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Turkey Invades? Erdogan Seeks Annexation of Northern Syria Territories
By Stephen Lendman
Global Research, October 10, 2019

Url of this article:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/erdogan-launches-cross-border-aggression-syria/5691587

Turkish aggression launched East of the Euphrates River Wednesday is proceeding over a far more widespread area than its earlier illegal cross-border operations in Syria — so-called Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch.

So-called “Operation Peace Spring” has nothing to do with peace, nothing to do with protecting Turkey from cross-border attacks, nothing to do with combatting ISIS and likeminded terrorist groups Ankara supports, nothing to do with establishing a “safe zone” for Syrian refugees, Erdogan wants transferred from Turkey to Syrian territory controlled by his regime.

His aggression has everything to do with wanting northern Syrian territory annexed, especially its oil-producing areas.

All wars are based on lies and deception. Truth and full disclosure would destroy pretexts for waging them.

On Wednesday, Erdogan falsely said the following:

“Our Turkish Armed Forces with Syrian National Army (sic) has started the #Operation Peace Spring against the PKK/YPG and Daesh terrorist organizations (sic), in northern Syria.”

“Our aim is to wipe out the terror corridor, trying to be implemented in our southern border (sic), and bring peace and security to the region.”

“With Operation Peace Spring, we will eliminate the terror threats towards our country (sic). With the safe zone we will establish, we will provide the return of Syrian refugees to their countries (sic).

“We will protect the territorial integrity of Syria and save the region’s people from the claws of terror (sic).”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavuşoglu turned truth on its head, claiming Operation Peace Spring is being carried out under international law (sic), the UN Charter (sic), and UN Security Council resolutions on the fight against terrorism (sic).”

US and Turkish operations in Syria are flagrant UN Charter breaches. No nation may attack another preemptively, what naked aggression is all about — except in self-defense if authorized by Security Council members.

Syrian television accused Turkish warplanes of terror-bombing the city of Ras al-Ain. Other reports indicated the town of Tell Abyad and Kobane were struck. Civilians in harm’s way risk serious injuries or death.

Cross-border shelling preceded aerial operations, reportedly continuing.

In response to launched Turkish aggression, a Syrian Foreign Ministry source said the following:

“The hostile behavior of Erdogan’s regime appears clearly through the Turkish expansionist ambitions in the Syrian territories, and it couldn’t be justified under any pretext, and what the Turkish regime claims regarding the security of the borders is refuted by this regime’s ignorance of Adana Agreement.”

In 1998, both countries adopted the agreement related to combating terrorism. Damascus vowed to prevent terrorist elements in its territory from threatening Turkey.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry source added that

“(t)he Syrian Arab Republic holds some of the Kurdish organizations responsible for what is taking place due to their subordination to the US project as they have been previously warned during the meetings with them against the dangers of that project and to not be tools serving the US policy against their homeland, but these organizations have insisted on being tools in the hands of foreigners.”

Turkish and proxy troops mobilized along Syria’s border began a ground incursion into its territory along a 300-mile perimeter. It’s unclear how deep into its territory they’ll penetrate and try to occupy.

World community responses to Erdogan’s aggression failed to condemn it as naked aggression against a sovereign state, the highest of high crimes — based on Big Lies.

Through his spokesperson, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made his usual weak-kneed response, urging all parties in northeast Syria to exercise maximum restraint.

A US war department statement said

“Turkey has chosen to act unilaterally. As a result we have moved the US forces in northern Syria out of the path of potential Turkish incursion to ensure their safety.”

Russia said it wasn’t notified in advance of the US intent to redeploy its forces in areas Turkey intends to attack.

Syrian Kurds called the Trump regime’s betrayal a “stab in the back.”

The US, NATO, the EU, UN, and Russia failed to condemn Erdogan’s aggression.

Russian Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Vladimir Dzaborov said the following:

“Russia will definitely not get involved. This is not our conflict. Russian Armed Forces are not in Syria for this purpose. Their aim is to help free Syria from international terrorism.”

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow recognizes  “Turkey’s right to ensure its security,” adding:

“We are observing the situation carefully.”

Russia considers Turkey an important political and economic partner. It’s unwilling to disrupt the relationship it hopes to enhance — despite Erdogan’s aggression.

A Kurdish statement said

“Turkish warplanes have started to carry out airstrikes on civilian areas. There is a huge panic among people of the region.”

Trump tried having these both way, first green-lighting Turkish aggression, then threatening to “obliterate” its economy if Erdogan goes too far, later adding:

“So many people conveniently forget that Turkey is a big trading partner of the United States.”

How long and destructive Ankara’s operation becomes remains to unfold.

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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article.