With Russia still in control of the airspace over Afrin, and Turkey determined to extend the operation to wipe YPG forces out further along the Syrian-Turkish border and even into northern Iraq, this dynamic is unlikely to change, according to Yıldız’s article for the Moscow-based think tank Valdai Club.
“When it comes to the Kurdish question within Turkey or in Syria, Russia holds more carrots and sticks against Turkey than any Western countries,” wrote Yıldız. “In this context the carrot was Afrin, and if the relations with Turkey changes, the stick could be open or behind the scenes military support to the Kurds in Syria or Turkey.”
Read more on https://ahvalnews.com/russia-turkey/afrin-brought-turkey-russia-relations-closer-ever-analyst
