDF lost 11,000 fighters in the US-led campaign.

It is Turkey's third such operation since the start of the war in Syria and has been met with international condemnation.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, however, called Erdogan on Friday to "convey Pakistan's support and solidarity," his office said.

"The prime minister told him that Pakistan fully understands Turkey's concerns relating to terrorism," it said, adding "Pakistan is fully cognizant of the threats and challenges being faced by Turkey having lost 40,000 of its people to terrorism".

Khan told Erdogan that "Pakistan stands in full support and solidarity with Turkey," it said.

"We pray that Turkey's efforts for enhanced security, regional stability and peaceful resolution of the Syrian situation are fully successful," Khan was quoted as saying.

Khan's office said Erdogan would visit Pakistan later this month.

President Donald Trump has faced a firestorm of criticism for appearing to greenlight Turkey's offensive into northeastern Syria, which began after Trump ordered US troops to pull back from the border.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday Trump had authorised -- but not yet activated -- "very significant new sanctions" to dissuade Turkey from further offensive military action.

Pakistan has offered rare backing to Turkey in its offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expected to visit Islamabad later this month.

Pakistan has offered rare backing to Turkey in its offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expected to visit Islamabad later this month. Turkey on Wednesday launched an offensive in northern Syria targeting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, a key US ally in the five-year battle to crush the Islamic State group. The SDF lost 11,000 fighters in the US-led campaign. It is Turkey's third such operation since the start of the war in Syria and has been met with international condemnation. Prime Minister Imran Khan, however, called Erdogan on Friday to "convey Pakistan's support and solidarity," his office said. "The prime minister told him that Pakistan fully understands Turkey's concerns relating to terrorism," it said, adding "Pakistan is fully cognizant of the threats and challenges being faced by Turkey having lost 40,000 of its people to terrorism". Khan told Erdogan that "Pakistan stands in full support and solidarity with Turkey," it said. "We pray that Turkey's efforts for enhanced security, regional stability and peaceful resolution of the Syrian situation are fully successful," Khan was quoted as saying. Khan's office said Erdogan would visit Pakistan later this month. President Donald Trump has faced a firestorm of criticism for appearing to greenlight Turkey's offensive into northeastern Syria, which began after Trump ordered US troops to pull back from the border. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday Trump had authorised -- but not yet activated -- "very significant new sanctions" to dissuade Turkey from further offensive military action.

Pakistan supports Turkey's Syria offensive

thousands Have Fled Their Homes & Hundreds Killed As Turkey's Military Offensive In Syria Continues For The Third Day.

Gravitas: Trump Offers To Mediate Between Turkey & Kurds

Why the conflict between Turkey and Kurds started?

The Story of The Turkish-Kurdish Conflict

Turkey's defence ministry said today that one its soldier was killed during clashes with Kurdish militia in the northern Syria operation as it continued its push&nbsp;across the border.

Three more soldiers were injured in the "operation region", the defence ministry added.

Turkish troops continued their operation<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-flee-dozens-reported-killed-as-turkey-pushes-syria-assault-255067">&nbsp;inside Syria</a> even as a divided UN Security Council on Thursday was&nbsp;unable to convince the rest of the 15-state body to adopt a statement asking Turkey to halt its military operations in northern Syria.

France, Germany, Britain, Belgium and Poland were forced to deliver their statement alone, while the United States issued a separate statement asserting that it did not endorse the Turkish operation.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkeys-syria-invasion-us-president-trump-offers-to-mediate-255136/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Turkey had told the United Nations Security Council that its military operation in northern Syria would be "proportionate, measured and responsible".

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “very concerned” by developments in northeast Syria and “any military operation must fully respect the U.N. Charter and international humanitarian law,” U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said.

Guterres called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and Haq said Guterres "believes that there's no military solution to the Syrian conflict."

The move comes even as thousands of civilians fled the border towns of &nbsp;Ras al-Ain and Darbasiya as Turkish troops continued their assault just days after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mediating-deal-between-turkey-and-the-kurds-one-of-the-choices-trump-255085">President Trump pulled the last </a>of the US troops from the region.

