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Damascus can choose to deal with Ankara or the Kurds

Content type:: Expert Briefings
Location:: SYRIA
Keywords associated with this article:: Geographic: Syria ME/NAF Turkey Iran Iraq Russia United States

Topical: international relations politics social civil war election ethnic government military opposition security energy oil regional constitution foreign policy talks terrorism
ISSN:: 2633-304X
Citation:: Oxford Analytica (2017), "Damascus can choose to deal with Ankara or the Kurds", Expert Briefings.
https://doi.org/10.1108/OXAN-DB227675

Friday, December 22, 2017

Significance

Washington supported the SDF to fight Islamic State (IS) in Syria. Now that it is largely defeated, there are questions over the superpower’s commitment. The United States has already pulled out some 400 marines, and US President Donald Trump reportedly promised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on November 24 to send no further arms.

Impacts

Washington will maintain support for the SDF as a stabilising force in the short term.
Damascus will need Ankara’s cooperation in pushing al-Qaida-linked fighters out of rebel Idlib province.
Turkish threats against the Kurds in Afrin will come to nothing while Moscow maintains a presence.

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Significance

Impacts

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