Operation Olive Branch: A Geopolitical Clash Over the Kurdish-Majority Afrin District in Syria
In 2018, Turkey launched a military offensive into the Kurdish-majority Afrin District of Syria, aiming to eliminate groups it deemed terrorist organizations. The operation, named after a symbol of peace, sparked international tension, displaced hundreds of thousands, and drew NATO allies into a complex, multi-sided conflict over regional security and influence.
Operation Olive Branch began on 19 January 2018, when Turkish forces and the Syrian National Army (SNA) initiated an invasion of the Afrin District. Turkey’s stated objective was to secure its borders by eliminating the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a branch of the PKK, a group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and the United States. The conflict saw the deployment of approximately 6,400 Turkish soldiers alongside 10,000 to 25,000 Syrian rebel fighters. By 18 March 2018, Turkish-backed forces entered the city of Afrin, effectively ending the major air and artillery campaign.
The human cost of the operation was significant. Estimates suggest between 395 and 510 civilians were killed, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 300,000 Kurdish people were displaced. In the aftermath, Turkish forces implemented a resettlement policy, moving refugees from Eastern Ghouta into homes vacated by those who fled. Reports of looting and the seizure of private property were widespread, with all 24 key informants in one study reporting the loss of housing or land. Furthermore, the Turkish government faced criticism for domestic crackdowns, arresting hundreds of demonstrators and nearly 100 journalists and politicians who opposed the invasion.
The operation strained international alliances, particularly between Turkey and the United States. While the U.S. supported the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—which included the YPG—in the fight against ISIL, Turkey viewed the SDF as a direct security threat. Tensions peaked when the U.S. announced plans to train a 30,000-strong border force, prompting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to vow to strangle the force before it was born. The conflict also drew in Syrian government forces and Russian military observers, complicating the Astana Peace Process and leaving the region in a state of precarious, contested control.
Source: Operation Olive Branch
