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Turkey Fires Warning Shots as Pro-Regime Forces Enter Afrin

Pro-Syrian regime militias enter Afrin. (AFP)
Pro-Syrian regime militias enter Afrin. (AFP)
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Turkey Fires Warning Shots as Pro-Regime Forces Enter Afrin

Pro-Syrian regime militias enter Afrin. (AFP)
Pro-Syrian regime militias enter Afrin. (AFP)

Pro-Syrian regime militias entered the northwestern Afrin region on Tuesday, pitting them against Turkish forces fighting the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

The confrontation pits the Turkish army and allied Syrian rebel groups directly against the military alliance backing the regime of Bashar Assad, further scrambling northwest Syria’s already messy battlefield.

Soon after the convoy of militia fighters - waving Syrian flags and brandishing weapons - entered Afrin, Syrian state media reported that Turkey had targeted them with shellfire.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the convoy as being made up of “terrorists” acting independently. He said Turkish artillery fire had forced it to turn back, although the YPG denied this.

Ankara’s month-old offensive is aimed at driving the YPG, which it sees as a big security threat on its border, from Afrin.

In a statement on Tuesday, YPG spokesman Nuri Mahmud said the Kurdish forces had called on Damascus to help fend off Turkey's assault.

"The Syrian regime responded to the invitation, answered the call of duty and sent military units today, February 20, to take up positions on the borders, and participate in defending the territorial unity of Syria and its borders," the statement said.

AFP correspondents said the forces did not appear to have entered Afrin city itself. The YPG said they were deploying along the front line facing the Turkish border.

Erdogan said he had previously reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, Assad’s main international backers, to block Syrian regime support for the YPG fighters.

YPG media adviser Rezan Hedo denied Erdogan’s assertion that the convoy had turned back under Turkish artillery fire, but he gave no details on its size or composition. A Britain-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said one convoy had entered Afrin while another turned back.

Earlier on Tuesday, Erdogan said he had received Putin’s agreement to block a Syrian regime deployment in Afrin.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday the Afrin crisis could be resolved through direct negotiations between Damascus and Ankara.

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After al-Sadr’s Boycott, al-Abadi Withdraws from Iraq’s Upcoming Elections

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announcing victory over Daesh in late 2017 (Archive – Government Media) 
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announcing victory over Daesh in late 2017 (Archive – Government Media) 
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After al-Sadr’s Boycott, al-Abadi Withdraws from Iraq’s Upcoming Elections

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announcing victory over Daesh in late 2017 (Archive – Government Media) 
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announcing victory over Daesh in late 2017 (Archive – Government Media) 

Following the decision by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Sadrist Movement to uphold its boycott of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has also announced that his Victory Coalition will withdraw in protest against “political money” and the lack of safeguards to prevent its misuse.

Al-Sadr has repeatedly declared that systemic financial and political corruption is the main reason his movement refuses to participate. Al-Abadi’s coalition echoed similar concerns, saying the upcoming November vote has been overshadowed by unrestrained spending and vote-buying.

Despite efforts by political forces to convince the Sadrists to reconsider, al-Sadr remained resolute. While he did direct his supporters to update their voter records, it is still unclear whether he will ultimately endorse any of the electoral lists reportedly registered under different names by allied groups.

The Victory Coalition formally notified its partners in the National State Forces Alliance that it will not field its own candidates, becoming the second major Shiite bloc to step aside.

In a statement, the coalition said it remains committed to democratic principles but refuses to legitimize an election “driven by political money, lacking serious enforcement of legal measures to prevent manipulation, vote-buying, misuse of public resources, and foreign funding.” The coalition stressed that a political entity’s credibility stems from its conduct, which defines its true influence.

Meanwhile, the Independent High Electoral Commission has begun reviewing candidate lists submitted by parties and alliances after the nomination period closed. Commission spokesperson Imad Jameel confirmed that officials are verifying documents to ensure candidates meet eligibility criteria, with background checks to be completed within 15 days.

As millions of Sadrist supporters face the likelihood of sitting out the election, traditional Shiite factions are positioning themselves as the natural political heirs and preparing to court disillusioned voters, particularly in Baghdad.

Separately, an official source revealed that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, leader of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, plans to run about 470 candidates nationwide. Al-Sudani will hold the top slot in Baghdad. Former Speaker of Parliament and Taqaddum leader Mohammed al-Halbousi also plans to contest Baghdad rather than Anbar, seeking to secure a strong Sunni presence in the capital.

These moves signal an intense contest for dominance in Baghdad, as al-Sudani may capitalize on Sadrist absence to expand Shiite support, while al-Halbousi’s campaign could reshape the sectarian balance in Iraq’s political heartland.