The Observatory said Turkish forces had already seized two villages near Ras al-Ain and five near the town of Tel Abyad on Thursday just hours after the operation started.

Turkey's defence ministry said today that one its soldier was killed during clashes with Kurdish militia in the northern Syria operation as it continued its push across the border.

Turkey's defence ministry said today that one its soldier was killed during clashes with Kurdish militia in the northern Syria operation as it continued its push across the border. Three more soldiers were injured in the "operation region", the defence ministry added. Turkish troops continued their operation inside Syria even as a divided UN Security Council on Thursday was unable to convince the rest of the 15-state body to adopt a statement asking Turkey to halt its military operations in northern Syria. France, Germany, Britain, Belgium and Poland were forced to deliver their statement alone, while the United States issued a separate statement asserting that it did not endorse the Turkish operation. Watch Video: Turkey had told the United Nations Security Council that its military operation in northern Syria would be "proportionate, measured and responsible". United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “very concerned” by developments in northeast Syria and “any military operation must fully respect the U.N. Charter and international humanitarian law,” U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said. Guterres called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and Haq said Guterres "believes that there's no military solution to the Syrian conflict." The move comes even as thousands of civilians fled the border towns of Ras al-Ain and Darbasiya as Turkish troops continued their assault just days after President Trump pulled the last of the US troops from the region. The Observatory said Turkish forces had already seized two villages near Ras al-Ain and five near the town of Tel Abyad on Thursday just hours after the operation started.

First Turkish soldier killed during Syria operation: Defence ministry

Donald Trump says he hopes to mediate between Turkey and the Kurds

Turkey's Syria Invasion: U.S. President Trump offers to mediate

Turkey intensified its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-turkish-soldier-killed-during-syria-operation-defence-ministry-255146">air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia </a>in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against US President Donald Trump.

The incursion, launched after Trump withdrew U.S. troops who had been fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State militants, has opened a new front in the eight-year-old Syrian civil war and drawn fierce international criticism.

A war monitor gave a death toll approaching 100 from the first days of the assault, including 17 civilians as well as dozens of Kurdish fighters and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.Turkey says nine civilians have been killed on its side of the frontier by retaliatory shelling.

In Washington, Trump - fending off accusations that he abandoned the Kurds, loyal allies of the United States - suggested Washington could mediate in the conflict. He also raised the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey, a move demanded by Republican congressional critics of his policy.

Trump's defence secretary, Mark Esper, told his Turkish counterpart that the incursion "risks serious consequences for Turkey" and Turkey must help find a way to "de-escalate the situation before it becomes irreparable", the Pentagon said.

On Friday, Turkish warplanes and artillery struck around Syria's Ras al-Ain, one of two border towns that have been the focus of the offensive. Reuters journalists heard gunfire there from across the frontier in the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar.

Hundreds of kilometres further east along the frontier, Kurdish-led fighters reported heavy shelling in Qamishli, the biggest city in the Kurdish-controlled region of northeastern Syria. Authorities there said a car bomb had blown up in the city, killing three civilians and wounding nine. The video showed smoke rising from the wreckage.

A convoy of 20 armoured vehicles carrying Turkish-allied Syrian rebels entered Syria from Ceylanpinar. Some made victory signs, shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) and waving Syrian rebel flags as they advanced towards Ras al-Ain.

Some 120 km (75 miles) to the west, Turkish howitzers resumed shelling near the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, a witness said.

"In these moments, Tel Abyad is seeing the most intense battles in three days," Marvan Qamishlo, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said.

Overnight, clashes erupted at different points along the entire stretch of border from Ain Diwar at the Iraqi frontier to Kobani, more than 400 km to the west.

"The whole border was on fire," Qamishlo said.

Turkish forces have seized nine villages near Ras al-Ain and Tel Abyad, said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war.

