Turkey's airstrikes on Kurdish regions in Syria and Iraq recently raised many an eyebrow around the globe. They left world leaders wondering if there will be more strikes and, if so, how the escalation will unfold. This article is a sequel to Amberin Zaman’s piece on April 25 that reflected the viewpoints of the United States, the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Baghdad. This will focus on the perspectives of Ankara and Moscow, Ankara's strategic calculations behind the attacks and Moscow’s position on the events.

Early April 25, the Turkish air force carried out simultaneous air attacks on Iraq’s Sinjar region and on Mount Karachok near the northern Syrian town of al-Malikiyah. Thirty F-16 aircraft taking off from Malatya air base used 2,000-pound bombs equipped with GBU 10 Paveway II laser guidance to attack Yazidi Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) forces at Sinjar and strike the command-control facilities, radio link station and media center in northern Syria belonging to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). The YPG is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey considers a terrorist group.

Without doubt, the field situation in northern Syria has heated up. We have to note the serious clashes between the YPG and the Turkish army in the areas of Tal Rifaat, Tal Jibrin, Qari Baba, Derbisi and Maranez, and remember that Turkey has been pounding areas across the border constantly with 155 mm howitzers. On April 26, YPG militants fired anti-tank guided missiles four times and mortars several times at Turkish army border outposts at Hatay, Kilis and Mardin. Two Turkish soldiers were wounded, and two Turkish tanks and some other vehicles were damaged. These clashes are causing much concern, as they could grow into all-out battles.

The April 25 attack was Turkey's first simultaneous, coordinated, major air operation against PKK-linked targets in Iraq and Syria. While announcing the operation, Ankara officials did not feel the need to blame any attack from the other side as a pretext. The first statement by Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar was clear: “Operations will continue as long as the threat prevails. We are assessing the situation and will decide accordingly.”