Updated January 16, 2018 01:10:48

Photo: Kurdish YPG fighters head a convoy of US military vehicles in Syria. (Reuters: Rodi Said, file photo)

Plans for a US-led coalition to train a 30,000-strong border security force in Syria has been met with strong opposition from Turkey and Russia.

The coalition on the wejsaid initial training was already underway of the Kurdish-dominated force that would secure Syrian-opposition-held territory bordering Turkey to the north, Iraq in the south-east and Syrian forces backed by Russia and Iran along the Euphrates River Valley.

The group will be largely drawn from Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — an alliance of militias in northern and eastern Syria dominated by the Kurdish YPG.

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said the US was "playing with fire" by setting a force that would include Kurdish militia.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Washington "is taking worrying steps to legitimise this organisation [YPG] and make it lasting in the region".

"It is absolutely not possible for this to be accepted," he said, adding that Turkey "will continue its fight against any terrorist organisation regardless of its name and shape within and outside its borders".

US support for the SDF has put enormous strain on ties with NATO ally Turkey, which views YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) — a group that has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is considered a terrorist group by the European Union, Turkey and the United States.

Photo: YPG fighters have fought to rid Syrian towns and cities of IS militants. (AP: Syrian Democratic Forces)

Turkey has criticised the US for arming YPG and Arab fighters in the SDF, which drove Islamic State (IS) out of Raqqa and other parts of Syria.

"The US sent 4,900 trucks of weapons in Syria. We know this. This is not what allies do," Mr Erdogan said.

"We know they sent 2,000 planes full of weapons."

'We will tear them down'

Mr Erdogan on Saturday said Turkish forces in Syria would "vanquish" Kurdish militia that control the neighbouring region of Afrin, putting Turkey at odds with US-backed forces.

"God willing, in the coming days, we will continue the operation to purge our southern border from terror," he said in a speech in the eastern Turkish city of Elazig.

Turkish troops entered Idlib three months ago after an agreement with Russia and Iran for the three countries to try to reduce fighting between pro-Syrian government forces and rebel fighters in the largest remaining insurgent-held part of Syria.

But now they have turned their sights on the neighbouring Kurdish-controlled region of Afrin.

"If the terrorists in Afrin don't surrender we will tear them down," Mr Erdogan said.

Photo: Turkey has criticised the United States for arming YPG. (Reuters: Rodi Said)

Rojhat Roj, the YPG spokesman in Afrin, said Turkish forces stationed in Syria shelled several Kurdish villages in the Afrin region on Saturday, without causing casualties.

"From our side, there is no shelling at present," he added.

Mr Erdogan has said the Kurdish YPG militia is trying to establish a "terror corridor" on Turkey's southern border, linking Afrin with a large Kurdish-controlled area to the east.

In 2016 Turkey launched its Euphrates Shield military offensive in northern Syria to push back IS from the border and drive a wedge between the Kurdish-controlled regions.

"With the Euphrates Shield operation we cut the terror corridor right in the middle; we hit them one night suddenly," Mr Erdogan said.

"With the Idlib operation, we are collapsing the western wing," he said, in reference to Afrin.

The traditional borders of Kurdistan extend from Syria, through Turkey, Iraq and Iran.

Turkey fear Kurdish independence in Syria could spark a new push for independence among ethnic Kurds in Turkey.

Move 'stands in direct confrontation' to Russian interests

Photo: Tayyip Erdogan said he expected support from the US saying he hoped they would not "appear on the same side as the terror organisation". (Reuters: Osman Orsal)

Mr Erdogan said Turkey expected support and "strategic cooperation" from the US in their "legitimate efforts" in Syria.

"Despite it all, we believe we have common interests with America in the region and hope we can act in concert," Mr Erdogan said.

"We expect our friends to display an attitude that befits them in this issue of survival that is so sensitive and so critical for our country.

"During the Afrin operation, I hope these powers will not give rise to error by appearing on the same side as the terror organisation."

Chairman of the Defence Committee of Russia's State Duma Vladimir Shamanov told local media Russia would undertake measures as a response to the US-led coalition's decision to create the "so-called Border Security Force".

He said the move "stands in direct confrontation" with Russian interests, and they would take measures to stabilise Syria.

The Syrian Government in Damascus said the establishment of the new force "represents and blatant assault" on their sovereignty.

Syria has refereed to the US as an illegal occupation force and its SDF allies as "traitors".

The United States has about 2,000 troops in Syria fighting IS and has said it is prepared to stay in the country until it is certain IS is defeated, that stabilisation efforts can be sustained and there is meaningful progress in UN-led peace talks on ending the conflict.

Civilians 'displaced from their villages'

Kurdish authorities in Afrin have accused the Turkish Government of bringing "huge military reinforcements" into Syria in the name of de-escalating conflict between Syrian Government forces and rebels, but that they have instead targeted Kurdish villages "since the first day".

In a statement, the co-chair of the council of Afrin region said "ongoing bombardment" has "resulted in displacing the civilians from their villages".

Who are the Kurds? Why are they fighting Islamic State? Why is Turkey fighting them? And what do they want?

Kurdish analyst Wladimir van Wilgenburg confirmed there was heavy shelling from Turkish forces yesterday but no reports of shelling or fighting on Monday.

"Afrin has been relatively safe the last few years compared to other provinces in Syria, and have hosted thousands of IDPs from other provinces in Syria," he said.

"They now feel afraid they could become victim of Turkish attacks."

Mr van Wilgenburg said Kurds, who are seeking to establish an autonomous region in Syria, see the new US plan as "a confirmation that the US will stay and continue to support them in the coming years".

"This new sign of support for the Kurds in northern Syria will give more guarantees for survival for the local administrations the Kurds have build over the past few years," he said.

ABC/Reuters

Topics: world-politics, army, foreign-affairs, unrest-conflict-and-war, territorial-disputes, syrian-arab-republic, united-states, turkey, russian-federation

First posted January 16, 2018 00:26:47