At least 41 fighters with the SDF, 34 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and 17 civilians have been killed in Syria, according to the Observatory. The SDF said 22 of its fighters were killed on Wednesday and Thursday.

Turkey says it has killed hundreds of SDF fighters and two Turkish soldiers have been killed. Turkish authorities said two people were killed and three wounded by mortar shelling in the border town of Suruc, raising the death toll to nine civilians killed on the Turkish side.

Refugees "weaponised"

Turkey says the purpose of its assault is to defeat the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as an enemy for its links to insurgents in Turkey. It says it aims to set up a "safe zone" inside Syria, where it can resettle many of the 3.6 million refugees it has been hosting.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan criticised Europe for failing to support the Turkish offensive and threatened to send refugees to Europe if the EU did not back him. That prompted a furious response from the EU.

"We will never accept that refugees are weaponised and used to blackmail us," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted. France said sanctions against Turkey would be discussed at an EU summit next week.

The International Rescue Committee aid group says 64,000 people in Syria have fled in the first days of the campaign.

The Kurdish YPG is the main fighting element of the SDF, which has acted as the principal allies of the United States in a campaign that recaptured territory from Islamic State.

The SDF now holds most of the territory that once made up Islamic State's "caliphate" in Syria, and has been keeping thousands of fighters from the jihadist group in jail and tens of thousands of their family members in camps.

A camp sheltering more than 7,000 displaced people in northern Syria is to be evacuated and there are talks on moving a second camp for 13,000 people, including militants' families after both were shelled, Kurdish-led authorities said.

Two Turkish officials said Ankara believed there were more than 1,000 Islamic State fighters, mostly foreigners, held in the part of Syria where Turkey aims to set up its safe zone. Turkey would aim to send them to their countries of origin.

Medecins Sans Frontieres said a hospital in Tel Abyad had been forced to shut after most of its staff fled.

Rare Republican criticism of Trump

In the United States, Trump's decision to withhold protection from the Kurds has been one of the few issues to prompt criticism from his fellow Republicans, including leading allies on Capitol Hill such as Senator Lindsey Graham.

Trump said in a Twitter post on Thursday: "We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!".

"I hope we can mediate," Trump said when asked about the options by reporters at the White House.

Without elaborating, he said the United States was "going to possibly do something very, very tough with respect to sanctions and other financial things" against Turkey.

Western countries' rejection of the Turkish offensive creates a rift within the NATO alliance, in which Turkey is the main Muslim member. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul that he expected Turkey to act with restraint. Cavusoglu said Ankara expected "strong solidarity" from the alliance.

Turkey intensified its air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against US President Donald Trump.

