国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Turkeys expectations frustrated by U.S.-Russian deal on Syria: analysts_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Turkeys expectations frustrated by U.S.-Russian deal on Syria: analysts

"Neither the U.S. nor Russia should be expected to allow such a military operation," said Dilek, a former staff officer in the Turkish military.

Turkish troops, backed by the Free Syrian Army rebel group, seized several towns including al-Bab in northern Syria in their last operation launched in August last year in a bid to clear the IS militants and stop the Kurdish cantons from uniting along the Turkish border.

Afrin is one of the three cantons in Syria along the Turkish border now controlled by the Kurdish militia, known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), which is seen by Ankara as the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party outlawed for its armed struggle against the Turkish government for over 30 years.

If Ankara launches a military operation against Afrin without the green light from Moscow and Washington, it is likely to draw a negative response from them, remarked Faruk Logoglu, a former senior Turkish diplomat.

Russia has a military presence in Afrin and had signaled earlier in the year that it would support the YPG against a potential Turkish intervention by releasing video clips of Russian flags and troops accompanying the Kurdish militia.

For its part, the U.S. has relied on the YPG as a ground force against the IS and provided it with military equipment despite repeated Turkish outcry.

Noting the joint statement puts Russia and the U.S. squarely in the driver's seat in the Syrian theater, Logoglu said "Turkey should review all aspects of its Syrian policy in the light of the elements in the joint declaration, consolidate its military gains over there and refrain from further operations until the situation on the ground becomes clearer."