BEIRUT: Turkey threatened on Monday to hit back at Syrian pro-government troops if they deploy in an enclave in northern Syria to protect a Kurdish militia that Ankara is battling there.

The warning by the Turkish foreign minister came shortly after Syrian state media said pro-government forces will begin entering the Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin in the country’s northwest “within hours,” after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia in control of the region.

The official SANA news agency said the forces will deploy in Afrin to “bolster” local forces in confronting Turkish “aggression,” suggesting the Syrian government and Kurdish fighters have struck a deal under which the government forces would help repel an ongoing Turkish offensive on the enclave.

The agreement may prompt Turkey to pull out and end a month-long air and ground offensive that aims to oust the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, from Afrin. Ankara considers the YPG a “terrorist group” linked to its own Kurdish insurgency within Turkey’s borders.

Turkey’s foreign minister promptly issued the warning, saying that his country is ready to battle Syrian government troops if they enter Afrin to protect the Kurdish fighters.

Speaking in the Jorda­n­ian capital of Amman, Mev­lut Cavusoglu added that “if the regime is entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us, stop Turkey or the Turkish soldiers.” On the other hand, he said that Ankara would have no problem if Syrian government forces enter Afrin to clear the area from YPG fighters. The announcements came as violence continued in Afrin.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria’s state media reported that Turkish troops pounded villages in the enclave with artillery shells.

SANA gave no further details about the deployment of the troops, known as “popular forces,” to the area. The Syrian government withdrew from much of the border area with Turkey in 2012 and maintains no presence in Afrin.

“The popular forces joining the resistance against Turkish occupation in Afrin comes in the framework of supporting residents as well as defending Syria and its sovereignty,” SANA said, adding that the deployment aims to “frustrate attempts by (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan’s regime and its mercenaries of terrorist organisations to occupy the area,” referring to Turkish-backed Syrian insurgents.

A Syrian Kurdish official said that Syrian troops will enter Afrin form the Shia villages of Nubul and Zahraa through the Ziyara crossing that links government-held parts of the country with those held by the YPG.

“The army will deploy in several border areas in coordination with the People’s Protection Units and the Syrian Democratic force,” said the official.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2018