Turkey intensified its air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against US President Donald Trump. The incursion, launched after Trump withdrew U.S. troops who had been fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State militants, has opened a new front in the eight-year-old Syrian civil war and drawn fierce international criticism. A war monitor gave a death toll approaching 100 from the first days of the assault, including 17 civilians as well as dozens of Kurdish fighters and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.Turkey says nine civilians have been killed on its side of the frontier by retaliatory shelling. In Washington, Trump - fending off accusations that he abandoned the Kurds, loyal allies of the United States - suggested Washington could mediate in the conflict. He also raised the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey, a move demanded by Republican congressional critics of his policy. Trump's defence secretary, Mark Esper, told his Turkish counterpart that the incursion "risks serious consequences for Turkey" and Turkey must help find a way to "de-escalate the situation before it becomes irreparable", the Pentagon said. On Friday, Turkish warplanes and artillery struck around Syria's Ras al-Ain, one of two border towns that have been the focus of the offensive. Reuters journalists heard gunfire there from across the frontier in the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar. Hundreds of kilometres further east along the frontier, Kurdish-led fighters reported heavy shelling in Qamishli, the biggest city in the Kurdish-controlled region of northeastern Syria. Authorities there said a car bomb had blown up in the city, killing three civilians and wounding nine. The video showed smoke rising from the wreckage. A convoy of 20 armoured vehicles carrying Turkish-allied Syrian rebels entered Syria from Ceylanpinar. Some made victory signs, shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) and waving Syrian rebel flags as they advanced towards Ras al-Ain. Some 120 km (75 miles) to the west, Turkish howitzers resumed shelling near the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, a witness said. "In these moments, Tel Abyad is seeing the most intense battles in three days," Marvan Qamishlo, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said. Overnight, clashes erupted at different points along the entire stretch of border from Ain Diwar at the Iraqi frontier to Kobani, more than 400 km to the west. "The whole border was on fire," Qamishlo said. Turkish forces have seized nine villages near Ras al-Ain and Tel Abyad, said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war. At least 41 fighters with the SDF, 34 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and 17 civilians have been killed in Syria, according to the Observatory. The SDF said 22 of its fighters were killed on Wednesday and Thursday. Turkey says it has killed hundreds of SDF fighters and two Turkish soldiers have been killed. Turkish authorities said two people were killed and three wounded by mortar shelling in the border town of Suruc, raising the death toll to nine civilians killed on the Turkish side. Refugees "weaponised" Turkey says the purpose of its assault is to defeat the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as an enemy for its links to insurgents in Turkey. It says it aims to set up a "safe zone" inside Syria, where it can resettle many of the 3.6 million refugees it has been hosting. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan criticised Europe for failing to support the Turkish offensive and threatened to send refugees to Europe if the EU did not back him. That prompted a furious response from the EU. "We will never accept that refugees are weaponised and used to blackmail us," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted. France said sanctions against Turkey would be discussed at an EU summit next week. The International Rescue Committee aid group says 64,000 people in Syria have fled in the first days of the campaign. The Kurdish YPG is the main fighting element of the SDF, which has acted as the principal allies of the United States in a campaign that recaptured territory from Islamic State. The SDF now holds most of the territory that once made up Islamic State's "caliphate" in Syria, and has been keeping thousands of fighters from the jihadist group in jail and tens of thousands of their family members in camps. A camp sheltering more than 7,000 displaced people in northern Syria is to be evacuated and there are talks on moving a second camp for 13,000 people, including militants' families after both were shelled, Kurdish-led authorities said. Two Turkish officials said Ankara believed there were more than 1,000 Islamic State fighters, mostly foreigners, held in the part of Syria where Turkey aims to set up its safe zone. Turkey would aim to send them to their countries of origin. Medecins Sans Frontieres said a hospital in Tel Abyad had been forced to shut after most of its staff fled. Rare Republican criticism of Trump In the United States, Trump's decision to withhold protection from the Kurds has been one of the few issues to prompt criticism from his fellow Republicans, including leading allies on Capitol Hill such as Senator Lindsey Graham. Trump said in a Twitter post on Thursday: "We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!". "I hope we can mediate," Trump said when asked about the options by reporters at the White House. Without elaborating, he said the United States was "going to possibly do something very, very tough with respect to sanctions and other financial things" against Turkey. Western countries' rejection of the Turkish offensive creates a rift within the NATO alliance, in which Turkey is the main Muslim member. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul that he expected Turkey to act with restraint. Cavusoglu said Ankara expected "strong solidarity" from the alliance.

Turkey intensifies Syria campaign; Washington warns of 'serious consequences'

Turkey angrily rejected on October 10, international criticism of its attack on a Kurdish militia in Syria, reporting progress by its forces on the second day of an operation that world powers fear could further destabilise a region in turmoil.

Turkey Invades Syria: Erdogan threatens to send Syrian refugees to Europe

Turkey pounded Kurdish militia in northeast Syria for a second day on Thursday, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee and killing at least dozens of people in a cross-border assault on U.S. allies that has turned the Washington establishment against President Donald Trump.

Turkey Invades Syria and attacks Kurds

For the second time in two years, Jihan and her family had to pack their bags and abandon their home in northern Syria because of a Turkish invasion.

