Turkish military offensive in northern Syria 2016/17

Turkish military offensive in northern Syria 2016/17

Part of: Syrian Civil War

Rebels supported by Turkey (green) advance via Jarabulus and ar-Raʿi towards Al-Bab

date	August 24, 2016 to March 29, 2017
place	Northern Syria
Casus Belli	Turkey: Suicide attack in Gaziantep , as well as grenade strikes in Karkamış and attacks in Kilis . de facto: DKS (YPG) units stationed west of the Euphrates and IS militias on the Turkish-Syrian border.
output	Turkey is displacing IS from the Turkish border. Occupation of 2300 square kilometers by the troops of the operation (as of March 29, 2017)

Parties to the conflict
Turkey Turkish armed forces Turkish army 3rd Army 2nd Army Özel Kuvetler (special forces) Turkish Air Force Free Syrian Army Sultan Murad Division Levant Front Hamza Brigade Al-Moutasem Brigade Mountain Falcon Brigade Ahrar al-Sham Syrian Turkmen Brigades Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki	Islamic State	Democratic Forces of Syria People's Defense Units Women's Defense Units Army of revolutionaries Syria (government troops) Syrian Armed Forces (SAAF) Syrian Army (SAA) Republican Guard Tiger Forces Syrian Air Force Shabiha Asa'ib Ahl al-Haqq Hezbollah Syrian National Resistance
Commander
Lieutenant General Zekai Aksakallı ( Chief of Operations) Lieutenant General İsmail Metin Temel (Commander 2nd Army) Mohammad Abu Ibrahim (Commander Levante Front) Abu Yahia al-Hamawi Fehim İsa (Commander Sultan Murad Turkmen Brigade)	Abu Husain at-Tunusi Abu Ansari	Redur Xelil Nessrin Abdallah Muhammad Ahmed Major General Suhail al-Hasan Colonel Lu'ayy Sleitan
Troop strength
Rebel groups: around 5,000 fighters Turkey: 450 soldiers involved in direct combat operations. About 2000 more soldiers from the 106th and 58th artillery regiments and the tank brigades of the 2nd Army . 3000 soldiers in total. (Incl. Air Force)	Unknown. Estimates: 3000-5000	Unknown. Estimates: 3000-4500 10,000 (information from the Russian press)
losses
Turkey: 71 dead (as of February 25, 2017), FSA: estimate: 460–515 dead. (Status: 02/25/17)	according to official Turkish information: estimate: 2,288 dead, 417 prisoners (as of 02/23/17)	255 dead Losses against FSA / Turkey: 53 dead. Losses against IS: unknown.
at least 540 civilians dead (data from SOHR ) as of February 25, 2017

The Turkish military offensive in Northern Syria in 2016/17 began on August 24, 2016 under the name of the operation "Euphrates Shield" ( Turkish: Fırat Kalkanı Harekâtı , Arabic عملية درع الفرات, DMG ʿAmalīyat Dirʿ al-Furāt ). The turkey was so after Russia and its military intervention in Syria and Iran , the third country that actively ground forces in the civil war in Syria has intervened. The operation ended on March 29, 2017. This was followed in 2018 by the invasion of Afrin , with the subsequent establishment of a security zone , and another military offensive since 2019.

Target and participating Syrian groups

According to the Turkish government under Binali Yıldırım , the aim of the military offensive is "to cleanse the Turkish border region of terrorist groups, improve security along the border and secure Syria's territorial integrity." The offensive is officially directed equally against the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS ) and against the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Turkey regards as a Syrian offshoot of the Turkish-Kurdish PKK , which is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey. According to a study commissioned by the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration, the offensive began with 3 attacks on IS, followed by attacks on forces assigned to the PKK by Turkey for several weeks.

The mission was defined by the Turkish side as a pure "support operation" by the Turkish armed forces for the rebel associations of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), but Turkish troops have been actively involved with ground troops on the side of the rebels since at least December 2016. From the end of September 2016, the offensive will then mainly be directed against IS, particularly in al-Bab and the surrounding area. According to experts quoted in some media, for example, the liberation of al-Bab in February 2017 was only possible because the Turkish military sent more than 2,000 soldiers of their own directly into combat, some of them into house-to-house combat. The FSA rebel army was too weak for this alone.

The Sultan Murad Division , Levante Front , Hamza Brigade , Al-Moutasem Brigade and the Mountain Falcon Brigade take part in the offensive as part of the Free Syrian Army. As well as Ahrar al-Scham , Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki and the Turkmen Brigade Muntasar Billah Turkmen as independent rebel groups. The latter joined in January 2017. In addition, numerous smaller brigades take part, the number of which is not recorded. The participation of Ahrar al-Sham and al Zenki in particular was viewed critically in Germany because the rebel alliance does not only consist of “moderate rebel groups”. The Attorney General classifies the Ahrar al-Sham group as a foreign terrorist organization . The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, on the other hand, has classified the group as "moderate opposition" since December 30, 2016. So does the United States and Great Britain State Department .

In February 2017, the Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki left the alliance and joined the Haiʾat Tahrir al-Sham .

In the course of the operation, criticism of the participating rebel groups regarding their military training increased. According to the Atlantic Council , these rebels are poorly trained and have proven incapable of taking and holding terrain for years. The marching speed of the Turkish armed forces was also slowed down by the unprofessional advance of the rebels. During the offensive, Turkey relied largely on the rebel alliance under the banner of the FSA and only wanted to give it support, but it has been observed over a longer period of time that units of the Turkish military intervene more and more in the fighting "man to man". After the offensive got stuck in mid-December, significant troops of our own were once again relocated to the region.

Equipment and implements of war

The most modern main battle tank of the Turkish army, Altay , which has reactive armor as well as distance-active protective measures , radar and laser warning system ( ESM ) to warn the crew if the tank is discovered and targeting and to disrupt the signals ( ECM ), was used at the Operation not used. The armed forces only had four prototypes, the test phase of which had been completed, but of which no series production had yet taken place.

Turkey initially sent 40 battle tanks of the types Leopard 2 A4 and Sabra used. In addition, an unspecified number of ACV-15s (armed armored personnel carriers) as well as M113 , Unimog , T-122 Sakarya , T-155 Fırtına (at least 10 pieces), M270 , M110 , Bayraktar TB2 (drone) and the General Dynamics F-16 deployed. Certain military equipment, including handguns, anti-tank weapons and personnel carriers, is said to have been made available to the Free Syrian Army for use.

Reinforcements were sent in mid-December, including ten main battle tanks and eight armored personnel carriers. In addition, 300 soldiers from the special forces were deployed as reinforcements.

So far, no attack helicopters of the type Atak T-129 , nor another from the Turkish army have been used. Although this was initially reported in the media, it was about other areas of application. The reason for this can be explained by the fact that the IS are owned by MANPADS . According to some media reports, ISIS is said to have other weapons to ward off air strikes.

prehistory

Battle for Manbij

Fighters from the Kurdish-dominated Democratic Forces of Syria had crossed the Euphrates River from the east at the Tischrin Dam at the end of 2015 and, with the support of US special forces and the US Air Force, were planning the conquest of Manbij , an important traffic junction of the Islamic State (IS), on which volunteers, coming from Turkey, were smuggled to the de facto IS capital ar-Raqqa .

Another plan, in which rebels backed by Turkey were to drive IS from the same region in order to advance in the direction of the metropolis of Aleppo and occupy the IS areas there, was put on hold after the IS in March 2016 such rebel groups repulsed and counterattacked other villages along the Turkish border under his control.

The Turkish government wanted to prevent an advance of the SDF on Syrian territory along the border, because it was feared that the Kurds could expand their influence in Syria in regions previously dominated by Arabs and create a coherent Kurdish area, which in turn would boost the independence of Kurds in the country Turkey could ignite. However, the SDF assured the Americans that they would place conquered territories under the control of an Arab administration made up of local residents. US officials then announced that Turkey was "not happy" with the operation against IS in the region, but agreed.

