The Current Situation in Syria

After the entry of Turkish troops into Northern Syria, the country is politically more fragmented than ever. This infographic shows which parts of the country are controlled by which faction and is base on Liveuamap data analysed by the German newspaper Handelsblatt. In the north there is a strip about 30 kilometres wide, which Turkey seeks to control as a "safe zone". The parts into which Turkish troops have already penetrated are coloured purple. The red areas were newly occupied by Syrian-Russian forces, showing how Assad is now gaining influence in the region.

The majority of the planned Turkish control zone is still controlled by Kurdish militias (yellow areas on the map). Turkey itself describes its military operation in Syria as an "Operation Peace Spring" and justifies it as self-defence against a terrorist threat: Ankara regards the Kurdish forces as offshoots of the Kurdish Workers' Party PKK. This party fights in Turkey for the political autonomy of Kurdish populated areas and is regarded by Turkey, the EU, Germany and the USA as a terrorist organization.