Operation Peace Spring: What is Turkish army's next step?
As Turkey’s operation in northeast Syria enters its fifth day, the center of gravity of the operation shifts toward the west.
At 4 p.m. local time Oct. 13, Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring in northeast Syria entered its fifth day. The pace of the operation has been very low compared with Operation Olive Branch of January-March 2018.
Operation Peace Spring has reached the strategic M4 highway that connects northeast Syria to the rest of the country and that has become the center of gravity between Tell Abyad and Ras al-Ain. The town centers are now under Turkish military control.
First indications show that the operation is not spilling over to the south of M4 highway or toward the Hasakah-Qamishli area in the east; it appears to be proceeding westward to the Kobani-Manbij line.
The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), in response, are avoiding intense clashes with the Turkish forces and acting cautiously. The YPG is the Syrian extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, including the United States.
