During the recent airstrikes, Ankara destroyed several strongholds held by Kurdish fighters near the Syrian town of Azaz, just eight kilometers from the Turkish border. The US has repeatedly called on Turkey to stop attacking its allies, but the success of the Syrian army as well as the active role of the Russian President in the country have caused Erdogan's fears to grow and urged him to continue the bombings.
After Syrian government troops reached a breakthrough in Aleppo, Kurdish troops received the chance to move towards the city of Azaz and recapture Minnigh Airbase, which was under the control of al-Nusra insurgents, the newspaper reported.
The Turkish government, however, viewed the success of the Kurds as another step towards the creation of a "Kurdish quasi-state" near its borders. Since Kurds constitute a large minority group within Turkey itself, the current situation is viewed by Erdogan as a serious threat to his government, the article said.
Fearing for the existence of his regime, Erdogan is even ready to support extremist groups in Syria. His obsession with the fight against the Kurds shows that in the current conflict Turkey recognizes only its own goals and interests, and therefore, the White House can no longer consider Ankara as a reliable partner, the newspaper wrote.