As she picked her way through the belongings other <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-60000-displaced-by-turkey-assault-on-syria-monitor-255034">displaced families </a>had strewn across the schoolyard, the 47-year-old mother felt a mix of anger and wary deja vu.

"We don't know where to go," she said, moments after reaching the school in the city Hasakeh which the autonomous Kurdish administration turned into a shelter.

According to the United Nations, 70,000 people have had to flee their homes since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-invades-syria-and-attacks-kurds-255086">Turkey launched a cross-border offensive </a>on Kurdish-controlled areas on Wednesday.

It is the third time since the start of the Syria conflict in 2011 that Turkey has invaded northern Syria.

The last time was in early 2018, when Turkish forces and their Syrian proxies seized the Kurdish-majority area of Afrin, causing another major wave of displacement.

Jihan and her family fled her native Afrin then and settled in Kobane, another mostly Kurdish border town that suffered major destruction earlier in the war.

On Thursday, she had to flee again and join the flock of civilians who have streaming to Hasakeh, an eastern city that has not been targeted by Turkey so far.

"What does Erdogan want from us?," she raged, referring to the Turkish president. "Is it all simply because we are Kurds?"

She and most other displaced Kurds have been unable to return to Afrin, where mostly Sunni Arab former rebels loyal to Ankara have settled.

Some of the same former rebels, who were defeated by regime forces and cannot return to their own native regions in Syria, are now supporting Turkey's latest operation.

History is repeating itself in many ways: Turkey launched its attack on Afrin last year after Russian forces quit positions in the area.

This week, Ankara and its proxies launched their offensive two days after US forces pulled back from the border, leaving their Kurdish allies in the lurch.

"In Afrin, Russia sold us out. Today, America is selling us out," is how Jihan summed it up.

In the schoolyard in Hasakeh, the displaced children play on a rusty old swing while their parents start unpacking their bags and feed the youngest.

Most of the displaced are from the largest towns on the border, including Kobane, Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain.

"Following the emergency... people went to Tall Tamr, Hasakeh, and surrounding villages. We have requisitioned three schools to house the people," said Majida Amin, a local official in charge of displaced people.

She said that the number of people who were given shelter in the first school was 220 and increasing with every hour.

Amin said that little help was available from local aid groups and called on the international community to step up and organise the emergency humanitarian response.

She explained that most of the people who fled their homes try to move in with relatives who live in safer areas before coming to the newly opened shelters.

Since Turkish jets and artillery started raining bombs and shells, families can be seen heading away from the border, some of them walking down roads with bags and bundles on their backs.

Others like Ibrahim Fares and his family were able to squeeze in a car to leave Ras al-Ain, one of the towns hardest hit.

"Now we don't know where to go and where we will sleep," the 28-year-old said.

For the second time in two years, Jihan and her family had to pack their bags and abandon their home in northern Syria because of a Turkish invasion. As she picked her way through the belongings other displaced families had strewn across the schoolyard, the 47-year-old mother felt a mix of anger and wary deja vu.

