Russia, Turkey stay close despite differences in Syria

All eyes are on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now that the Turkish military has defeated the Kurdish People’s Protection Unit (YPG) forces in Afrin.

Cengiz Candar writes, “Experts, observers and even international anti-Islamic State coalition officials thought that the Syrian Kurdish fighters would have put up a stronger resistance to protect the land and that Turkey’s victory would come at a great cost. … Following the decision by the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to hand over the city center without engaging in urban warfare against the Turkey-led Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces, most now believe that Turkey’s military intervention in Afrin is a prelude to a wider offensive against other cities under the control of Syrian Kurdish forces.”