Manbij was occupied by SDF fighters in mid-August 2016 after two and a half months after heavy fighting and several counter-attacks by IS. SOHR activists estimated that around 300 SDF fighters and more than 1000 IS fighters were killed in the fighting around Manbij and the surrounding area. The US Air Force participated in the fight against IS near Manbij as part of Operation Inherent Resolve .

Turkish offensive

The official reason for a Turkish military offensive at the end of August was the suicide attack in Gaziantep on August 20, 2016, with 54 dead, grenades in Karkamış and rockets in Kilis .

course

Displacement of the DKS / YPG from the Turkish border, first attacks against IS (August 2016)

Turkish soldiers in northern Syria

On August 16, 2016, the Turkish Intelligence Service (MİT) gathered Syrian opposition forces, mostly from Aleppo and Idlib, and brought them to the Turkish border town of Karkamış in Turkey . There they were stationed across from Jarabulus on the Syrian border.

One day before the attack in Gaziantep, on August 19, the Gaziantep governor's office set up a 10 km wide security zone on the border with Syria.

On August 21, 2016, airborne troops of the Turkish armed forces advanced into Jarabulus and are said to have assessed potential targets for the ongoing operation and marked them with lasers.

On August 23, 2016, the Turkish border town of Karkamış was evacuated.

One day later at 4 a.m. local time, the Turkish army fired at positions of the Islamic State in the Syrian border town of Jarabulus and the Kurdish YPG with T-155 Fırtına self-propelled howitzers and T-122 Sakarya rocket launchers. Two hours earlier, Turkish troops had advanced to Jarabulus again, which are said to have carried out ground reconnaissance. Turkish F-16 aircraft attacked 12 targets in northern Syria on the first day.

Around noon Turkish crossed battle tanks and armored personnel carriers of the 2nd Army , the border between Syria and Turkey and took until the evening the city Jarabulus one. Turkey cooperated with the Sunni-influenced FSA. In the evening, Turkish media reported the capture of Jarabulus. Together with the Free Syrian Army, several villages were captured on the same day.

On August 24, 2016, the German government declared its “support” for the offensive, as did France. The Syrian Foreign Ministry described the offensive as a "blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty". US Vice President Joe Biden publicly announced in Ankara that they supported Turkey's intentions and that the Kurds would have to evacuate the areas west of the Euphrates River if they did not want to lose US support. The commanding US General Stephen J. Townsend instructed his special forces, which had previously been deployed with the Kurds in Syria, to go to an air force base near al-Hasakah . The supply of American weapons, ammunition and reconnaissance data to the Kurds has been stopped. The Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Işık announced in a television interview that an agreement had been reached with the USA on the withdrawal of Kurdish troops from the region around Jarabulus within the next two weeks.

According to the SDF and SOHR , there were also first civilian casualties in the town of al-ʿAmarna around 8 kilometers south of Jarabulus in Turkish battles against the Kurdish people's defense units within the Syrian Democratic Forces. On August 27, 2016, tanks of the Turkish armed forces also crossed the border towards the SDF-controlled city of Ain al-Arab (Kobane).

On August 27, Turkish tanks advanced against YPG fighters in the village of al-ʿAmarna. According to Turkish information, they hit two of the advancing tanks with missiles. A Turkish soldier was killed in the process. The Turkish Air Force then attacked targets in the region. IS fighters counterattacked Turkish rebels in the village of Ar-Raʿi on the Turkish border, which had already changed hands several times in April 2016.

The villages of Jub al-Kusa and Al-ʿAmarna south of Jarabulus were bombed by Turkish fighter planes on August 28, which according to SOHR observers killed 35 civilians. Turkish media, however, reported that 25 Kurdish YPG fighters were killed in the same attacks, but only after they attacked first. In addition, the statement was denied by the Turkish government and assurances that all possible precautions were taken not to harm civilians. On August 28, the Turkish armed forces and the FSA were only a few kilometers from the Sadjour River after taking several smaller villages . A leader of the militia loyal to Turkey in Jarabulus said that there were plans to advance around 50 km to Syria, to Al-Bab , which is held by the IS . On August 30, 2016, Peter Cock , spokesman for the Pentagon , described the clashes between the Turkish and YPG units as "unacceptable". On August 30, reports were made of a "loose ceasefire agreement" between the Turkish army and the Kurdish-dominated Jarabulus Military Council under the auspices of the USA. This was denied the next day. The Turkish government called in the American ambassador to complain about alleged equality with the SDF in a statement previously made by a spokesman for the US military, in which he called on everyone involved to stop the fire and oppose ISIS to turn. Minister Ömer Çelik denied reports that there had been talks or an agreement with the SDF or YPG. The front line between the SDF and the Turkish forces ran along the Sadjour River .

Displacement of IS from the Turkish border (September 2016)

On September 2, the Hamza Brigade claimed ʿArab ʿIzza; the “Failaq asch-Scham” group claimed to have conquered the villages of al-Fursan, Lilawa, Kino and Najma south of it from IS.

On September 3, the Turkish news agency Anadolu announced that all areas on the Turkish border had been "cleared" by IS and that IS had thus lost the supply routes from Turkey. The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed this message. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yildirim announced that the Turkish offensive would continue not only against IS, but also against all militias that Turkey has classified as a terrorist organization.

Three Turkish soldiers were killed by IS during fighting in northern Syria on September 7, 2016.

On September 8, 2016, Fikri Isik , Turkish Defense Minister, said Turkey supports plans to drive ISIS out of ar-Raqqa, but the Kurds should not play a central role in this.

On September 9, 2016, three Turkish soldiers were killed in fighting with IS. Another was injured. The IS propaganda Amaq also reports that a Turkish tank was destroyed near the town of Tall al-Hawa. The Turkish government has not yet commented on this.

On September 16, 2016, the US sent around 40 special forces to the village of al-Raʿi to support Turkish operations. However, the US soldiers had to retreat after a short stay, as the rebels there supported by Turkey were hostile and riots broke out. Videos had surfaced showing that the US soldiers were carrying anti-American slogans (including, “The American collaborators are dogs and pigs” and “Americans and Christians have no place among us because they want to start a crusade over Syria to occupy ”) left the city.

Reinforcement of the offensive against ISIS (October 2016)

In October 2016, the city of Dabiq was one of the strategic goals of the Turkish offensive. The city had a symbolic meaning for the IS, since according to its interpretation the Muslims will wage a decisive battle against their enemies there before the arrival of Judgment Day.

On October 3, 2016, the FSA rebels supported by Turkey ran into a minefield while conquering other small towns. 21 fighters were killed, at least as many, some seriously injured. Three Turkish soldiers were killed and four more injured in a rocket attack by the Islamic State (IS) on two tanks near the border town of al-Raʿi.

On October 16, the Turkish-backed Syrian rebels reported the capture of Dabiq. The IS fighters had previously withdrawn. On October 17, the Turkish alliance advanced further on al-Bab and took the villages of Guzhe, Baruze, al-Wash, aq-Burqan, Qar Kelbin, Talatayna and Shudud.

At the end of October there were various skirmishes between the Turkish Alliance and the SDF in northern Aleppo.

November 2016

Military situation until the end of December 2016

In mid-November 2016, the associations supported by Turkey reached the northern districts of al-Bab , a city with around 100,000 inhabitants; the US gave no support.

Standstill in the offensive against ISIS (December 2016)

With the help of Turkish special forces, the rebels twice succeeded in conquering a tactically important hill called "Aqil" , on which the hospital is located. Both times, however, this hill had to be cleared because the position was attacked by a vehicle laden with explosives with a suicide bomber at the wheel. When this hill was lost for the first time, 14 Turkish soldiers died on site, 2 died from their injuries in hospital. About 70 FSA rebel fighters also died. This was the biggest setback to date in the operation the Alliance had suffered.

