Zeynep AzizTurkey launched Operation Olive Branch on 20 January 2018, sending aircraft against positions held by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region.
Ankara described the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Turkey, the United States and the European Union designate as a terrorist organisation. The United States had nevertheless worked with YPG-led forces elsewhere in Syria against Islamic State, making the Turkish offensive a serious point of tension between NATO allies.
Turkey said the opening air campaign struck more than one hundred targets. Turkish-backed Syrian opposition groups participated on the ground, and Turkish ground forces moved across the frontier as the operation developed. Kurdish authorities accused the attackers of striking civilian areas, while Turkey said it was targeting militant infrastructure and taking precautions to protect civilians.
The offensive added another layer to Syria’s already fragmented war. Russia controlled much of the relevant airspace, the Syrian government condemned the intervention, and Washington urged restraint. The operation eventually resulted in Turkish-backed forces taking Afrin city in March, while displacement and allegations of abuses created lasting humanitarian and political consequences.
