Turkey punishing, Syria, Iraq after Istanbul attack

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the explosion that occurred on a street specified for pedestrians in Istanbul, the Turkish government has accused Kurdish militants of involvement in the attack that left six people dead and over 80 others injured.

The Turkish Ministry of Defence said its troops launched operation 'Claw/Sword' in northern Iraq and Syria.

These areas, it said, are used as bases by terrorists.

Claw and sword

The Turkish Defence Ministry said in a statement that the air operation 'Claw/Sword' was launched in its right to defend Turkey, under Article no. 51 of the United Nations Charter.

The operation, it said, aims to get rid of terrorist attacks from northern Iraq and Syria, ensure border security, and stem terrorism out of the area.

The ministry added in its statement that airstrikes staged in the area targeted bases of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units militia.

The militia is described by Turkey as a military arm of the PKK.

Turkish attacks, carried out with dozens of warplanes and drones over large areas in northern Iraq and Syria, are the largest since operation 'Peace Spring' in northern Syria in October 2019.

Ground operations

The military option appears to be Turkey's only solution to solve what it sees as the dilemma of northern Syria.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the operations in northern Syria and Iraq would not be limited to the air campaign.

Turkey, he said, would hold discussions on the participation of ground troops.

A local Turkish channel quoted Erdogan as saying that the Turkish General Staff and the Ministry of defence would decide together on the participation of ground troops.

"It is highly unlikely that the military operation will be limited to airstrikes," the Turkish president said. "We will take the decision and the step on the size of the ground troops that should join the operation."

Erdogan added that he had not held talks with the American and Russian presidents on operation 'Claw- Sword'.

He explained that Turkish security authorities decide and take their steps.

"We do not wait for permission from anyone and the US should know us well," Erdogan said.

Response

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, for his part, Raed al-Azzawi, head of think tank, al-Amsar Centre for Strategic Studies, said the operation is clearly an attempt to respond to the terrorist attack in Istanbul and restore the prestige of the Turkish government.

This prestige, he said, was deeply shaken over the attack.

"However, the operation undermines internal peace in Turkey," al-Azzawi said.

He expected the operation to negatively affect Turkey's relations with Iraq and Syria because it violates the sovereignty of these states.