Turkey's army launched a major air and ground operation in northern Syria a week ago in a bid to oust a US-allied Kurdish militia that it considers a terror group.
The offensive follows an announcement by a US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) group that it is working to create a 30,000-strong border security force in northern Syria.
Around half of that force would be retrained fighters from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which is mainly made up of fighters from the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.
Here is a timeline of the main events:
- Major incursion -
On Saturday Turkey launches operation "Olive Branch" into Syria intending to oust the YPG militia from its enclave of Afrin.
War planes and artillery back a major ground incursion undertaken with Ankara-backed Syrian rebels.
Turkey considers the YPG to be a "terrorist" group as well as the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged a bloody three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad condemns "brutal Turkish aggression".
Assad ally Russia withdraws troops from the zone in question "to prevent potential provocation".
The Kurdish militia say they will hold Russia as well as Turkey responsible for the attacks.
- 'Legitimate' concerns -
On Sunday Turkish tanks and soldiers enter the region of Afrin.
Ankara says it aims to create a security zone 30 kilometres (18 miles) deep inside Syria.
The US State Department calls on Turkey to "exercise restraint". But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says Ankara has "legitimate" security concerns and had given Washington advance warning of the operation.
On Monday US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urges restraint on all sides. But he also says Turkey has a "legitimate right to protect its own citizens from terrorist elements that may be launching attacks against Turkish citizens on Turkish soil from Syria".
- 'No step back' -
"We will take no step back. We spoke about this with our Russian friends. We have an agreement," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says.
The Kurdish forces say Turkey's operation amounts to supporting IS and urge their Western allies to act.
- Rockets fall on Turkey -
On Tuesday the local Kurdish authorities order a "general mobilisation". Deadly clashes take place between Turkish soldiers and Kurdish militia, with Ankara carrying out airstrikes.
On Wednesday two rockets are launched from Syria at the Turkish border town of Kilis. Turkish artillery ripost.
- US-Turkey tensions -
In a telephone call with Erdogan US President Donald Trump urges Turkey "to de-escalate, limit its military actions" and "to avoid any actions that might risk conflict between Turkish and American forces," the White House says.
However, on Thursday Turkish official sources bitterly dispute the account, saying Trump did not share any concerns regarding "escalating violence".
The Pentagon says that Washington and Ankara are discussing setting up a Syria safe zone.
The local authority in Afrin urges the Syrian regime to stop Turkish planes flying overhead.
- Threat to widen offensive -
On Friday Ankara continues to pound Kurdish militia positions in Afrin.
Erdogan threatens to expand Turkey's offensive in Syria, vowing to "clean up" the YPG-held city of Manbij, where the US has a military presence.
Turkey will "continue our fight until there is no terrorist on our border", he says.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor says that more than 110 fighters have been killed between both sides since Saturday. It says 38 civilians have been killed, mainly as a result of Turkish shelling, but Ankara strongly rejects such claims.
Turkey’s army launched a major air and ground operation in northern Syria a week ago in a bid to oust a US-allied Kurdish militia that it considers a terror group.
The offensive follows an announcement by a US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) group that it is working to create a 30,000-strong border security force in northern Syria.
Around half of that force would be retrained fighters from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which is mainly made up of fighters from the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia.
Here is a timeline of the main events:
– Major incursion –
On Saturday Turkey launches operation “Olive Branch” into Syria intending to oust the YPG militia from its enclave of Afrin.
War planes and artillery back a major ground incursion undertaken with Ankara-backed Syrian rebels.
Turkey considers the YPG to be a “terrorist” group as well as the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which has waged a bloody three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad condemns “brutal Turkish aggression”.
Assad ally Russia withdraws troops from the zone in question “to prevent potential provocation”.
The Kurdish militia say they will hold Russia as well as Turkey responsible for the attacks.
– ‘Legitimate’ concerns –
On Sunday Turkish tanks and soldiers enter the region of Afrin.
Ankara says it aims to create a security zone 30 kilometres (18 miles) deep inside Syria.
The US State Department calls on Turkey to “exercise restraint”. But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says Ankara has “legitimate” security concerns and had given Washington advance warning of the operation.
On Monday US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urges restraint on all sides. But he also says Turkey has a “legitimate right to protect its own citizens from terrorist elements that may be launching attacks against Turkish citizens on Turkish soil from Syria”.
– ‘No step back’ –
“We will take no step back. We spoke about this with our Russian friends. We have an agreement,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says.
The Kurdish forces say Turkey’s operation amounts to supporting IS and urge their Western allies to act.
– Rockets fall on Turkey –
On Tuesday the local Kurdish authorities order a “general mobilisation”. Deadly clashes take place between Turkish soldiers and Kurdish militia, with Ankara carrying out airstrikes.
On Wednesday two rockets are launched from Syria at the Turkish border town of Kilis. Turkish artillery ripost.
– US-Turkey tensions –
In a telephone call with Erdogan US President Donald Trump urges Turkey “to de-escalate, limit its military actions” and “to avoid any actions that might risk conflict between Turkish and American forces,” the White House says.
However, on Thursday Turkish official sources bitterly dispute the account, saying Trump did not share any concerns regarding “escalating violence”.
The Pentagon says that Washington and Ankara are discussing setting up a Syria safe zone.
The local authority in Afrin urges the Syrian regime to stop Turkish planes flying overhead.
– Threat to widen offensive –
On Friday Ankara continues to pound Kurdish militia positions in Afrin.
Erdogan threatens to expand Turkey’s offensive in Syria, vowing to “clean up” the YPG-held city of Manbij, where the US has a military presence.
Turkey will “continue our fight until there is no terrorist on our border”, he says.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor says that more than 110 fighters have been killed between both sides since Saturday. It says 38 civilians have been killed, mainly as a result of Turkish shelling, but Ankara strongly rejects such claims.
