THE CAPTURE OF TAL ABYAD
The capture of the Northern Syrian district of Tal Abyad by the forces of the Kurdish People's Protection Units has been perceived as part of an attempt to establish a permanent Kurdish governments in Northern Syria. Tal Abyad was previously held by ISIS from early 2014 and functioned as the center of a major smuggling route to the group’s stronghold of Raqqa. Since the beginning of June 2015 the Kurdish Protection Units had been carrying out operations with the help of US-led coalition airstrikes against ISIS in Tal Abyad. The Kurdish forces took control of the city without strong resistance from ISIS and pushed out its Arab and Turkmen population to Turkey’s border. The Kurdish fighters have reportedly been blocking the return of the Arabs and Turkmen but they claim to be merely clearing explosive devices planted by ISIS around Tal Abyad.

“CONTROL, CLEAN AND RE-LOCATE”
The Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units, are considered by Turkey to be the fighting wing of the Syrian affiliate of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s. The group announced the creation of three cantons of which are Afrin, Kobane and Jazira in 2013. By taking control of Tal Abyad, it is possible to join Kobane and Jazira together. Under these circumstances it is thought the Peoples’ Protection Units will next target the region between Afrin and Kobane. This would allow the group to expand along the Turkish border. However, this territory is currently under the control of Syrian opposition groups and is not predominantly inhabited by Kurds. After the Peoples’ Protection Units took control of Afrin, Kobane and Jazira in 2012 they forced Arabs and Turkmens to leave their homes and settled Kurds from Northern Iraq and Syria in the area. Since the beginning of Syrian uprising in 2011, the Syrian Kurds and and regime forces have not clashed frequently. Although Bashar al Assad’s government often drops barrel bombs in areas under the control of the Syrian opposition groups, it does not deliberately attack the PYD’s cantons.

SYRIAN TURKMENS FEAR EXPULSION
The strategy of the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units of creating a de facto Kurdish entity in Northern Syria has discomforted Turkey. If the group succeeds Turkish authorities are not confident that a border controlled by a group linked to the PKK will be secure. A Kurdish strip extending right across Turkey’s border, would cut off Turkey from Syria’s and Arabs. According to leading Iraqi Turkmen figure Ershad Salihi it could also mean that Turkmens would be forced out of their homeland. Leader of Turkey’s opposition Nationalist Movement Party Devlet Bahceli has said that Turkey should set up a buffer zone to ensure its territorial integrity.

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