The terrorist militia IS published a 19-minute propaganda video on the Internet on December 22, 2016, showing two Turkish soldiers being burned alive. According to media reports, they were taken prisoner by IS on November 29, 2016 near al-Bab in northern Syria. The Turkish government then ordered the blocking of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The authenticity of the video has been questioned and has not yet been confirmed. There were also contradicting information about the disappearance of the two soldiers. ISIS gathered the population and broadcast the video in al-Bab on screens. Some Turkish media declared the video to be a fake. Officials announced that an investigation would be initiated; no further details or explanations were given.

In the course of the further operation, the troops of Turkey and the rebels allied with them encountered fierce resistance from IS. According to the Turkish military, besides suicide attacks, car bombs and mines , the IS used civilians in particular as a protective shield, which is slowing down the offensive. On December 25 or 26, IS reportedly shot dead 30 civilians trying to leave the city.

However, international media cited the poor training of the rebels and the unexpectedly intense resistance of IS as further reasons for the standstill. It was also stated that the Turkish military was weakened by the recent attempted coup in Turkey .

On December 26, the Turkish army leadership announced that it had killed at least 226 IS fighters so far. On the same day, the army resumed its artillery and air force shelling. Several IS commanders are said to have been killed, including Abu Husen Tunusi .

In mid-December 2016, ISIS claimed to have hit at least ten Leopard 2A4 and one Sabra main battle tanks during the battle and incapacitated them. According to the media, the exact source of the "list" is not known, but the contents of the Leopard tanks seem credible in at least four cases. FSA fighters published videos through their mouthpiece "SAART", which show the destruction of so-called VBIED (Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device) by Leopard 2A4 tanks.

According to media reports, a tank is said to have been captured by IS at the end of December 2016. However, photos later appeared on the Internet that are supposed to prove that the tank has meanwhile been destroyed - by an F-16 fighter aircraft of the Turkish Air Force . An official confirmation of the military leadership has so far not been received.

At the end of January 2017, a combat value enhancement program worth the equivalent of 500 million US dollars was tendered for 200 Leopard 2A4 tanks. A government official said the focus of the improvements is on "active protection systems" against anti-tank weapons. The program will be promoted with priority after several Turkish Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks were hit by Islamist radicals of the IS militia during the Turkish military operation "Schutzschild Euphrates" in Syria.

Resumption of the offensive in January 2017

In the following days there were repeated reports of violent fighting, especially around the area around the city of al-Bab. According to the Turkish Defense Minister, house-to-house fighting between the rebels of the FSA and IS is said to have broken out again. According to the army, 38 IS fighters were killed between January 4th and 5th. On January 4, two more Turkish soldiers and six IS fighters were killed in a suicide attack. Another Turkish soldier died in combat on January 7, 2017. At the same time, it was announced that at least 69 IS fighters were killed in these combat, which were supported by artillery fire and air strikes. On January 7th, the capture of the villages Umm Odasa and Qabr al-Mukri (Muqrin) was reported, these are in the outskirts of Bizaʿa . Bizaʿa was bombed by the Turkish Air Force on the same day; 35 targets are said to have been hit.

Access roads, particularly the M4, which connects the two IS-held cities of al-Bab and al-Arimah, have been under the control of the FSA since January 7th. On January 9, there was fighting in the suburbs of Bizaʿa, Qabasin and especially Suflaniyah. In Suflaniyah and Bizaʿa there were heavy bombing by F-16 jets of the Turkish Air Force on the same day . Heavy artillery fire was also reported.

According to analysts, the goal is most likely to cut off ISIS from supply routes and encircle the area. From January 12th to 14th there were again clashes between rebels and IS troops near Suflaniya. Nine FSA rebel fighters are said to have been killed. During the same period, the Turkish Air Force announced that it had killed at least 41 IS fighters.

The first joint military operation between Russia and Turkey took place on January 18, when nine Russian and eight Turkish aircraft jointly attacked positions of the IS militia around al-Bab. According to Sergej Rudskoj from the Russian General Staff, 36 targets were hit. These targets had previously been selected jointly by members of the two air forces and confirmed by the general staffs of both countries. Rudskoi also stated that the joint mission was carried out in agreement with the Syrian government.

John Dorrian, a spokesman for the United States Air Force , said the United States- led International Alliance against Islamic State had also attacked ISIS positions around al-Bab the day before. Turkey has previously criticized the lack of support from the Alliance and the United States in the fight against IS. Previously, Turkey introduced the use of NATO -Stützpunktes Incirlik Air Base by US forces as part of Operation Inherent Resolve in question and reserved the right to close the base at any time. On January 20th, the northeastern village of Suflaniya was captured by Turkish troops. 23 IS fighters are said to have been killed in this offensive. Five Turkish soldiers were killed in the course of this offensive; they died in a suicide attack with a car bomb. Nine other soldiers were not critically wounded in the attack. No precise information was given about the losses among the rebels. At the same time, rebels reported heavy fighting with IS in Qabasin. The Turkish armed forces fired artillery and fighter jets at al-Bab and Bizaʿa at the same time. The tactically important hill “Aqil”, on which the hospital is located, was also shot at.

On January 22, the state news agency published an interim report, according to which 1875 square kilometers had been liberated from IS since the start of the offensive. On the same day, 165 IS targets were attacked. The Air Force released a video showing the destruction of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) by a fighter jet. The use of such vehicles and mines complicates the offensive and, according to analysts, will drag it out. On January 24, the death of two ISIS emirs who were involved in leading the military operations on the ground was confirmed. Abu Husain at-Tunusi and Abu Ansari were killed in air strikes by the Turkish Air Force. IS announced through its mouthpiece Amaq that it would repulse the offensive. On January 27, 11 IS fighters were killed by the Turkish Air Force. The IS counter-offensive was repulsed by the Turkish armed forces and the FSA rebels. In the further course of the battle, several villages in the surrounding area were taken by the FSA rebels; According to FSA sources, 13 IS fighters were killed in an IS counter-offensive, which was also averted. Furthermore, there was heavy fighting in the suburb of “Qabasin”, in which a Turkish soldier was killed by a car bomb driven by a suicide bomber. A spokesman for the Turkish armed forces stated on January 28th that there was increasing evidence that the IS is preparing to withdraw from al-Bab after high losses and that its destination is the neighboring city of "Tadif". The IS is still deliberately killing civilians who are trying to flee. On January 27, 18 civilians were killed in this way. On January 29, Turkish troops advanced into al-Bab and captured several industrial complexes near the city's silo facilities, which are located at a tactically advantageous point on a hill on the outskirts. A Sergeant Major of the Turkish troops was killed and two others injured in fighting at 10 am local time in the “Al-Ghuz” district . An FSA fighter was injured in the same skirmish. There was no information about the losses on the part of the IS. The Sultan Murad Division of the FSA stated that it had taken two hills (Kerum and 511) from IS on January 29 after fighting off Bizaʿa. The Turkish military claimed to have "neutralized" 14 terrorists between January 28 and 29. On January 29 and 30, Turkish artillery brigades fired the T-122 Sakarya multiple rocket launchers on IS positions in al-Bab and Bizaʿa. At least 22 buildings, which the IS used as retreat positions and ammunition stores, are said to have been destroyed.

Victory over IS in al-Bab and the surrounding area (February 2017)

The rebels recorded further successes against IS in the surrounding area. In mid-January, the Syrian Armed Forces (SAA) began their own offensive from the south on al-Bab with the support of Iranian Shiite militias and Hezbollah . The offensive is led by the Quwwat an-Nimr , an elite division of the Syrian armed forces, which primarily serves to carry out offensives in the Syrian civil war. The Russian Air Force supported the SAA offensive with drone reconnaissance data and bombings. On February 2, the Syrian troops were about 6 kilometers south of al-Bab. On February 1, several news outlets, including Reuters , quoted a source within government forces. This states that the troops will attack the FSA rebels as soon as they arrive in al-Bab. An attack on the Turkish armed forces is also being considered if this is "necessary".

