Hem
Den nya gatuskylten. (ADEM ALTAN / AFP)

Turkiet provocerar – byter namn på ambassadgata

Turkiet har bytt namn på gatan i Ankara där USA:s ambassad ligger, ett tilltag som uppfattas som ett provokativt diplomatiskt trick.

Gatan, som tidigare var uppkallad efter den turkiska huvudstadens före detta guvernör Nevzat Tandogan, heter nu Olivkvistgatan, skriver TT.

Relationerna mellan Ankara och Washington DC har ansträngts av Turkiets pågående ”operation olivkvist” mot den kurdiska milisen i Afrin som USA har samarbetat med i Syrien.

Det amerikanska utrikesdepartementet har dock inte låtit sig uppröras utan meddelar att ”de kan kalla den vad de vill, så länge som de inte bryter mot sina egna lagar”.

USA verkar i övrigt själva använda sig av samma trick. Ryska företrädare var måttligt roade när de i januari fick beskedet att en del av Wisconsin Avenue, som ligger framför den ryska ambassaden i den amerikanska huvudstaden, ska döpas om till Boris Nemtsov Plaza inför den tredje årsdagen av mordet på den ryske dissidenten den 27 februari.

bakgrund
 
Operation olivkvist
Wikipedia (en)
In January 2018, the Turkish military began an operation in the Kurdish-controlled Afrin District and the Tell Rifaat Subdistrict in Northern Syria. Turkey code-named the operation as Operation Olive Branch (Turkish: Zeytin Dalı Harekâtı). The offensive is against the Kurdish-led Democratic Union Party in Syria (PYD), its armed wing People's Protection Units (YPG), and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions surrounding the Syrian city of Afrin. Turkey also says it is fighting ISIL, though ISIL does not exist in Afrin. Afrin and the surrounding area is claimed by the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria as Afrin Canton, part of its Afrin Region. It is the first major military operation by Turkey in Syria since Operation Euphrates Shield. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated that the operation in Afrin would be followed by a push in the northern town of Manbij, which the US-backed Kurdish forces captured from ISIL in 2016. American generals said they will respond "aggresively" if such a provocation is made against them. Turkey is confronting the YPG alongside the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) and other rebel groups, including Sham Legion and Ahrar al-Sham. The YPG announced that it would protect the people of Afrin and respond to the Turkish army. Between 135 and 180 civilians have been reported killed and at least 16,000 civilians have been displaced since the operation started. Other war crime allegations include the mutilation of female corpses by TFSA fighters, the use of chemical gas by the Turkish army, and the indiscriminate shooting of refugees fleeing from the conflict area into Turkey by Turkish border guards. Erdoğan has threatened there will be a "heavy price" for those who have protested against the military offensive. Hundreds of individuals have been arrested for demonstrating against the operation. Over 700 social media users and nearly 100 politicians and journalists have been arrested for criticizing the operation. Turkish authorities have also arrested numerous leaders and high-ranking members of pro-Kurdish and left-wing political parties.
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