The Latest Situation in Northern Syria [22.03.2018]

After the TAF and its Syrian rebel allies started the Olive Branch Operation to clear Afrin from the YPG, the PYD/YPG has lost any border connection with Turkey in Afrin which means that the PYD/YPG has lost any border connection with Turkey West of the Euphrates river. As the Olive Branch Operation has finished succesfully, Afrin has been cleared from any PKK/YPG presence. According to the statements of Turkish officials, bilateral diplomacy between the US and Turkey on the issue of Manbij continues while Turkey’s decisive behavior in northern Syria might cause new crucial developments as Turkey’s rhetoric signals new military operations not only in Manbij but all the way to the Iraqi border.