[zapfranklin]

Turkey has the second largest standing military force in NATO. They are also, well, in NATO. The current situation is uncomfortable for a whole lot of people, but when push comes to shove, I don't see how a proxy force with questionable allegiance stands up to a NATO country with a massive air and ground force.

[ptaipale]

NATO is hardly going to support Turkey's adventures in Syria so it'll have little relevance for that fight.

And while the Turkish have far more firepower and air power than Kurds, the terrain is extremely favourable for a defending force, particularly when it is as motivated and well-trained as the Kurdish fighters. A Turkish attack can become a debacle, or at militarily "best", a massacre of civilian population resulting in further alienating Turkey from civilization.

[zapfranklin]

I don't disagree, but they certainly won't support the kurds' efforts against a NATO member.

Don't misunderstand that I think this is a) a good idea, or b) ultimately going to work out the way Turkey wants it to work out.

I don't think the kurds will choose to live and die by Afrin.

[ptaipale]

Yes, NATO as an organisation will hardly support Kurds either, but I can see that individual NATO members as well as other countries will start giving more and more moral and possibly economical support.

[BatFastard]

What the Kurds would need is surface to air missile, so they don't get slaughter from the air.

Is it even "likely" that you can shoot down a jet with an manually operated anti aircraft gun? Sure it's "possible"

[ptaipale]

Not likely at all unless you have masses of them (which the Kurds don't have), though they may successfully harass attackers and reduce their bombing accuracy.

Does Turkey have guided bombs? And will they be re-supplied so that Turkish air force could use them at will?