Turkey has become the hub of reactionary politics in the Middle EastTurkey is a country with expansionist ambitions in the Middle East. Under the pretext of "fighting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Kurds," it has deployed its army in Iraq and Syria. A significant portion of Southern Kurdistan is currently under military occupation. Turkey has established dozens of military bases across the region. Even the base it built in Bashiqa could not be dismantled by the Iraqi government; instead, Turkey has further entrenched itself and turned it into a permanent presence.
Turkey’s activities in Southern Kurdistan and Iraq go far beyond what has already been mentioned. It has extended its reach to the Turkmen population, training and organizing them along nationalist and reactionary lines. Turkey is using these communities to pursue its broader ambitions in Kirkuk and across Iraq. At the same time, it has transformed Southern Kurdistan into an open economic market under its influence. Turkey is also continuing its efforts to exert influence over Sunni communities. Its interference in Iraq’s internal affairs has become deeply entrenched.
The Turkish army launched its occupation of parts of Syria with the explicit aim of preventing the Kurds from gaining status and power. It formed alliances with numerous groups, including ISIS, and occupied regions such as Afrin (Efrîn) and Serêkaniyê, where it carried out acts of ethnic cleansing against the Kurdish population. Through the deployment of its mercenaries in Idlib, Turkey acted as a protector for Jabhat al-Nusra, enabling it to organize itself like a state. By manipulating the Astana process, Turkey created a front against the Kurds. It stalled both Russia and Iran while supporting Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This support ultimately contributed to the weakening of the Baath regime and the partial withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria. As a result, Russia’s presence in Syria was significantly weakened and its operational capacity severely limited.
Following the weakening of the Baath regime, the Turkish state reached an agreement with HTS and launched new attacks targeting the Kurds and the Autonomous Administration. Areas such as Shehba, Til Rifaat, and Manbij were seized. However, the offensive was halted in Tishrin. These months-long assaults aimed to completely dismantle the Autonomous Administration and crush the Kurdish people.
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