After three days of offensive, the FSA, accompanied by Turkish Leopard 2A4 tanks, was able to take Bizaʿa. 37 IS fighters are said to have been killed and a suicide attack with a car bomb by IS is said to have been destroyed. On February 4th, the IS launched a counter-offensive, which again brought in territorial gains. Turkish artillery and air force bombed targets in al-Bab and Tadif. With its counter-offensive, IS was initially able to recapture the west of Bizaʿa, and the Turkish air force then bombed targets of the approaching IS troops. IS deployed several VBIED suicide bombers against the advancing FSA troops; at least one of these attacks killed at least 10 FSA fighters and injured several. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the fighting was particularly difficult and resulted in high casualties on both sides, especially that of IS. The rebels were supported by the Turkish air force and artillery, which released over 50 projectiles in one day in this offensive alone. On February 6, the FSA brought the entire city back under its control on its fourth attempt. The Turkish General Staff announced that they had killed the IS-appointed governor of Al-Bab, Khalid al-Urduni, in an operation on February 4 . Another 33 IS fighters are said to have been killed in the same operation. On February 6, government troops said they had cut the supply route from ar-Raqqa to the province by taking other towns in the area and a strategically important hill from ISIS. This means that IS in the province of al-Bab is completely encircled and cut off from supplies between the government troops in the south and the FSA troops backed by Turkey in the north.

On February 7th, the SDF began an offensive on the “Tokhar” district in the south of Jarabulus . Among other things, they fired mortars at positions of the FSA. The offensive was repulsed by FSA troops. The city of Aʿzāz was also shelled by SDF forces, whereupon the Turkish army took SDF positions under heavy fire with tank artillery . Here, too, the SDF offensive was repulsed.

Also on February 7, a major offensive by the FSA and Turkish troops on al-Bab was launched. According to Reuters, the local operations management of the Turkish military decided to accelerate the offensive after the government troops were able to quickly gain ground in the direction of al-Bab. Reuters refers to a commander of the Free Syrian Army as a source. On the night of February 7th to 8th, special forces of the Turkish military began an offensive on the tactical hill of the "Aqil" on the outskirts of al-Bab. The hill could be conquered and the "fire control" established until the early hours of the morning. A counterattack by IS was able to be repelled. Rebel fighters put videos with recordings of killed IS fighters on their profile pages on social networks. The Turkish Air Force bombed IS positions in al-Bab, using drones armed with air-to-surface missiles against IS for the first time .

FSA fighters penetrated up to 1 km into the city center with the support of Leopard tanks of the Turkish army. The IS line of defense in the west of the city is said to have collapsed during this advance. While Turkish and rebel groups increasingly took control of districts in the western part of the city during the day, heavy and loss-making skirmishes broke out in the contested center, with FSA troops and the Turkish armed forces holding the upper hand and further into the southern part the city advanced. Among other things, the state hospital was taken. No information was given on the losses on the part of the rebels or the IS. At the same time, fighting broke out again in the suburbs of Qabasin and Bizaʿa. The Turkish General Staff stated that they had hit 65 IS positions with air strikes during this period. 189 positions were attacked with artillery. At least 58 IS fighters are said to have been killed. Two Turkish soldiers died in a suicide attack with a car bomb and 15 others were injured. Three more died in the course of the day, one of them in battle two from a mine. Among them was a first lieutenant . At least two other vehicles with suicide bombers at the wheel (VBIED) could be put out of action. On the evening of February 8th, Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets started bombing targets again. A total of 1500 people are to take part in the offensive, most of them fighters from the FSA rebels, supported by Turkish special forces and tank units. According to media reports, up to 5,000 IS fighters are said to be in the province of al-Bab and are thus encircled, especially since IS is said to have reinforced its personnel in large numbers from Raqqa. In this case, a military defeat would be the most momentous setback for ISIS in Syria so far.

Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman John Dorrian said on February 9th that ISIS was now in a “really difficult position”, that Turkey had done “a great job” in the encirclement and that it was infiltrating Turkey and others Countries stopped by the IS militia. Operation Inherent Resolve attacked targets in al-Bab on February 8 and 9 in support of Turkey.

On February 9, the Russian air force accidentally bombed a building where members of the Turkish army had taken up positions. The air strike was aimed at the terrorist militia (IS), said the Turkish armed forces. Eleven soldiers were wounded in the air raid on a building, one of them seriously, who later died from his injuries. Three soldiers died instantly. The Defense Ministry in Moscow confirmed the deaths of three Turkish soldiers "as a result of the accidental attack by a Russian plane". In the afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke on the phone . During the conversation, Putin expressed his grief over the incident. The conversation also dealt with the common fight against IS and how military actions in Syria can be better coordinated in the future.

A Turkish army spokesman announced on February 10th that the positions of the Turkish soldiers hit had been the same for ten days and that this was transmitted to the Russian troops on February 8th in order to avoid incidents like those on February 9th.

FSA associations and Turkish troops were able to gain further ground on the same day; heavy fighting broke out in the city center. The Turkish Air Force flew 11 attacks in support of the ground forces. The artillery attacked 154 targets. Rebel troops continued to advance towards the center and southwest of the city and captured two parts of the city called "Zam-Zam District" and "Youth Houses". The IS resistance in the suburb of Qabasin was broken, the place has been under the control of the FSA rebels since the morning of February 9th. Turkish army personnel then began to clear mines. Local rebel sources state that the remaining IS fighters are mainly foreigners. According to US sources, their number is estimated at 800–1000. Government troops, with the support of the Russian Air Force, advanced from the south to Tadif and on February 9 took the last village before Tadif from IS. Tadif is meanwhile being held by IS and is 1.5 kilometers from al-Bab. On February 10, IS attacked the FSA troops in Bizaʿa with a VBIED suicide attack, as did the government troops outside Tadif. On the evening of February 10th, Turkish fighter planes again began bombing IS positions in the south and east of Al-Bab. On February 11, the rebel alliance advanced in the morning hours into several towns in the city center and occupied them, including the entire southwestern district and the city's sports field. The Turkish army command stated that they had lost one soldier in these battles as a result of a fatal exchange of fire and that another was injured. Half of the city is under the control of the alliance and IS is on the verge of collapse. Recordings were published in the press and on social networks showing images of tunnels that IS supposed to have built in order to move reinforcements and flee unnoticed by aerial photos. The roundabout at the southern entrance to the city, which leads to Tadif, has been taken by rebel forces. IS is said to have suffered heavy losses in the fighting against the rebel alliance on February 10 and 11. According to activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights , at least 58 IS fighters died in the fighting.

Sources close to the YPG and SDF said that the Turkish armed forces took positions near Manbij under artillery fire from 7:40 p.m. local time on February 11.

On February 12, the number of Turkish soldiers killed in the battle for Al-Bab rose to 67, as another soldier from a special unit was killed in combat. 3 other soldiers were injured and they were taken to hospital in Gaziantep by helicopter .

On the night of February 12, the Turkish army massively bombed IS positions within the city with the T-122 Sakarya. During the day, the shelling by several T-155 Fırtına continued. According to FSA sources, the town's marketplace was taken during fighting in the morning hours, and 4 IS fighters were killed. An approaching suicide bomber and his vehicle loaded with explosives were said to have been destroyed by an air strike by a Turkish fighter jet, as was a tank owned by the terrorist militia. Anadolu Ajansı announced that the Turkish artillery and air force attacked targets in Al-Bab and Bizaʿa from February 11-12, 2017 after IS launched a counter-offensive in Bizaʿa. From February 12 to 13, the Turkish Air Force attacked 51 targets, the artillery and main battle tanks 143 targets. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ISIS began counter-attacking in the early hours of February 13th. The Turkish military reported that one soldier was killed and four others injured in the morning hours of that day. 10 FSA fighters were injured.