For the second time in two years, Jihan and her family had to pack their bags and abandon their home in northern Syria because of a Turkish invasion. As she picked her way through the belongings other displaced families had strewn across the schoolyard, the 47-year-old mother felt a mix of anger and wary deja vu. "We don't know where to go," she said, moments after reaching the school in the city Hasakeh which the autonomous Kurdish administration turned into a shelter. According to the United Nations, 70,000 people have had to flee their homes since Turkey launched a cross-border offensive on Kurdish-controlled areas on Wednesday. It is the third time since the start of the Syria conflict in 2011 that Turkey has invaded northern Syria. The last time was in early 2018, when Turkish forces and their Syrian proxies seized the Kurdish-majority area of Afrin, causing another major wave of displacement. Jihan and her family fled her native Afrin then and settled in Kobane, another mostly Kurdish border town that suffered major destruction earlier in the war. On Thursday, she had to flee again and join the flock of civilians who have streaming to Hasakeh, an eastern city that has not been targeted by Turkey so far. "What does Erdogan want from us?," she raged, referring to the Turkish president. "Is it all simply because we are Kurds?" She and most other displaced Kurds have been unable to return to Afrin, where mostly Sunni Arab former rebels loyal to Ankara have settled. Some of the same former rebels, who were defeated by regime forces and cannot return to their own native regions in Syria, are now supporting Turkey's latest operation. History is repeating itself in many ways: Turkey launched its attack on Afrin last year after Russian forces quit positions in the area. This week, Ankara and its proxies launched their offensive two days after US forces pulled back from the border, leaving their Kurdish allies in the lurch. "In Afrin, Russia sold us out. Today, America is selling us out," is how Jihan summed it up. In the schoolyard in Hasakeh, the displaced children play on a rusty old swing while their parents start unpacking their bags and feed the youngest. Most of the displaced are from the largest towns on the border, including Kobane, Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain. "Following the emergency... people went to Tall Tamr, Hasakeh, and surrounding villages. We have requisitioned three schools to house the people," said Majida Amin, a local official in charge of displaced people. She said that the number of people who were given shelter in the first school was 220 and increasing with every hour. Amin said that little help was available from local aid groups and called on the international community to step up and organise the emergency humanitarian response. She explained that most of the people who fled their homes try to move in with relatives who live in safer areas before coming to the newly opened shelters. Since Turkish jets and artillery started raining bombs and shells, families can be seen heading away from the border, some of them walking down roads with bags and bundles on their backs. Others like Ibrahim Fares and his family were able to squeeze in a car to leave Ras al-Ain, one of the towns hardest hit. "Now we don't know where to go and where we will sleep," the 28-year-old said.

In Syria, history repeats itself for displaced Kurds

By James L Gelvin

Turkey’s attack on Kurdish-run territory in northern Syria will likely snuff out a radical experiment in self-government that is unlike anything I have seen in more than 30 years studying the Middle East.

In a surprise October 6 statement, President Donald Trump announced the US would withdraw its troops from northern Syria.

Approximately 1,000 American soldiers had been stationed in that region as a buffer separating Kurdish forces – who had been working with the Americans in the fight against the Islamic State – from Turkish troops. Turkey feared that the Syrian Kurds would link up with Turkey’s Kurdish minority who have demanded autonomy or independence.

On October 9, the Turkish military began its assault, pummeling Kurdish-held territory with artillery and airstrikes. Kurds are rapidly evacuating the region and at least 24 people have been killed in northern Syria. Retaliatory strikes from Syria have killed civilians in southern Turkey.

According to Turkish President Recep Erdogan, Turkey’s goal is to create a buffer zone separating Syria’s Kurds from the Turkish border.

But his country’s attack will do much more than that. If successful, it will destroy the most full-fledged democracy the Middle East has yet to see.

A different way to govern

The Kurds call their autonomous region in Syria “Rojava,” meaning “the land where the sunsets.”

Kurdish-led forces took possession of this swath of territory in northern and eastern Syria from direct Syrian government control in 2012. Then they successfully defended it against the Islamic State.

Kurdish Syria is a small portion of a territory, known as Kurdistan, that includes parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Kurdistan is home to approximately 25-35 million Kurds, a cultural and ethnic minority in the Middle East.

The key to understanding the Rojava project, as those involved often refer to it, is the notion of “confederalism.” In this form of government, local units – in this case, Kurdistan’s “autonomous regions” – come together in a federation yet retain a great deal of autonomy.

Because sovereign power belongs to the local units and not to a central government, Kurdish confederalism differs from an American-style federal system.

The Kurds are so serious about devolving power to the local level that Rojava’s charter requires each of its three regions to have its own flag. And within each region, local elected councils are in charge. They organize garbage collection, adjudicate disputes and manage public health and safety.

