On October 6, 2019, the U.S. military announced the withdrawal of its troops from northern Syria. A sign interpreted by Turkey as a green light to launch an invasion against the territories of the region controlled by the Kurds.
This foray into Syria is not the first for Turkey. For several years, its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been trying to neutralize the Kurdish armed forces of the YPG (People's Protection Units) which he considers a threat.
So why are the Kurds a problem for Turkey? We explain the situation to you in this fourth episode of our series "Mappemonde".
To see the other episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFuK0VAIne9LhQy5THa8YrrZbyWaIRqPc
sources:
– The improbable unified Kurdish state (Didier Billion, International and strategic review)
– Ankara and Moscow, game of dupes in Syria (Akram Belkaïd, The diplomatic world)
– A map to understand the impossible autonomy of the Kurds in Syria (The world)
– The YPG-PKK connection (Atlantic Council)
– Turkey’s PKK conflict, a visual explainer (International Crisis Group)