According to information from Al Jazeera , individual IS groups are supposed to desert or flee, but the city center was still fiercely contested on February 13, and an intense house- to- house fight had been going on for days . On February 14th and 15th, ISIS launched counter-offensives through massive suicide attacks. A group of 10 suicide bombers attacked a position of the Turkish military in the north of the city. Two of the assassins drove a vehicle loaded with explosives, the other 8 accompanied it as fire protection, all 8 accompanying them therefore had explosive vests. In a firefight, some of the accompanying people were killed and the vehicle was incapacitated, whereupon the vehicle exploded and all the assassins were killed in it and in the area. There were no losses on the part of the Turkish military or the FSA. Shortly thereafter, 2 suicide bombers were also eliminated in the city, and their vehicles also exploded early. The Turkish military stated that they fired artillery at 194 positions and 30 positions with fighter planes. Among other things, another vehicle loaded with explosives was destroyed.

On February 15, IS succeeded in recapturing the village of "Abu Jabbar" southwest of Tadif from the government troops. Meanwhile, the Russian Air Force continued its bombing in support of government forces. On February 16, videos appeared on social networks on the Internet allegedly showing at least 12 M110s and MLRSs of the Turkish army bombing al-Bab. In the fighting from February 14 to 16, 24 to 30 civilians are said to have been killed in the fighting. FSA and Turkish troops stepped up the evacuation of civilians from the city. In the days that followed, the FSA rebels were able to take other places in the city and on February 20 controlled about 60% of the city. During their advance, the rebels received intensive support from the Turkish artillery and the Turkish air force. On February 21, a Jandarma soldier died while demining. The next day there were further heavy fighting, in the course of February 23, the city was completely liberated from IS, as were the neighboring villages. According to the FSA, 12 IS fighters are said to have been killed in these fights, and 1 FSA personnel carrier was destroyed. Over 50 families could be evacuated. Turkish artillery began bombing IS positions in Tadif on the evening of February 23. Al-Bab is considered to be the most important IS stronghold in Syria after Raqqa.

This means that Turkey and the rebels allied with them control an area of ​​2,000 square kilometers. Since the start of the operation, the Turkish military and the FSA have reportedly killed around 2,288 IS fighters and a further 357 DKS / SDF / YPG fighters. In total, the Turkish artillery and air force targeted 2,207 positions in Syria between August 24, 2016 and February 22, 2017. On February 24, there was a suicide attack by IS on a checkpoint in the village of “Sousaian”. According to initial information, 41 people died in the attack, including 35 civilians and 6 FSA fighters. Al Jazeera claims that 45 people were killed in this attack and another 8 people were killed in a subsequent second attack in the same village. The news channel relies on activists and its own reporters on site. The majority of the victims are villagers. The death number was later corrected to at least 52 to 60 by other news media such as the Tagesschau or the Handelsblatt . The number of victims killed increased to 77 on February 25.

Two Turkish soldiers died and three were injured during a mine detonation in the roundabout in the direction of Tadif. The FSA said it had killed 37 IS militias in fighting on the evening of February 23rd on the outskirts of the city, the rest of them fled to Tadif. On February 24th, the Turkish artillery began bombarding IS positions in Tadif again. There was also fighting at the northern entrance to the town. Mine clearance work began in al-Bab on February 25, and civilians are to be allowed into the city once more. The Turkish army began to build a base on the hill with the state hospital.

IS Emir Jonathan Jeffery was captured by Alliance forces in February.

Skirmishes between FSA / Turkey and government forces

FSA and government forces (SAA) reportedly fought near al-Bab in the village of al-Ghuz on February 9th.

The FSA claimed to have killed two government fighters who are believed to be members of a Shiite militia, as well as to have destroyed a tank and captured a personnel carrier. Turkish artillery responded to the fire by government forces.

Syrian sources confirmed the clash on February 10. Both sides accused each other of provoking the battle. Russia acted as a mediator to avoid further clashes, according to Reuters.

Russian sources said that Russia had agreed with Turkey to accept the M4 federal highway as the border, and Bizaʿa, Qabasin and al-Bab are now part of the FSA rebel alliance. Tadif to the government forces. Syrian sources, on the other hand, stated the opposite: the army command had been given permission to march into al-Bab and take it. Regardless of whether it is held by IS or FSA troops.

On February 26, government forces announced that they had captured Tadif in the morning hours. Ten IS fighters are said to have been killed in the fighting, the information cannot be confirmed, because the place was hit heavily by Turkish bombings the night before. Local activists, international news agencies such as Reuters and Turkish news agencies said that ISIS had left the town that night and given up without resistance. Pro-government media speculated whether the pro-government militias and the Tiger Forces would launch an offensive on the FSA. The army leadership had at least given such a project the “green light”.

On the evening of February 26, fighting between the SAA and the FSA was reported, the FSA admitted that troops from the SAA and Hezbollah had attacked them, whereupon the FSA was able to repel the offensive, killing 22 government troops and taking seven more prisoners have been. The FSA (Brigade Ahrar al-Sharqiyah) reported its own losses as 4 dead. The FSA then launched a counter-offensive, three SAA tanks are said to have been hit by ATGM fire. A colonel in the Syrian army was killed.

An SAA officer admitted to media close to the government that there had been fighting, but the FSA was the first to open fire and the number of 22 soldiers killed was "exaggerated". No information about losses was given. The SAA then began to take the FSA troops under artillery fire. Neither Turkey nor Russia intervened in the fighting.

On February 27, the FSA troops withdrew from Tadif, the federal highway M4 is de facto the border, according to the agreement between Turkey and Russia, which, according to Russian media, had been reached after the incidents on February 10. An official from the Russian Foreign Ministry officially confirmed this agreement. According to the Syrian and Russian media, Russia once again stepped in as a mediator that the Russian Air Force had failed to comply with an SAA request for air support and instead intervened to stop the confrontation. A Syrian army spokesman criticized that Turkish troops were not present to guarantee the ceasefire agreement.

There were no further skirmishes. In the east, FSA troops captured another 5 villages from IS. The government troops conquered some villages from the IS further to the west and are thus on the border of the area controlled by the DKS (SDF) . Since the SAA was able to establish a geographical connection with the DKS in this way, Operation Euphrates Shield is in fact isolated, at least as far as offensives deeper into the area occupied by IS are concerned. Currently (May 17, 2017) the area controlled by the operation is no longer bordered by any area held by IS. There has been a non-aggression and cooperation relationship between the SAA and the DKS forces since the beginning of the war in 2012.

Completion of the operation in March 2017

On March 1, FSA troops began an offensive in the direction of the DKS (SDF)-held village of al-Arima, which is in the direction of Manbij and has a population of around 3000 people. On that day, the FSA succeeded in conquering three villages in front of it, attacking the DKS troops from five different positions. The Turkish military supported the advance with fire from artillery and the air force. Seven DKS fighters were killed in the fighting. US Special Forces are also said to have been located near the battle zones. On March 2, the DKS leadership announced that it would hand over the western parts of Manbij to the government troops in the coming days and withdraw from here. The reasons given were to spare civilians and to avoid further fighting with the troops of Operation Euphrates Shield. The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that the DKS would continue to be attacked if it did not withdraw completely east of the Euphrates . The skirmishes off Manbij between the FSA and DKS continued. The FSA also began a troop movement in the direction of the DKS-held city of Tall Rifaat , with Turkish artillery firing at targets in and in front of the city. In the days that followed, there were further skirmishes off Manbidsch, in which the FSA captured the villages around Bughaz and the village of Ulaschi on March 7th. The deaths of seven DKS / SDF fighters were confirmed in these fights. 13 more surrendered and went into captivity. The FSA and media close to the Syrian government published pictures of the killed DKS fighters. The deaths of nine DKS fighters were confirmed two days earlier. Media close to the Syrian government have meanwhile confirmed renewed fighting on the border between Tadif and al-Bab, in which seven soldiers from the Syrian army and one member of a pro-government militia were captured. One soldier was killed. The Turkmen Brigade Muntasir Billah posted a video of the captured soldiers and released their ID cards. Turkish soldiers did not take part directly in the fighting either against the DKS or against the government troops.

