Russia can destroy Turkey by supporting Kurds

Russia can give an adequate response to Turkey by handling the issue of the Syrian Kurds, who share the idea of their own state with the ​​Turkish Kurds. For Erdogan, the Kurds are a nightmare - they are the weakest point of the Turkish president. The formation of the state of Kurdistan means the collapse of Turkey.

Why Americans stake on the Kurds

Kurdish military forces (YPG) are the basic military force that shows resistance to the Islamic State in Syria. These forces are part of the military wing of the Party of Democratic Union that is close to the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). After the terrorist attack in the city of Suruc in July, in which the Kurds were killed, Erdogan arranged a provocation on the border with Syria, breaking the truce with the PKK. As a result of such actions, large-scale combat actions erupted in the region.

The terrorist attack in Suruci was committed by Islamic State militants under full control of Turkish special services. For Erdogan, it was a question of power. One had to reduce the popularity of the Democratic Party of Demirtaş that had taken Erdogan's votes at the election in June. Erdogan wanted to unite people in the wake of the "Kurdish threat" by the time of early parliamentary elections in November. Erdogan achieved his goal  by shedding blood.

Washington has been implementing a project of independent Kurdistan for quite a while already. Erdogan's new Ottoman Empire does not include this project. However, it is more important for the Americans to have a vassal state of the Kurds that would  be at war both with Bashar Assad and the Turks. A month ago, the United States joined the Kurds for an offensive on ISIS militants in Syria's Rakka.

After the capture of the city of Tel Abyad,  the creation of a new autonomous region in northern Syria was announced. Washington's decision infuriated Ankara. Declaring Tel Abyad an autonomy is a threat to the national security of Turkey, officials with the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

"It appears to me that the US supports the Kurds in a measured out manner so that they do not destroy Daesh (ISIS) completely,  - Yuri Nabiyev, President of the Society for Solidarity and Cooperation with the Kurdish people told Pravda.Ru. - If the Americans were helping the Kurds indeed, the latter would have wiped Daesh off the face of earth a long time ago."  Noteworthy, the Kurds are not very much happy about the patronage from Washington - they remember America's support of Saddam Hussein in the past.

How can Russia profit from supporting the Kurds?

It just so happens that there is no Western coalition against the Islamic State. Turkey bombs the  Kurds and acts as a member of the anti-ISIL coalition, in which the Kurds also participate and enjoy the support of the USA. Russia can play on contradictions among the "allies." Supporting the Kurds could be Russia's adequate response to Erdogan for the downed Su-24. It would also weaken Erdogan's positions in both Syria and Turkey.

In addition to weapons, Russia can give international recognition to the Kurds. The Party of Democratic Union discussed the prospects of its new statehood with Russia, the Financial Times wrote. The US administration does not like such moves, the newspaper says, as there is a risk to jeopardize US efforts in combatting the Islamic State.  Of course, if Assad and Kurds unite, US "effort" all no longer needed.

In practice, Russia should help the Kurds extend the control zone - seize the land between the towns of Jarablus and Azaz and advance to the west of the Euphrates (in June, the Americans refused to help the Kurds with that). Several days ago, Kurdish forces went on an offensive in the north of Aleppo with the help of the Russian Air Force, reports AFP.

Russia's support of the Kurdish resistance does not raise any doubt anymore, as their recent actions were highly effective and therefore very noticeable.

Yet, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to achieve even a greater victory, a blogger wrote on Aljazeera.com. "Putin called on the Assad government and the political wing of the YPG to unite. It has not happened yet, at least not officially. However, Syrian Kurdish officials said they were willing to work with those who struggle against the Islamic State and those who struggle for the united, secular and democratic Syria. Such an alliance will change the balance of forces."

It goes without saying that Bashar Assad will do his best to give broad autonomy to the Kurds. If the President of Turkey makes a silly mistake and tries to hinder these efforts by military means, a disaster will be in store for him anyway.

"The Kurds have long-standing historical relations with Russia. These relations are warm and friendly, and, to be frank, it seems that Russia is somewhat late with this support," - said Yuri Nabiyev.

Russia needs to recognize the rights of the Kurds to self-determination in the first place. The Syrian Kurds do not intend to pull out from Syria. According to our expert, the creation of "self-governing cantons" in Syria is important not only for the Kurds, but also for all other communities.

This objective incidentally coincides with Russia's line of politics in the Syrian conflict - the preservation of statehood.

Lyuba Lulko
Pravda.Ru

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