Airforces - Typhoon school

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NEWS

// APRIL 2018 #361

Combat report

he relationship

between Syria and

Turkey, traditionally

strained, has deteriorated

severely in the last few years

and has experienced its most

tense period. Approximately

5 million Syrians have sought

refuge in Turkey, fleeing the

civil war in their country.

Meanwhile, mortar and

rocket attacks from northern

Syria have struck civilians

and infrastructure in the

border regions of Turkey.

Turkey describes the aims

of Operation Olive Branch as

bringing peace and stability

to the region, protecting its

borders, while supporting

Syria’s territorial integrity,

and preventing

establishment of a

new state or non-

state structures in

the border region.

Turkey’s

President Recep

Tayyip Erdoğan

has spoken of

Turkey clearing

the region from

terrorist organisations,

whether that be so-called

Islamic State (IS), the

Kurdistan Workers’ Party

(PKK) and Kurdish People’s

Protection Units (YPG),

or their offshoots.

In early January, President

Erdoğan warned that Turkey

was preparing to launch an

operation in the Kurdish-

majority Afrin province of

northern Syria. At the same

time, diplomatic steps were

initiated. In the following

weeks, Turkish delegations

met with their counterparts

from the United States

and Russia. During

these meetings, Turkey

communicated its concerns

and decisions about the

worsening situation. After

the US-led coalition said it

was planning to set up a

new border force together

with the Kurdish-dominated

Syrian Democratic Forces

(SDF), Erdoğan accused

the US of forming a “terror

army”. Russia opposed

the plan too, suggesting it

could lead to the partition

of Syria. Turkey then

began to send military units

including armoured vehicles

to the Syrian border.

On Saturday, January 20,

Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (THK,

Turkish Air Force) personnel

donned their flight suits and

awaited operational orders.

Operation Olive Branch

In January 2018,

the Turkish armed

forces began

a campaign in

northern Syria,

officially targeting

Kurdish and

Islamist factions.

Onur Kurç and

Tay fun Yaşar

examine Tur key’s

latest major

military operation.

borders, while supporting

Syria’s territorial integrity,

and preventing

establishment of a

new state or non-

state structures in

the border region.

Turkey’s

President Recep

Tayyip Erdo

has spoken of

Turkey clearing

the region from

T

Above: F-4E 2020 77-0285 of 111 Filo ‘Panter’ carries an example of the Israeli-made Rafael

Popeye air-to-ground missile. It has been rumoured that these ageing weapons are soon to

be phased out of THK service, to be replaced by indigenous precision weapons.