First Turkey-backed operation against IS becomes a fiasco
Just days after Turkey-backed groups claimed victory against IS in Syria’s al-Rai, the area has fallen back under the extremist group’s control, supporting claims that cooperation with Kurdish forces is needed to defeat IS.
Turkey recently proposed that the United States abandon Syrian Kurdistan's People's Protection Units (YPG) and "let us wipe out the Islamic State [IS] jointly with the moderate opposition." Turkey then made its first such move last week at al-Rai, Syria, with a composite force of Turkmens, Free Syrian Army factions and Salafists.
That force took the town with Turkey’s support, winning much acclaim, but was trounced four days later when IS retook the city April 11.
As the Syrian army was preparing for a major move at Aleppo with the support of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, the United States was involved in an operation with the Kurds south of the Euphrates River, and Turkey was hatching its plan against IS north of the Euphrates with the participation of so-called moderate groups. The US goal is to expel IS from the area along the Euphrates before the Syrian army does it. Turkey’s goal is to prevent the YPG from entering.
Faced with heavy international pressure to liberate Jarablus and al-Rai from IS, Turkey had two options: allow the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by the YPG to conduct operations west of the Euphrates, or push forward to al-Rai and Jarablus with organizations linked to Turkey’s National Intelligence Service.
