The Euphrates shield

The Euphrates shield was the first major operation by Turkey in Syria. It began in August 2016 r. and was intended to seize the belt between Afrin and the Euphrates. Officially, the Turkish authorities said that the top priority is to fight with ISIS which controlled the towns located there. Many commentators and analysts stressed, however, that the aim was to prevent the creation of a single territory in northern Syria controlled by the Kurds. The attack on the Afrin seems only to confirm this assertion.