Turkey to attack Kurds in Syria, setting up a showdown

Turkey’s defense minister said Friday an onslaught of Turkish military shelling targeting Syrian Kurds in northwest Syria has “de facto” begun, per the AP.

Why it matters: This implicates the U.S. interests in the region since the U.S. has backed the Syrian Kurds as part of its fight to root out ISIS from Syria. The announcement comes a day after Turkish military and intelligence leaders discussed the plan in Moscow.