Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a warning that Turkey will not hesitate to launch a new offensive in northern Syria if Kurdish-led groups proceed with plans to hold local elections in the region. The Kurdish-led autonomous administration controlling parts of northern and eastern Syria has announced municipal elections scheduled for June 11 in several provinces.
Turkey views these elections as a move by Syrian Kurdish militia towards establishing an independent Kurdish entity along its border, posing a threat to both Syrian and Turkish territorial integrity. Erdogan emphasized Turkey's commitment to preventing the formation of a separatist state near its southern borders in Syria and Iraq.
The Kurdish militia group, known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey due to its alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been engaged in a long-standing insurgency against Turkey. Despite this, the YPG forms a significant part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key ally of the United States in the fight against the Islamic State group.
Turkey has conducted military operations in Syria since 2016 to push back Syrian Kurdish militia from its border and currently controls a portion of northern Syrian territory. Turkish leaders have expressed intentions to establish a safe zone along its border in Syria and Iraq to prevent threats from the PKK.
Erdogan reiterated Turkey's readiness to take action if faced with a similar situation as in the past, emphasizing the country's determination to protect its borders and national security interests.