Confederalism sets the Kurds apart from almost every other government in the Middle East.&nbsp;

Across the region, power is concentrated at the top. Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, is an authoritarian leader who has ruthlessly crushed his opponents in the country’s eight-year civil war. Egypt has a military government. Saudi Arabia has a king.

But Rojava would be an exceptional society almost anywhere.

Rojava’s charter guarantees freedom of expression and assembly and equality of all religious communities and languages. It mandates direct democracy, term limits and gender equality. Men and women share every position in government. Kurdish women have fought the Islamic State in Syria as soldiers in an all-female militia.

In a region where religion and politics are often intertwined, the Kurdish state is secular. Religious leaders cannot serve in politics. Rojava’s charter even affirms the right of all citizens to a healthy environment.

Surrounding countries, including Syria, also have constitutions with eloquent endorsements of political and human rights.

In Rojava, however, the constitution is actually in effect. Syrian Kurds have realized the dream of the 2010-2011 pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world.

Rojava’s downsides

Internal cleavages in Syria’s Kurdish community undermine the Rojava project – namely, the perpetual jockeying for power between rival Kurdish clans and the struggle for preeminence among Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi Kurds.

The Kurds also have a troubled relationship with Syria’s Arabs and other groups. Beginning in the 1960s, the Syrian government began moving other populations to Kurdish territory to challenge Kurdish dominance there, sparking Kurdish resentment.

The devastation wrought by the Islamic State – such as the mass murder of the Yazidis, a religious minority within the Kurdish community, and sexual enslavement of their women – further fueled this resentment.

There have been numerous reports of Kurdish soldiers taking violent revenge against captured Islamic State members, alleged collaborators and even entire villages suspected of aiding the Islamic State enemy.

The Kurdish region of Syria also has some politically problematic origins.

The Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party – Rojava’s leading political party – played an outsized role in the creation of Rojava. The party is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a far-left militant group that has fought against the Turkish government, first for the independence of Kurds from Turkey in the 1980s and 1990s, then – in the early 2000s – for their autonomy within Turkish borders.

Many Kurds in Rojava consider PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan a national hero. It was Ocalan who came up with the idea of confederalism in the first place, back in 2005.

But both Turkey and the United States consider the PKK to be a terrorist organization. The PKK is currently conducting an insurgency against the Turkish government.

Danger ahead 
 
The Rojava project is now in imminent peril.

Even if Turkey hadn’t launched its military offensive, Rojava would probably still have a tenuous future.

The Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party has refused to take sides in the Syrian civil war. Its vision, now realized, lay elsewhere.

Nevertheless, it is doubtful that the Syrian regime will reward Kurds for their relative impartiality during the civil war. Nor is it likely that the regime will reward them for limiting their goal to autonomy instead of independence.

The reason: Rojava sits atop Syria’s largest oil fields.

(James L Gelvin is Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of California, Los Angeles)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/turkish-attack-on-syria-endangers-a-remarkable-democratic-experiment-by-the-kurds-125105">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

By James L Gelvin Turkey’s attack on Kurdish-run territory in northern Syria will likely snuff out a radical experiment in self-government that is unlike anything I have seen in more than 30 years studying the Middle East.

