© Facebook / Syrian Defense MinistryKurdish militia wave flags as they depart the city of Manbij in northern Syria, January 2, 2019
"Now we would enter the [area] east of the Euphrates as we had entered Afrin, Jarablus, al-Bab [cities in Syria]. We shared this [information] with Russia and the United States", Erdogan announced during his speech in the city of Bursa in north-western Turkey.
He, however, did not reveal any other details about the upcoming operations, including the date of its start.
The territory in the east of the Euphrates is currently controlled by the self-defence forces which mainly include Kurdish-led militants.
For years, Turkey has launched operations against the Kurds in the south-east of the country as well as in the northern parts of Iraq and Syria. The major crackdown on the Kurdish militias started in Turkey in 2015, resulting in massive casualties, which include civilians.
Back in 2018, Turkey-led Operation Olive Branch in the predominantly-Kurdish district of Afrin in northern Syria. In March this year, Ankara announced an operation against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), designated by Ankara as a terrorist organization, in northern Iraq.
Comment: Erdogan has threatened to conduct operations east of the Euphrates repeatedly over the past year or so, so we'll have to just wait and see if this time he's serious. For example (from October and December of last year):
- Erdogan: Turkey to begin military operation east of the Euphrates, target YPG
- Erdogan says Turkey planning large-scale op against US-backed Kurds east of Euphrates in Syria
He also threatened to expand Turkey's Syria operation across the Euphrates in March of that year.