### Turkey Launches Airstrikes on Kurdish Regions Following Deadly Ankara Attack

Turkey initiated airstrikes on Wednesday night targeting Kurdish-held territories in Syria and Iraq. The strikes came in response to a deadly attack at a state-owned defense manufacturer in Ankara that resulted in four fatalities and more than a dozen injuries.

The Turkish government has pinned the blame on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for the attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries headquarters located outside of Ankara. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan characterized the assault as "nefarious." Verified video footage from CBS News revealed damage to electrical infrastructure in Kobani and Qamishli, regions within northeast Syria controlled by Kurdish-majority forces.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who have been key allies of the U.S. in the battle against ISIS, reported on Thursday that Turkish air and artillery strikes resulted in 12 deaths, including two children, and 25 injuries. Turkey's defense ministry claimed that 47 "terrorist targets" in Syria and Iraq were hit.

SDF commander General Mazlum Abdi denounced the Turkish strikes, labeling them as indiscriminate. He stated that the attacks impacted civilian infrastructure, such as health centers, in northeast Syria. Approximately 900 U.S. troops remain stationed in the area as part of the international coalition against ISIS, with the SDF serving as America's principal ally on the ground. As of Thursday morning, there has been no comment from either the U.S. Defense Department or Central Command regarding the Ankara attack or Turkey's subsequent retaliatory strikes.

Ankara considers the U.S.-backed SDF and its civilian body, the YPG, to be directly linked to the PKK, which has led a prolonged insurgency in Turkey for decades. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by both Turkey and the U.S. No group has claimed responsibility for the recent attack in Ankara.

The assault in Ankara occurred amidst renewed discussions between the Turkish government and PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned in Turkey for over 20 years. On Thursday, Ocalan's nephew, Omer, a member of Turkey's parliament, conveyed a message from the PKK leader indicating a willingness to end the violent conflict that has persisted since the mid-1980s. Notably, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party and an ally of Erdogan, has proposed inviting Ocalan to address parliament and possibly granting him parole in exchange for disbanding the PKK.