THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- September 1, 2016- Topic 2
Turkey’s dangerous move on Syria
Turkey’s INCURSION into Syria has opened a new front in the already complicated Syrian civil war. Turkey and the other regional powers in West Asia, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran, have been active players in the Syrian CONFLICT since 2011, but this is the first time one of them has sent its army into Syria to join COMBAT.
Ankara says the move is to fight the Islamic State; within days of rolling its tanks into Syria, Turkey declared that it had cleared the border town of Jarabulus of IS fighters. But there is little doubt that the real target of the Turkish forces is the Kurdish MILITIAS. The IS had been active in Jarabulus since 2013, and used the town as a key supply route for men and materials. Over the last few years, Turkey had largely ignored IS activities on the Syrian side of the border. It moved into action only after the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces recaptured Manbij, another town close to the border, from the IS. After taking positions in Manbij, Kurdish rebels had moved towards Jarabulus. If Kurds seize Jarabulus as well, it would allow them UNPRECEDENTED control over the Syrian-Turkish border region and also cut Turkey off from the last remaining cross-border supply routes. Unsurprisingly, after taking control of Jarabulus, Turkish aircraft and ground troops started attacking Kurdish positions in Manbij, demanding that they retreat to the east of the EUPHRATES.
Ankara says the move is to fight the Islamic State; within days of rolling its tanks into Syria, Turkey declared that it had cleared the border town of Jarabulus of IS fighters. But there is little doubt that the real target of the Turkish forces is the Kurdish MILITIAS. The IS had been active in Jarabulus since 2013, and used the town as a key supply route for men and materials. Over the last few years, Turkey had largely ignored IS activities on the Syrian side of the border. It moved into action only after the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces recaptured Manbij, another town close to the border, from the IS. After taking positions in Manbij, Kurdish rebels had moved towards Jarabulus. If Kurds seize Jarabulus as well, it would allow them UNPRECEDENTED control over the Syrian-Turkish border region and also cut Turkey off from the last remaining cross-border supply routes. Unsurprisingly, after taking control of Jarabulus, Turkish aircraft and ground troops started attacking Kurdish positions in Manbij, demanding that they retreat to the east of the EUPHRATES.
Turkey has two concerns. First, if it loses cross-border access to Syria, the Ankara-backed rebels would be in a weaker position in the Syrian civil war, which would in turn JEOPARDISE Turkey’s plans for a future Syria. Second, if Kurdish militias are allowed to further CONSOLIDATE in the semi-autonomous Syrian Kurdistan, that would pose a direct strategic threat to Turkey, given the Syrian Kurds’ deep ties with their Turkish counterparts who are at war with Ankara. So Turkey wants to RUPTURE the Kurdish momentum. This move, however, marks a dangerous turn of events. Kurds have proved the most effective ground force against the IS. All the major border towns they control, such as Kobane, Tal Abyad and now Manbij, were recaptured from the IS after long and bloody ground battles. In fact, the decline of the IS started with their defeat by Kurds in Kobane. Besides, the Turkish INCURSION makes the Syrian war more complicated. Given their recent battle history, Kurds won’t give up their position easily. This means that if Turkey PERSISTS with its operation, the border towns could witness another spell of war, while making the task of resolving the Syrian conflict more difficult. Unfortunately, Turkey seems less bothered about the chaos in Syria than the growing CLOUT of Kurds.
:::::::::::::::::: Meanings with Example and Synonyms :::::::::::::::::
Incursion: an invasion or attack, especially a sudden or brief one.
Example:incursions into enemy territory
synonyms: attack on, assault on, raid on, invasion of, storming of
Conflict: a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.
Example:the eternal conflict between the sexes
synonyms: dispute, quarrel, squabble, disagreement, dissension, clash, discord
Combat: fighting between armed forces.
Example:men killed in combat
synonyms: battle, fighting, action, hostilities, conflict, war, warfare
Militias:
a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
Example:These elites raised militias that freed U.S. forces from town security duties and joined garrison soldiers to hunt guerrillas in the boondocks.
Unprecedented: never done or known before.
Example:the government took the unprecedented step of releasing confidential correspondence
synonyms: unheardof, unknown, new, novel, groundbreaking, revolutionary
Jeopardise: put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure.
Example:a devaluation of the dollar would jeopardize New York's position as a financial center
synonyms: threaten, endanger, imperil, risk, put at risk, put in danger/jeopardy
Consolidate: combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent whole.
Example:all manufacturing activities have been consolidated in new premises
synonyms: combine, unite, merge, integrate, amalgamate, fuse
Rupture: a breach of a harmonious relationship.
Example:the rupture with his father would never be healed
synonyms: rift, estrangement, falling-out, breakup, breach, split, separation
Incursion: an invasion or attack, especially a sudden or brief one.
Example:incursions into enemy territory
synonyms: attack on, assault on, raid on, invasion of, storming of, overrunning of
Persists: continue firmly or obstinately in an opinion or a course of action in spite of difficulty, opposition, or failure.
Example: The minority of drivers who persist in drinking
Clout: influence or power, especially in politics or business.
Example:I knew he carried a lot of clout
synonyms: influence, power, weight, sway, leverage, control, say, dominance,
authority