On March 7th, Generals Hulusi Akar , Valeri Wassiljewitsch Gerasimow and Joseph F. Dunford met in Antalya to discuss how to proceed and to avoid unnecessary confrontations.

In the days that followed, government troops took up positions west of Manbij. On March 10, it was announced that there were about 1,000 American soldiers in northern Syria. Members of the US Marines , 400 in number, have set up an outpost to support the DKS offensive on Raqqa with artillery fire. Also were United States Army Rangers stationed near manbij. There they should serve as a buffer between the FSA and the DKS and prevent further fighting. The Syrian government called the stationing of US forces "illegal". On the same day, the state news agency SANA reported that Syrian soldiers had been killed and injured in artillery fire by the Turkish army. Unconfirmed reports assume 23 fatalities and 19 injured. It is not clear whether this bombardment was deliberate, Turkish media stated that the army was firing at positions of the DKS at the same time, possibly because of confusion.

On March 15, a US military spokesman announced that the US troops serving as buffers were in sight of Russian ground forces stationed west of Manbij to support government forces. However, there is no direct communication with them. The Washington Post cites a source within the military and says the US plans to move 1,000 more soldiers to the region in the coming weeks.

By March 7, at least 50,000 Syrian refugees had returned from Turkey to the areas controlled by the rebel alliance, but many of these were originally refugees from other parts of Syria. On March 18, it was announced that 1,500 people would be evacuated from Homs to the areas, most of them to Jarabulus. More are to follow. This agreement was reached between the rebels and Turkey on one side and the Syrian government and Russia on the other after Homs was completely surrounded by government troops. Russian soldiers monitored the convoys of people leaving. A total of up to 250,000 people are said to want to settle in the area.

Turkish non-governmental organizations organized aid deliveries during March. It was also announced that the hospitals in al-Bab, Azaz and Jarabulus were resuming operations. On March 25, the Syrian army announced that it would withdraw from Tadif. This was justified by the fact that there were repeated clashes with rebels on the border between al-Bab and Tadif. Syrian soldiers also used these skirmishes to desert or defeat, in some cases with the intention of applying to the Turkish troops in al-Bab asylum in Turkey. Troops of the Syrian army have also been withdrawn from the region because they are more urgently needed in other places. Shortly after the withdrawal, rebel troops marched into Tadif and established their control there.

Following the meeting of the Turkish National Security Council on March 29, 2017, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım officially declared the operation to be over and successful. At the same time, he did not rule out further deployments of the Turkish army in Syria, but these would run under a new operation if necessary. It remained unclear whether Turkey would withdraw its soldiers completely. Large contingents of troops were still stationed in the secured areas and at the borders on March 29th, and Turkey has not given any official information on the troop strength in Syria. According to Reuters, the information so far is based on estimates. Turkey established members of the national coalition for administrative work . The Free Syrian Police (FSP) was set up for police tasks. Its members have undergone basic training in Turkey and receive a salary of US $ 200 from the Turkish state. Equipment and vehicles were provided by Turkey. At the end of January 2017, the number of staff was around 1,300. She is supported and advised on site by the Turkish gendarmerie ( Jandarma ) .

With the completion of the operation, Turkey was able to achieve its goal of completely displacing IS from the border with Turkey and the Turkish-controlled areas in Syria (Güvenli Bölge). The goal of preventing a coherent area along the Turkish border controlled by the DKS or YPG was also achieved. The previous objective, according to which these groups should withdraw behind the river Euphrates, could not be achieved.

Media reports and analysts suspected the next target of the operation to be the conquest of Manbij and the surrounding area. Manbij is a city with a predominantly Arab population, which is administered by the Syrian Democratic Forces (DKS) under the leadership of the Kurdish-dominated YPG . The Turkish government had previously asked the DKS several times to withdraw behind the Euphrates River and evacuate the city.

The following parts of the penultimate paragraph seem since February 2017 is out of date to be : What became of the assumptions? See Talk: Turkish military offensive in northern Syria 2016/17 # view - Flominator 21:28, December 12, 2017 (CET)
Please help with to the missing information research and insert .

In October 2017 the Turkish military offensive started in Idlib Governorate , in January 2018 the Turkish military offensive on Afrin .

international law

The Turkish government invokes the right of self-defense under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations to justify its intervention .

The German political scientist Jochen Hippler considers the Turkish approach without the consent of the Syrian government or authorization by the Security Council of the United Nations to be "questionable under international law", since in his opinion there was no armed attack within the meaning of Article 51 of the UN Charter of a subject under international law .

The Syrian government regards Turkey's military intervention as an aggressive act and a violation of international law.

reception

2016

In a comment in September 2016, political scientist Thomas Jäger underlined the lasting weakening of the US position in the region as a result of the Turkish offensive. They let themselves be put under pressure by Erdoğan to give up the allied Kurds and ultimately to drop them. Other US allies would be looking closely at the process. The Middle East is no longer a high priority for the USA. Other voices criticized the representation that the US had dropped the Kurds as an ally, and attributed this impression to the fact that the US had been caught off guard by the Turkish initiative and that they were forced to navigate the complex structure of the alliance; the Kurdish forces remained an indispensable ally for the USA. In fact, the support of the USA continued unabated, so that in January 2017 the Turkish government expressed criticism in this regard.

The journalist Alfred Hackensberger wrote in Die Welt in early September 2016 that the Turkish intervention posed a threat to ethnic and religious minorities in Syria, as they had to fight off all of the attacks by the FSA. At the beginning of September, the former supreme commander of NATO in Europe James Stavridis stated in relation to speculations about the establishment of a buffer zone in Syria by Turkey that Turkey would have to station a considerable number of soldiers in Syria if something was actually planned there. The focus for Turkey is not the replacement of President Assad, but the prevention of a Kurdish state.

In an interview with Turkey in September 2016, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg promised NATO support for the military offensive. With the offensive, Turkey exercised its right to self-defense. US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the US is supporting Turkey in the military offensive and Turkey has the right to take steps to stabilize its own borders.

The foreign policy spokesman for the CDU / CSU parliamentary group, Jürgen Hardt, responded to an interim question in the Bundestag in October 2016 that Turkey had the right to fight terrorism, which also originated from Kurdish militias in northern Syria.

2018

Daniel-Dylan Böhmer commented in Die Welt that the PKK has not committed any more attacks in Turkey since the referendum on the Turkish presidential system in April 2017 and that the Turkish campaign in Syria in January did not create security in Turkey, but he did an attack on it Few is good in Syria.

