Erdogan Threatens New Offensive in Northern Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed today, Thursday, that his country will not hesitate to launch a new offensive in northern Syria if Kurdish-led groups hold elections in the region. A Kurdish-led administration controlling northern and eastern Syria announced plans to conduct municipal elections on June 11. Voting will take place to select mayors in Hassakeh, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and eastern Aleppo. Turkey, which has previously launched military operations deep into Syria, views this as a step by the Syrian Kurdish militias towards establishing an independent Kurdish entity near its borders. Erdogan described the planned elections as a threat to "the territorial integrity of Syria and Turkey." He stated, "We closely monitor the hostile movements of a terrorist organization against the territorial integrity of our country, as well as Syria, under the pretext of elections." He added, "We have done what was necessary in the face of a fait accompli before. And we will not hesitate to act again if we face the same situation."