By James L Gelvin Turkey’s attack on Kurdish-run territory in northern Syria will likely snuff out a radical experiment in self-government that is unlike anything I have seen in more than 30 years studying the Middle East. In a surprise October 6 statement, President Donald Trump announced the US would withdraw its troops from northern Syria. Approximately 1,000 American soldiers had been stationed in that region as a buffer separating Kurdish forces – who had been working with the Americans in the fight against the Islamic State – from Turkish troops. Turkey feared that the Syrian Kurds would link up with Turkey’s Kurdish minority who have demanded autonomy or independence. On October 9, the Turkish military began its assault, pummeling Kurdish-held territory with artillery and airstrikes. Kurds are rapidly evacuating the region and at least 24 people have been killed in northern Syria. Retaliatory strikes from Syria have killed civilians in southern Turkey. According to Turkish President Recep Erdogan, Turkey’s goal is to create a buffer zone separating Syria’s Kurds from the Turkish border. But his country’s attack will do much more than that. If successful, it will destroy the most full-fledged democracy the Middle East has yet to see. A different way to govern The Kurds call their autonomous region in Syria “Rojava,” meaning “the land where the sunsets.” Kurdish-led forces took possession of this swath of territory in northern and eastern Syria from direct Syrian government control in 2012. Then they successfully defended it against the Islamic State. Kurdish Syria is a small portion of a territory, known as Kurdistan, that includes parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Kurdistan is home to approximately 25-35 million Kurds, a cultural and ethnic minority in the Middle East. The key to understanding the Rojava project, as those involved often refer to it, is the notion of “confederalism.” In this form of government, local units – in this case, Kurdistan’s “autonomous regions” – come together in a federation yet retain a great deal of autonomy. Because sovereign power belongs to the local units and not to a central government, Kurdish confederalism differs from an American-style federal system. The Kurds are so serious about devolving power to the local level that Rojava’s charter requires each of its three regions to have its own flag. And within each region, local elected councils are in charge. They organize garbage collection, adjudicate disputes and manage public health and safety. Confederalism sets the Kurds apart from almost every other government in the Middle East. Across the region, power is concentrated at the top. Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, is an authoritarian leader who has ruthlessly crushed his opponents in the country’s eight-year civil war. Egypt has a military government. Saudi Arabia has a king. But Rojava would be an exceptional society almost anywhere. Rojava’s charter guarantees freedom of expression and assembly and equality of all religious communities and languages. It mandates direct democracy, term limits and gender equality. Men and women share every position in government. Kurdish women have fought the Islamic State in Syria as soldiers in an all-female militia. In a region where religion and politics are often intertwined, the Kurdish state is secular. Religious leaders cannot serve in politics. Rojava’s charter even affirms the right of all citizens to a healthy environment. Surrounding countries, including Syria, also have constitutions with eloquent endorsements of political and human rights. In Rojava, however, the constitution is actually in effect. Syrian Kurds have realized the dream of the 2010-2011 pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world. Rojava’s downsides Internal cleavages in Syria’s Kurdish community undermine the Rojava project – namely, the perpetual jockeying for power between rival Kurdish clans and the struggle for preeminence among Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi Kurds. The Kurds also have a troubled relationship with Syria’s Arabs and other groups. Beginning in the 1960s, the Syrian government began moving other populations to Kurdish territory to challenge Kurdish dominance there, sparking Kurdish resentment. The devastation wrought by the Islamic State – such as the mass murder of the Yazidis, a religious minority within the Kurdish community, and sexual enslavement of their women – further fueled this resentment. There have been numerous reports of Kurdish soldiers taking violent revenge against captured Islamic State members, alleged collaborators and even entire villages suspected of aiding the Islamic State enemy. The Kurdish region of Syria also has some politically problematic origins. The Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party – Rojava’s leading political party – played an outsized role in the creation of Rojava. The party is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a far-left militant group that has fought against the Turkish government, first for the independence of Kurds from Turkey in the 1980s and 1990s, then – in the early 2000s – for their autonomy within Turkish borders. Many Kurds in Rojava consider PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan a national hero. It was Ocalan who came up with the idea of confederalism in the first place, back in 2005. But both Turkey and the United States consider the PKK to be a terrorist organization. The PKK is currently conducting an insurgency against the Turkish government. Danger ahead The Rojava project is now in imminent peril. Even if Turkey hadn’t launched its military offensive, Rojava would probably still have a tenuous future. The Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party has refused to take sides in the Syrian civil war. Its vision, now realized, lay elsewhere. Nevertheless, it is doubtful that the Syrian regime will reward Kurds for their relative impartiality during the civil war. Nor is it likely that the regime will reward them for limiting their goal to autonomy instead of independence. The reason: Rojava sits atop Syria’s largest oil fields. (James L Gelvin is Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of California, Los Angeles) (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)

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