See also

• Turkish offensive against the PKK since 2015
• Turkish military offensive on Afrin
• Turkish military offensive in Idlib governorate
• Battle for Mosul

Individual evidence

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3. ↑ ^{a b c} "Turkey makes first major foray into Syria with assault on IS" ( Memento from August 24, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
4. ↑ Kurdish-backed council says Turkey's intervention to make Syrian town “grave for Erdogan troops”. In: ARA News. August 26, 2016, archived from the original on August 26, 2016 ; accessed on August 26, 2016 . 
5. ↑ sputniknews.com: Syrian Army Prepares to Enter Al-Bab to Liberate City from Terrorists
6. ↑ TSK: 3 asker şehit, 4 asker yaralı. In: cnnturk.com. September 6, 2016, accessed January 7, 2017 (Turkish). 
7. ↑ Cerablus'ta tanka roket atıldı: 1 asker şehit oldu. August 27, 2016, accessed January 7, 2017 (Turkish). 
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12. ^ Turkey, US led forces hit more ISIL targets. In: hurriyetdailynews.com. September 14, 2016, accessed January 7, 2017 . 
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99. ↑ http://www.milliyet.com.tr/firat-kalkani-operasyonu-nda-bir-gundem-2374787/
100. ^ One Turkish soldier, 37 ISIL militants killed in Syria's al-Bab
101. ↑ 32 Daesh terrorists killed, 140 targets hit in northern Syria's al-Bab by Turkish military
102. ↑ http://aleppo24.com/ : aleppo24.com: EuphratesShield forces cut the road # Albab- # Manbij after controlling OmAdasa town & Maqri hill near Bazaa
103. ^ Washingtoninstitute: The Battle for al-Bab Is Bringing US-Turkish Tensions to a Head
104. ↑ euronews.com:North Syria: Heavy fighting over the city of Al-Bab
105. ↑ n-tv.de:IS positions in Syria bombed: Russians and Turks attack together
106. ↑ Russia, Turkey Conduct Joint Airstrikes on IS in Syria abcnews.com:Russia, Turkey Conduct Joint Airstrikes on IS in Syria ( Memento from January 18, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
107. ↑ reuters.com: Russia says teams up with Turkey for first time to bomb Syrian militants
108. ↑ base in Incerlik: Erdogan mess with NATO , Handelsblatt , January 6, 2017
109. ↑ Message Express : Syria: Five Turkish soldiers die in IS car bomb attack in al-Bab
110. ↑ spiegel.de : Five Turkish soldiers die in the IS attack
111. ↑ Anadolu Agency: 11 Daesh terrorists 'neutralized' in northern Syria
112. ↑ Operation Euphrates Shield: Aims and gains
113. ↑ ibtimes: com: ISIS Leader Dead? Islamic State Emirates Killed By Turkish Warplanes In Syria
114. ↑ bbc.com: TSK'tan Fırat Kalkanı Harekâtı açıklaması: El Bab'da 13 DEAŞ'lı öldürüldü
115. ↑ AA: El Bab'da bir asker şehit oldu
116. ↑ sozcu.com:TSK: IŞİD El Bab'tan çekilmeye hazırlanıyor
117. ↑ haberler.com:Son Dakika! El Bab'dan Acı Haber: 1 Asker Şehit Oldu
118. ↑ hurriyet.com.tr: El Bab'ın kuzeyi de kontrol altında
119. ↑ haberim.com:El Bab son durum harita (30 Ocak 2017) Çember daralıyor!
120. ↑ longwarjounral.com Islamic State faces multiple adversaries in Al Bab, Syria
121. ↑ reuters.com:Syrian army dash to al-Bab risks Turkey clash
122. ^ Dw.com: Syrian army, Turkey risk clashes around IS-held al-Bab
123. ↑ syiar: After closing the road of advancement in the regime's face southwest of al-Bab, Turkish forces advance to complete the siege on the city, and control the largest strongholds of the “Islamic State” organization in Aleppo alone
124. ↑ yahoo.com:Turkish-Backed Forces Capture IS-Held Town Near Al-Bab
125. ↑ aljazeera.com:ISIL fighters 'defeated' in Syria's al-Bab in Aleppo
126. ^ Dailysabah.com: Daesh's so-called al-Bab governor killed in Turkish operation
127. ↑ tgrthaber.com: Bza'a TSK ve ÖSO'nun kontrolüne geçti
128. ↑ bbc.com:Syria conflict: Army cuts IS supply route into al-Bab
129. ↑ n-tv.de:IS stronghold in Syria encircled
130. ↑ n-tv.de: IS oil revenues collapse
131. ↑ qasioun.net: Euphrates Shield Forces Defeat SDF Offensive In Azaz And Jarablus
132. ↑ middleeasteye.net: Turkish-led rebels attack IS posts inside Syria's al-Bab
133. ↑ t-online.de: IS in Syria under pressure - Turkey and government advance on Al-Bab
134. ↑ Milliyet.com: Son dakika… El Bab'ın kalbine girildi!
135. ↑ aranews.com: 51 ISIS militants killed in Turkish airstrikes in Syria's al-Bab ( Memento from February 9, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
136. ↑ AMN: Casualties mount as the Turkish Army attempts to wrestle control of Al-Bab from ISIS
137. ↑ hurriyet: Son dakika: Şiddetli çatışmaların yaşandığı El Bab'dan art arda acı haberler
138. ↑ reuters.com: Turkish-led forces advance into outskirts of Syrian city
139. ↑ middleeasteye: Turkey eyes Raqqa as noose tightens around Islamic State in al-Bab
140. ↑ TheDuran: 5,000 ISIS fighters 'trapped' in Syria's Al-Bab
141. ↑ Nachrichtenexpress.com: Anti-IS coalition spokesman: Turkish military is doing a great job
142. ↑ inherentresolve: Release # 20170208-01
143. ↑ inherentresolve: Release # 20170209-01
144. ↑ Russian bombing mistake kills three Turkish soldiers in Syria
145. ↑ tagesschau.de: Turkish soldiers killed in Russian attack
146. ↑ mynet.com: TSK'dan son dakika El Bab açıklaması
147. ↑ djt-online: Fights for Al-Bab: Territory gains for the Turkish army, but dead soldiers again
148. ↑ Dailysabah.com: Bzagah, Kabbasin districts liberated from Daesh, Turkish military says
149. ↑ voanews.com: Under Siege in al-Bab, IS Faces Retreat to Raqqa
150. ↑ Amn.com: Syrian Army continues offensive in Al-Bab despite advances by Turkish forces inside city
151. ↑ Activists: Turkish army and Syrian rebels move into the IS city of Al-Bab
152. ↑ Kurier.at: Turkish army moves into al-Bab
153. ↑ aljazeera.com: Syrian rebels and Turkish troops enter ISIL-held Al Bab
154. ↑ haber7.com: tunelleri böyle
155. ↑ haberler.com: El Bab'daki Çatışmalarda Bir Asker Şehit Odu
156. ↑ euronews.com: Battle for al-Bab: ISIS militia loses ground
157. ↑ aljazeera.com.tr: El Bâb'ın yüzde 40'ı IŞİD'den temizlendi
158. ↑ AnhaHawarnews.com: İşgalci Türk ordusu El-Xaldiye Köyü'nü top atışına tutuyor ( Memento from February 12, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
159. ↑ El Bab'dan acı haber: 1 şehit, 3 yaralı (2) - yeniden . In: Hürriyet . ( com.tr [accessed February 12, 2017]).
160. ↑ orf.at: Turkish troops “in the center” of the IS bastion al-Bab
161. ↑ aleppo24.com: Report 1202
162. ↑ Aljazeera.com.tr: Fırat Kalkanı'nda 1 şehit
163. ↑ gazetevatan.com: Fırat Kalkanı'ndan kötü haber
164. ↑ Al-Jazeera.com: Erdogan: Turkish army will press on to ISIL-held Raqqa
165. ↑ hurriyetdailynews.com: 10 ISIL suicide bombers killed in fierce clashes during attack on Turkish base in Syria
166. ↑ aranews.net: ISIS fights back in Syria's al-Bab ( Memento from February 16, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
167. ↑ Spiegel.de: Activists report dozens of deaths after Turkish attacks
168. ↑ mepanews.com: Operasyonlar sırasında çok sayıda sivilin can kaybına cream olan şehrin kaderi önümüzdeki günlerde belli olacak
