Turkish military convoy moves closer to Syrian Kurds

Turkey's military has relocated a convoy of armored vehicles and personnel carriers to a base near the Syrian border as tensions with US-backed Syrian Kurdish militants escalate, local media and activists reported today.
Footage shot last night showed a long line of trucks carrying military vehicles driving to the area. The private Ihlas news agency reported the convoy was heading to southeastern Sanliurfa province from Kilis in the west.
The agency said the relocation comes after Turkish officials announced the completion of a phase of Turkey's cross-border operation in Syria, adding that the force may be used against Syrian Kurdish militants "if needed."

Turkish officials announced the conclusion of Euphrates Shield in March but have said they would continue combatting terror to make its borders safe, pointing to both the Islamic State group and Kurdish militants.
The reported relocation comes as tensions between Turkey and Syria's Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have been rising. Turkey conducted airstrikes against the group in Syria and Iraq on Tuesday, saying it killed at least 90 militants and wounded scores. The Kurdish group said it lost 20 fighters and media activists in the strike, which was followed by cross-border clashes between the two sides.
The military said the YPG has targeted Turkish border posts from Afrin and Tal Abyad, areas held by the group in northern Syria. Turkey's military responded with howitzers.

Ankara views the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds as a terror organization and an extension of Kurdish militants waging a three-decade-long insurgency against the Turkish state. The YPG forms the backbone of the U.S-backed Syria Democratic Forces and is Washington's ally in the fight against IS on the ground in Syria.

Redur Khalil, the spokesman for the YPG in Syria, said his group has information that Turkey is reinforcing its border posts opposite Tal Abyad as well as other border posts. He said the purpose of the military reinforcement was not clear.
"We hope that this military mobilization is not meant to provoke our forces or for another purpose linked to entering Syrian territories. We don't want any military confrontation between us since our priority is to fight Daesh in Raqqa and Tabqa," Khalil told The Associated Press in a series of text messages, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

Khalil said his forces are not building up in the area and added that the international coalition is now "monitoring" the border.
The escalation led to U.S. Patrols along the border in Syria. Kurdish officials said the patrols are to monitor the border and prevent an increase in tensions with Turkey, a NATO member and U.S. Ally.
Turkey's president on Saturday repeated his call to the U.S. To cease its support of the YPG in combatting IS. "The YPG, and you know who's supporting them, is attacking us with mortars. But we will make those places their grave, there is no stopping," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Instead of working with the Syrian Kurds, Turkey is pressing the U.S. To let its army join the campaign for Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital of IS.
Stating that his country is leading the most effective campaign against IS, Erdogan said: "Let us, huge America, all these coalition powers and Turkey, let us join hands and turn Raqqa to Daesh's grave.