Fighting in Syria: Kurds join forces with Assad - against Turkey

The Turkish military is cracking down on Kurdish fighters and civilians in Syria. Now, the army of dictator Assad seems to come to the rescue to the Afrin region.

The Kurdish military in northwestern Syria and the government in Damascus have apparently reached an agreement to allow the Syrian army to march into the Afrin region. Its been reported that dictator Bashar al-Assad's army should help defend against the Turkish offensive.

The Kurdish People's Representative Units (YPG) and their allies have built three autonomous regions in northern Syria since the beginning of the uprising against Syrian President Assad in 2011, including Afrin. On January 20 this year, Turkish forces launched an offensive against the YPG, which is considered to be a Syrian branch of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) by Ankara.

An advisor to the Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria, Badran Jia Kurd, is said to have confirmed that Syrian troops should position themselves along the Turkish border. They could enter the area within the next two days. The dpa also reports on a corresponding agreement and refers to information from Syrian government circles.

Since the deployment of the Turkish military in the Afrin region, there have been numerous casualties on both sides. So far, 32 Turkish soldiers have fallen. On Saturday, allegedly there was even a poison gas attack by the Turkish army and its allies in Afrin, in which six people were said to have been injured. Turkey denies it.

The Turkish military operation is internationally highly controversial. The US supports the YPG fighters with weapons and special forces in the fight against jihadists. The offensive of the NATO partner Turkey is therefore considered critically in Washington.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan justifies the operation by stating that the YPG threatens Turkey's national security.