169. ↑ Deutschlandfunk.de: Al-Bab shortly before being taken by the Turkish army? ( Memento from February 19, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
170. ↑ onvista.de: Turkey - Syrian IS stronghold Al-Bab largely recaptured
171. ↑ bild.de: Battle for the city of Al-Bab - ISIS threatens new defeat
172. ↑ n-tv.de: Troops are also approaching Raqqa
173. ↑ cnnturk.com: İşte El Bab'da son durum: ÖSO'nun ilerleyişi sürüyor
174. ↑ Milliyet.com.tr: TSK'dan son dakika El Bab açıklaması: 1 asker şehit
175. ↑ Spiegel: Rebels announce the conquest of the IS stronghold of al-Bab
176. ↑ tagesschau.de: Rebels recapture al Bab
177. ↑ augsburger-allgemeine.de: Rebels are said to have expelled IS from the center of Al-Bab
178. ↑ rt.de: "Al Bab fallen" - Turkish army announces conquest of the last stronghold of IS in northern Syria
179. ↑ sabah.com.tr: El Bab'da intihar saldırısı
180. ↑ aljazeera.com: Suicide bombers kill scores near Al Bab
181. ↑ tagesschau.de: Dozens of dead in attack in Syria
182. ↑ Handelsblatt.com: At least 60 dead in bomb attack near Al-Bab
183. ^ Frankfurter-Allgemeine: Suicide bombers target and kill Syrian soldiers
184. ↑ sabah.com.tr: Şehitler Gaziantep'te
185. ^ Reuters.com: Islamic State car bomb kills more than 50 in northwest Syria
186. ↑ Focus.de: Russian Air Force accidentally kills three Turkish soldiers
187. ↑ n-tv.de: Turkish offensive meets Assad troops
188. ↑ france24.com: Russia intervenes to stop Syrian army, rebels fighting near key town of al-Bab
189. ↑ bbc.com: Syria conflict: What is at stake in the battle of al-Bab?
190. ↑ almasdarnews.com: Syrian Army given green light to enter Al-Bab by high command
191. ↑ businessinsider.com: Blast hits Turkey-backed Syrian rebels fighting Islamic State, monitor says
192. ↑ Almasdarnews.com: BREAKING: Syrian Army liberates ISIS-held town neighboring Al-Bab
193. ↑ ahaber.com: Bab'ın güneyinde ÖSO ile rejim güçleri çatıştı
194. ^ Syrian Army liberates two villages near Al-Bab amid clashes with the Turkish Army
195. ↑ reuters.com: Turkey-backed Syrian rebels clash with army in north
196. ↑ sputniknews.com: Russia Stops the Fighting Between Syrian Army, Turkish-Backed Rebels
197. ↑ rt.com: Escalation between Turkey and Syria: Pro-Turkish rebels against government troops
198. ↑ almasdarnews.com: Field Report: Syrian Army, Turkish-backed forces vie for control in northern Syria
199. ↑ haberler.com: Rejim, Deaş'ı Fırat Kalkanı'ndan Koruyacak
200. ↑ aljazeera.com.tr: 'ÖSO, YPG'den 2 köy aldı' ( Memento from March 7, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
201. ↑ Almasdarnews.com: Turkish Army seizes two villages from Kurdish forces amid push towards Manbij
202. ↑ www.turkiyegazetesi.com.tr: TSK destekli ÖSO birlikleri 2 köyü PYD'den geri aldı
203. ↑ Dailysabah.com: Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army advances against YPG in Syria's Manbij
204. ↑ milliyet.com.tr: Son dakika… YPG, Menbic'in batısını Esad'a bıraktı
205. ↑ Almasdarnews.com: Kurdish-led SDF to handover huge section of territory to SAA
206. ↑ Zeit.de: Turkey threatens Kurdish armed forces in Syrian Manbij with attack ( Memento from March 3, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
207. ↑ Al-Jazeeraturk: Menbic'de YPG OESO cephesi rejime teslim
208. ↑ haberler.com: TSK ve ÖSO, Münbiç'ten Sonra Azez'de de Operasyon Başlattı
209. ↑ almasdarnews.com: Turkish-backed rebels seize village from Kurdish forces in northeast Aleppo
210. ↑ almasdarnews.com: Scores of Kurds killed, captured as Turkish troops kick off Manbij offensive
211. ↑ almasdarnews.com: Five more Syrian Army soldiers captured by Turkish forces in Aleppo province
212. ↑ Video: Four Syrian Army soldiers captured by Turkish-led forces in rural Aleppo
213. ↑ bloombergs: Russia, Turkey, US Hold Military Talks Amid Syria Standoff
214. ↑ tagesschau.de: USA station more troops in Syria
215. ↑ almasdarnews.com: 400 Marines illegally arrive in Syria ahead of joint Raqqa offensive with Kurdish forces
216. ↑ SANA: Military source: Turkish aggression on Syrian army positions in Manbij
217. ↑ haberler.com: TSK Topçu Birlikleri Menbiç'te Esad ve YPG Güçlerini Vurdu
218. ↑ n-tv.de:US unit comes close to Russian troops
219. ↑ aljazeera.com:Çavuşoğlu: Rakka'yı Rakkalılara teslim edebiliriz
220. ↑ al-monitor.com:Turkey shuts down Mercy Corps' Syria aid program ( Memento from March 26, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
221. ↑ Zeit.de : Rebels withdraw from Homs
222. ↑ almasdarnews.com:Turkish forces dislodge Syrian troops from key town neighboring Al-Bab in rural Aleppo
223. ↑ MGK sonrası açıklama: Fırat Kalkanı Harekatı sonuçlandı , Cumhuriyet article of March 29, 2017
224. ↑ yahoo.com:reuters:Turkey ends 'Shield' military operation in Syria, PM says
225. ↑ n-tv.de:Turkey declares mission in Syria ended
226. ↑ Free Syrian Army getting backup from Turkish-trained police ( Memento from March 27, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
227. ↑ t-online.de: Turkey threatens bitter battle for Manbij
228. ↑ DailSabah-Deutsch: Erdoğan: Turkey's next destination after al-Bab is Manbij
229. ^ Turkey using right to self-defense in Jarablus operation. In: aa.com.tr . August 24, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2017 . 
230. ↑ Turkish course in Syria: “Questionable under international law”. In: deutschlandfunk.de. August 25, 2016, archived from the original on September 14, 2016 ; accessed on January 7, 2017 . 
231. ↑ Declaration by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of August 25, 2016, cf. BT-Drs. 18/12455 , answer to question 4.
232. ↑ Thomas Jäger: Syria Conflict: The USA actually surrendered to Erdogan. In: Focus Online . August 27, 2016, accessed January 7, 2017 . 
233. ↑ Holger Marcks: Rowing on the Euphrates. In: jungle-world.com. September 1, 2016, accessed January 26, 2017 . 
234. ↑ Tumay Berkin: Turkey criticizes US support for Syrian Kurdish militia. In: Reuters. January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017 . 
235. ^ Alfred Hackensberger: Syria Intervention: Kurds, Christians, Arabs - Turkey attacks them all. In: welt.de . September 6, 2016, accessed January 7, 2017 . 
236. ↑ David Dolan: After sweeping into northern Syria, Turkey faces hard choices. In: reuters.com. September 2, 2016, accessed January 7, 2017 . 
237. ↑ Metin Boyutu, Metni Yazdır: Nato Genel Sekreteri: "Türkiye'nin kendini koruma hakkı var". In: cnnturk.com. September 9, 2016, accessed January 7, 2017 (Turkish). 
238. ↑ Fırat Kalkani Harekatına ABD'den destek. In: sabah.com.tr. September 9, 2016, accessed January 7, 2017 (Turkish). 
239. ^ Stefan Liebich, Die Linke .: "Good reasons". In: stefan-liebich.de. October 27, 2016, accessed January 7, 2017 . 
240. ↑ "A campaign that threatens the little that is good" Welt / N24 of January 20, 2018

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