Russia's
engagement in Syria has ruined Erdogan's regional aspirations and
dramatically altered the balance of power in the Middle East, Germany's
public broadcasting radio station Deutschlandfunk asserted.
The media outlet referred to the Moscow-led counterterrorism campaign as a "game changer," as well as a "major blow" to Ankara.
As soon as Russian planes flew on their first anti-Daesh missions,
the Turkish leadership understood that their plans for Syria are no
longer viable. "Establishing a no-fly zone in northern Syria is
impossible. There will be no 120-kilometer-long and up to
20-kilometer-deep security zone on Turkey's border" with the war-torn
Arab country, Deutschlandfunk noted.
Moscow's decision to launch a counterterrorism
campaign following a formal request from Damascus "has rendered
Erdogan's policy in Syria largely ineffective," the media outlet noted.
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AFP 2016/ DELIL SOULEIMAN
Fighters from the Kurdish People Protection Unit (YPG) monitor the horizon in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh
The
Turkish leadership views all Kurds as a threat to Turkey's security and
stability. This reasoning has been behind what Ankara calls a
counterterrorism operation in the country's southeastern regions,
populated mostly by the Kurds. The ongoing military campaign against the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has been condemned as a civil war and
even a massacre.
Erdogan launched the operation after a two-year-long ceasefire
collapsed in 2015 to pursue his own political agenda. He succeeded to an
extent. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), founded
by Erdogan, scored a major victory in the snap parliamentary elections
held in November. But this policy could backfire since many view the
operation against PKK militants as a "was against the Kurds," the media
outlet noted.
Russia launched its successful counterterrorism campaign in late
September, while Turkey has been part of the US-led anti-Daesh
coalition. However, Ankara has mostly focused its efforts on supporting
rebels, who are fighting against forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad, and tackling the Kurds.
In addition, the Turkish leadership has failed to secure its porous border with Syria, which Daesh has used to smuggle fighters, weapons and supplies to the battlefield. This has prompted many to question Ankara's stated commitment to fighting Daesh.
©
REUTERS/ Sertac Kayar
Turkish
riot police use a water cannon to disperse Kurdish demonstrators during
a protest against a curfew in Sur district and security operations in
the region, in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey January 17,
2016
In addition, the Turkish leadership has failed to secure its porous border with Syria, which Daesh has used to smuggle fighters, weapons and supplies to the battlefield. This has prompted many to question Ankara's stated commitment to fighting Daesh.
The advanced supermaneuverable Su-35S multirole fighters began combat missions in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said Monday.
"Supermaneuverable Su-35S fighters started to carry out military tasks last week", Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told journalists.
He noted that all Russian warplanes have recently been conducting operations with an obligatory cover provided by Russian and Syrian fighter jets as wells as modern air defense systems including the S-400 Triumf.
Citing a military source, Russian Kommersant daily reported Monday that Russia was preparing to test thenext-generation Su-35S fighters in Syria for the first time.
Russia commenced a military operation against terrorists in Syria at the request of President Bashar Assad on September 30.
The 4++ generation Su-35 is characterized by supermaneuverability and has features of a 5 generation aircraft.
The fighter has new avionics, a modern radar and advanced engines. It can accomplish incredible tricks without deceleration and can fly at a speed of 2400 kmph, outpacing all rivals in its class. The warplane is armed with 30mm guns, a huge number of missiles and rockets.
All these features make the Su-35S a top plane which can provide air superiority and support the Syrian Army as it continues to liberate the country and retake the territory.
The heavy shadow of these planes, underline the negotiations.
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