Caspian Region Backs Turkey’s Afrin Operation In Syria

Three out of the five countries in the Caspian region are backing Turkey’s military push in Syria’s northwestern town of Afrin, which began on Saturday to clear it of Kurdish fighters, which Ankara sees as a threat to Turkey’s security.

Known as Operation Olive Branch, the move has been met with support from Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.

A spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Hikmat Haciyev said Baku understands Turkey’s concern over terrorist threats, and backs Turkey's moves.

"Azerbaijan as a country that has suffered from terrorism, resolutely denounces terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and it defends efforts by the international community in this fight,” Haciyev said, according to Azerbaijan Press Agency.

Officials in Moscow have expressed their concerns about the Turkish military operation in Afrin, but blame the U.S. for creating what Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calls “alternative bodies of power” in Syria.

"We have long been emphasizing that the United States has embarked on creating alternative bodies of power on a significant part of Syrian territory,” Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference held in Moscow on Monday.

“Washington has been making open as well as behind-the-scenes deliveries of modern weapons into Syria, in order to transfer them to the detachments that are cooperating with it, first of all, the Syrian Democratic Forces that rely on Kurdish militias,” Lavrov said.

Russia’s top diplomat went on accusing the U.S. of attempts to disrupt dialogue with Syria’s official government in Damascus, headed by President Bashar Al Assad. Along with Iran, Russia is one of the Assad regime’s closest allies and can be credited with his remaining in power since a civil war broke out in Syria nearly seven years ago. Russian military intervention in Syria began in September 2015, after Assad officially requested it from the Kremlin.

Assad accuses Washington of fomenting separatist movements by the Kurds, as the U.S. discourages the country’s Kurdish minority from engaging with Damascus.

The Russian Defense Ministry also puts blame on Washington for provoking Turkey’s operation in Afrin, saying it allows for an uncontrolled amount of arms supplies to be pushed to pro-American groups in northern Syria.

“A statement by the United States to set up `border forces’ on the Turkish frontier as well as other actions of Americans for the downfall of the Syrian statehood and backing the militant groups have caused a negative reaction of Ankara," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

This reaction of the Defense Ministry came after earlier reports that the US intends to create a 30,000-strong Kurdish-led force in northeast Syria.

On the same day, President Vladimir Putin's Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is closely monitoring Turkey's military operation in Afrin.

"Russian representatives are staying in contact with both the Syrian leadership and the Turkish leadership on this issue too," Peskov said.

Iran’s reaction to Turkey’s military operation is not muted either.

“The continuation of the crisis in Afrin may lead to re-strengthening of takfiri-terrorist groups in Syria's northern areas and once again fan the flames of war and destruction in this country,” Qassemi added, using a traditional Arabic term for ‘apostate’ to refer to Kurdish separatists.

Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Maj-Gen Mohammad Baqeri cautioned Turkey against encroaching on Syria’s territorial integrity, independence and national sovereignty during a phone conversation he had with Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar. According to reports by Iran’s Press TV, Baqeri said that Turkey must give assurances that it does not crave for any part of the Syrian soil.

“These military measures should not harm tripartite political negotiations and the Astana peace talks, which have so far managed to produce success,” Baqeri added.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey is not interested in seizing Syrian territories, and that the ongoing operation in Afrin will end as soon as Turkey’s objectives are met.

"Turkey has no design on the territories of another country. The operation in Afrin will end when its aims are fulfilled, like Operation Euphrates Shield," said Recep Tayyip Erdogan, referring to a successful cross-border operation that ended last March.

Erdogan said Operation Olive Branch is not aimed at Kurds, but instead targets terrorists in the region. “It is very clear that we do not have any problem with our Kurdish citizens; it is also not a matter of a Kurdish corridor. The incident is a matter of destroying the terrorist corridor in Syria,” he added.

“The main purpose of this operation is to contribute to the safety of life and property of Syrian people as well as the territorial integrity of Syria, along with Turkey’s national security,” he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Turkey to exercise restraint, and ensure that its military operations in Afrin are limited in order to avoid civilian casualties. Tillerson has also called on all parties to remain focused on the central goal of defeating ISIS.

At the same time, he and U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis have said that the U.S. recognizes that Turkey, a NATO ally with the alliance’s second-largest military, has "legitimate security concerns", and that success against IS "does not remove many of Turkey’s concerns".