Turkey Begins Offensive in Syria After U.S. Stands Aside

  • Kurdish YPG fighters say they will defend themselves
  • Turkey wants to roll back Kurdish militia, resettle refugees

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Turkish Troops Begin Offensive in Syria
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Turkey has begun its military offensive into northeastern Syria to force back Kurdish militants controlling the border area, days after President Donald Trump said the U.S. wouldn’t stand in the way.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of the operation, code-named Spring of Peace, on Twitter and said it would also target Islamic State. Russia, Iran and a top EU official urged Turkey to act with restraint amid concerns that renewed chaos in Syria would lead to a jihadist resurgence and push the Kurds, America’s allies in the fight against IS, into the arms of President Bashar al-Assad.