Turkey eyes five new targets for possible offensive in Syria
Turkey has ramped up military activity on the ground in Syria following a parliamentary extension of the government's mandate to carry out cross-border operations. Yet, such an operation still seems unlikely without Washington and Moscow’s approval.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might be counting on nationalism to sidestep Turkey’s deepening economic and political troubles before the presidential elections in 2023. Ankara has stepped up its military presence in Syria for a potential new incursion, in parallel with the Turkish parliament’s extending the government’s mandate for military operations in Syria for another two years.
The main opposition CHP voted against the motion for the first time, alongside Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party. Unlike the previous extensions for another year, the latest motion grants a 24-month term to the government — a move that both opposition parties argue is to benefit Erdogan’s election calculus.
