Days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the launch of an offensive in north-eastern Syria, tensions have been defused overnight with the US and Turkey having agreed to establish a joint operations centre to co-ordinate a safe zone at the Syrian-Turkish border. This controversial move could allow Turkey to effectively control Syrian lands. The Syrian government has rejected the initiative, describing it as a violation of its sovereignty.
But Turkish authorities consider the region, run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, to be a haven for terrorist groups. They have accused the YPG, which dominates the US-backed SDF, of having ties with the Turkish-based PKK — deemed a terrorist organisation by Ankara and Washington. Wars in Syria and Iraq have given Kurdish militant groups, who fought against ISIS and other extremists, the opportunity to establish themselves as partners of western powers, giving them the licence to govern large areas. This has raised the alarm in Ankara, given that Kurdish separatists have led an insurgency against the government for decades.
To assuage Turkey's security concerns, Washington has promised to help create a safe zone along the Syrian border and clear it of Kurdish militia but that has yet to materialise and the two countries are still settling on the most important details of the arrangement. Turkey has insisted on establishing a 32-kilometre deep zone while the US reportedly wants to limit it to 12km. Turkey also wishes to supervise the area alone. This would give Turkey carte blanche to punish Kurdish communities.
The haggling over a sliver of Syrian land has laid bare Turkey’s true motivations. Most of Syria is once again ruled by Bashar Al Assad’s regime and rebel-held regions are at the mercy of extremist groups such as Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, except for parts run by moderate rebels under Turkish supervision. Yet Ankara seems unconcerned about the plight of the Syrians, who it had instrumentalised for its political goals and mostly left at the mercy of Assad and HTS. Instead, Mr Erdogan plans to take advantage of a weakened Syria to extend Turkey’s reach beyond its borders in an attempt to deflect attention from his failings at home. And the US’s eagerness to withdraw its troops could hasten the creation of a safe zone which, if Washington gives in to Ankara’s demands, will be safe in name only to the Kurds - and amount to nothing less than a land grab.
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rob%20Marshall%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHalle%20Bailey%2C%20Jonah%20Hauer-King%2C%20Melissa%20McCarthy%2C%20Javier%20Bardem%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now