Turkish Army Awaiting Green Light for Ground Operation in Syria

Turkey’s army is preparing for a ground operation into northern Syria, and such decision might come at a cabinet meeting on Monday, according to Turkish authorities.
For a week, Turkish howitzers fired daily on Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG) locations, while warplanes conducted airstrikes.
The escalation follows a deadly bomb attack in Istanbul two weeks ago, which Ankara blamed on the YPG militia. The YPG has denied involvement in the bombing and has reacted to cross-border attacks with mortar firing at times.
Turkey has previously launched military incursions in Syria against the YPG, viewing it as a wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered a terrorist organization.
President Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Turkey will launch a land operation to secure its southern border whenever it is convenient.