A US withdrawal from Syria's northern border this week has exposed Washington's Kurdish partners to a
Turkish assault, creating conditions for a rapprochement with
Damascus that both sides need badly, analysts said.
The main US partner in the years-long battle against the
Islamic State group, Kurdish forces were left to fend for themselves after allied US forces pulled back on Monday.
What the
Kurds resent as a US betrayal paved the way for a Turkish operation that has seen Ankara bombard positions since Wednesday and send forces across the border.